Hydrosols

The Desired Quality Parameters

I came to know hydrosols as a coproduct of the distillation of essential oils. Therefore the parameters that I have followed in selecting and judging quality in a hydrosol are the same as those that I use for essential oils.
I have always believed that anyone working with natural products must bear in mind environmental issues and, in fact, should cultivate a relationship with the living planet and the energetic elements: earth, air, fire, water and spirit.

The environmentalist David Suzuki, in his book The Sacred Balance, devotes an entire chapter to each of the elements and another to love. From his point of view, we are the air we breathe, the earth from which our food and medicine come, the water from which we are born and of which our bodies are made, and the fire that is the spark that animates all life. I share this view and will talk about aromatherapy and hydrosols in the context of the same philosophy.

Our health is inextricably linked to the health of our planet, Gaia, and we cannot isolate what we do and our pursuit  of health into a merely personal experience: it is a global experience, a spiritual path, and a serious responsibility.

Parameters for selecting and evaluating quality in aromatherapy products:

• One single, botanically specific plant
  Certified organic or biodynamic agriculture
  Chemical-free agriculture
  Sustainability wild-crafted and tested chemical contaminants
  Distilled or extracted specifically for therapeutic use
  Stored and transformed to maintain therapeutic values

Reference: Hydrosols: Suzanne Catty