Hydrosols

No Added Preservatives

In my definition of hydrosols, I state that they must not contain additives or preservatives. This is a purist's definition; ultimately it is a matter of personal choice. If you do forego preservatives, the information about pH will help you monitor your unpreserved waters. Ethyl alcohol, a good sterilization medium, can be used also as a preservative, as it is in commercially available witch hazel, which is actually a hydrosol.

Hamamelis virginiana is distilled only for its aromatic water, and this is the true witch hazel. However, the witch hazel you buy contains no less than 1 percent and up to 30 percent alcohol by volume. Witch hazel hydrosol is only moderately stable, and as it is sold in huge quantities in so many outlets, something must be done to stabilize the product. Since witch hazel is often used  as a "sports rub," adding ethyl alcohol to it is not considered a problem.

However, as you will read under the profile of Hamamelis, there is much that it is good for, and many of these properties, such as its beneficial effect on varicose veins, are diminished by the addition of alcohol. Another preservative being explored is grapefruit-seed extract. This natural compound has antioxidant properties and some bacterisidal effects. However, it makes many hydrosols foamy, changes the pH, and is highly bitter, so only the debittered variety is appropriate for our purposes.

If you are using hydrosols only topically, the bitterness is less of an issue, but I don't know anyone who doesn't want to drink rosewater or neroli or chamomile or bay or.....There is also the issue of organics  with grapefruit seed. Citrus fruit is heavily sprayed  with chemicals from flowering to maturation. It is difficult to believe that none of these chemicals are found in the seed. Although I'm not in favour of its use at all, anyone seriously wishing to pursue this option should look for both debittered and organic grapefruit-seed extract.

After alcohol, chemicals are the most commonly used preservative. If I was asked to choose, I would take the alcohol over chemicals any day. However, in the cosmetics industry, where many products contain hydrolates, chemicals are the standard procedure. Products made with preservative-free hydrosols do have a much shorter life, and this would not be acceptable for a large commercial company.

Reference:Hydrosols-he next Aromatherapy: Suzanne Catty