What's the Difference: Hydrosols & Essential Oils?

What's the Difference: Hydrosols & Essential Oils?

With the constant weather changes, I’m sure most of you are worried about your personal care routines. Let’s talk about an easy option for all ages and all purposes– hydrosols (also known as floral waters)!

Hydrosols are not the same as essential oils. Essential oils come from distilling plant leaves or flowers down to the oil that is bottled for people to enjoy, while Hydrosols are a byproduct of essential oils.

Believe it or not, hydrosols have the best of both worlds–they are a ready to use, gentle alternative to essential oils without the hassle of having to blend anything together. Hydrosols offer many of the same benefits essential oils do, but are a more convenient choice for most people.

Here’s a helpful look at some of the ways hydrosols and essential oils differ from each other.

Rose Hydrosol in particular is ideal for just about any skin or hair type, making it a great choice for many who are looking into purchasing hydrosols to try.

Hydrosols are also a more affordable, gentler option if you’re wanting to try out a scent before purchasing the essential oil (especially when it comes to premium essential oils such as Melissa, Rose, or Helichrysum).

As we’ve mentioned in a previous blog post, Why are some essential oils priced high or low?, some essential oils cost more than others due to the supply/demand along with how much of that particular oil that can be distilled from the plant material. Naturally, some people may be hesitant to purchase premium oils such as our Rose Otto, but for a fraction of the price, a rose hydrosol can be purchased that has many of the same benefits of the essential oil.

Want to try out the benefits for yourself? Here’s a quick hair mask recipe to boost your haircare routine!


SUMMARY

Essential oils and hydrosols come from the same plant material- with hydrosols being the byproduct of essential oils.  Hydrosols are primarily water based, while essential oils have a typically oily consistency.

Both offer similar benefits, but only hydrosols are ready to use straight from the bottle. Essential oils can only be ready to use topically if they are already blended with a carrier oil to a skin-safe percentage.

Hydrosols are a great product for those who prioritize convenience but still want many of the benefits essential oils offer. You can even mix hydrosols together or add them to diffusers similarly to essential oils!

Hydrosols can even be mixed together with additional hydrosols in case you were wanting to create a new aroma! There are many different things you can do with hydrosols similarly to essential oils. The possibilities are endless!