What Are Hydrosols? History, Benefits & Everyday Uses

Written by Jonathan Deschamps, founder and herbalist at Deschampsia.

Hydrosols are aromatic botanical waters created through the steam or hydro-distillation of plant material. Sometimes called hydrolats or floral waters, they have long been used in perfumery, skincare, household craft, and personal practice.

This article explores what hydrosols are, how they are distilled, their history, their botanical and aromatic character, and practical ways to use them in daily life.

What Are Hydrosols?

Hydrosols, also known as hydrolats or floral waters, are aromatic waters produced through the steam or hydro-distillation of plant material, including flowers, leaves, needles, bark, roots, and resins. During distillation, water vapor carries volatile and water-compatible plant compounds. As the vapor cools and condenses, it becomes a hydrosol; when enough essential oil is present, the oil separates and can be collected from the same distillate.

A hydrosol is not essential oil mixed into water. It is a distinct product of distillation, containing water-soluble plant constituents and small amounts of volatile aromatic compounds. This gives each hydrosol a chemical profile, scent, and botanical character of its own.

For a closer comparison of how hydrosols differ from formulated toners, read Hydrosol vs. Toner: What’s the Difference?

The History of Hydrosols and Distillation

The history of hydrosols is inseparable from the history of distillation itself. Akkadian tablets dating to around 1200 BC preserve descriptions of early perfumery in Babylon and Mesopotamia, demonstrating an already sophisticated understanding of aromatic plant preparations.

At Pyrgos/Mavroraki on the island of Cyprus, archaeologists led by Dr. Maria Rosaria Belgiorno uncovered a roughly 4,000-year-old perfume workshop containing alembic heads, basins, and vessels associated with distillation. Experimental reconstructions of the apparatus demonstrated how aromatic plant vapors could pass through the alembic and condense in a collecting vessel, where essential oil separated from the perfumed water. This is the same fundamental relationship between essential oil and hydrosol found in botanical distillation today.

Aromatic waters also appear throughout the beauty, medicinal, spiritual, and household traditions of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The Ebers Papyrus, dating to around 1550 BC, documents an extensive body of Egyptian plant knowledge and preparations. According to a famous legend, Cleopatra soaked the sails of her ship in rose water before meeting Mark Antony—a story that reflects the enduring relationship among aromatic waters, beauty, ceremony, and allure.

Writers and physicians including Hippocrates, Galen, and Dioscorides also described aromatic plants and preparations for a wide range of traditional uses. Across centuries and cultures, hydrosols and other aromatic waters became valued parts of perfumery, skincare, household craft, ceremony, and personal care.

Benefits of Hydrosols

Hydrosols offer a range of practical benefits in botanical skincare and aromatic use:

1. A Distinct Botanical Extraction: A hydrosol is not simply water with essential oil added, nor is it merely a weaker version of an essential oil. It is a distinct product of steam or hydro-distillation, containing water-soluble plant constituents and small amounts of volatile aromatic compounds. This gives each hydrosol a chemical profile, scent, and character of its own.
2. Ready to Use Without Dilution: Unlike concentrated essential oils, Deschampsia hydrosols are ready and safe to use directly without dilution when used as directed. They can be misted directly onto the face or body according to the individual product directions.
3. pH and the Acid Mantle: Healthy skin has a naturally acidic surface, often called the acid mantle, and Deschampsia hydrosols are naturally acidic as well. Because washing—especially with soap—can temporarily raise the skin’s surface pH, misting with a hydrosol after cleansing helps bring the skin back toward its naturally acidic state.
4. Hydration and Revitalization: As water-based botanical distillates, hydrosols add a light layer of hydration and leave the skin feeling refreshed and dewy. Applying a facial oil or balm afterward helps hold that water against the skin. To learn how water-based hydration works with facial oils and balms, read our guide to hydration, oils, and balms.
5. Plant-to-Bottle Formulation: Deschampsia hydrosols begin with fresh plants that are grown, wild-foraged, or sourced from small local farms and distilled in small batches. They contain no synthetic fragrance oils or artificial colors. Each finished formula is preserved with Lactobacillus ferment to help protect freshness and stability. For storage and use-after-opening guidance, see the Freshness, Shelf Life & Storage section of our FAQ.

For a closer look at seasonal gathering and small-batch distillation, read Summer Harvest: Wildcrafted Plants & Hydrosols.

Everyday Uses for Hydrosols

Hydrosols are versatile botanical waters with uses extending from daily skincare to aromatic and personal practices. Here are a few ways they can be enjoyed:

1. Skincare: Hydrosols can be used as gentle botanical toners or facial and body mists. Apply after cleansing and before a facial oil or balm to add a light layer of water-based hydration, or mist throughout the day to refresh the skin.
2. Aromatic Use: Hydrosols bring the softer aromatic character of a distilled plant into room sprays, facial and body mists, and baths. Depending on the plant and personal response, their aromas may feel refreshing, uplifting, calming, or grounding.
3. Energetic Cleansing and Personal Ritual: Some herbal and energetic traditions understand hydrosols as carrying the subtle character or energetic imprint of the distilled plant. They may be used as a smoke-free aromatic mist in meditation, energy work, or personal ritual.
4. Culinary Traditions: Food-grade rose water, orange blossom water, and other aromatic waters have long been used to flavor beverages, desserts, sauces, and dressings. Rose water is especially familiar in confections such as Turkish delight. For culinary use, choose an aromatic water made and labeled specifically for food.

Final Thoughts

Exploring the history, uses, and botanical character of hydrosols gives us a deeper appreciation for these aromatic waters. Each mist offers a sensory connection to the plant itself, the process of distillation, and a living tradition of plant knowledge carried across generations.

Whether used in daily skincare, as an aromatic mist, or as part of a personal practice, hydrosols offer a gentle and immediate way to experience the character of distilled plants.

Shop Deschampsia Hydrosols!

Recommended Reading

• Harmon, A. (2023). Harvest to Hydrosol, 2nd Edition. Lag Botanicals LLC.
• Catty, S. (2001). Hydrosol: The Next Aromatherapy. Healing Arts Press.
• Rose, J. (1999). 375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols. North Atlantic Books.
• Malle, B., & Schmickl, H. (2015). The Essential Oil Maker’s Handbook. Spikehorn Press.