Lavender Hydrolat

Lavender hydrolat is the most versatile hydrolat useful for everyday stresses and strains.

This hardy herb has a delicate purple-blue flower in spring and summer. It is not to be confused with larger cross-breeds of the lavender family, such as spike or lavandin, as it does not have the same chemical properties, or appearance, being much smaller and less spectacular. Common to Europe, the flower from this plant yields one of aromatherapy’s favourite essential oils. 

Price and Price (2004) have found that lavender hydrolat is revitalising and relaxing, and that it helps reduce headache and migraine symptoms.  This hydrolat is all purpose, it is soothing, calming, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic making it useful for conditions such as sunburns, damaged / fragile skin, hot flushes, razor burns, nappy rash, cuts and as an ingredient for skin care products.  It is balancing and calming for mind, body and spirit and gentle for calming children’s emotions.

Hydrolats are the aromatic waters produced by the steam distillation of botanical material, usually during the production of essential oils.  Hydro means water and lat comes from the word for milk, because when fresh these waters can be cloudy or milky from the suspended soluble plant extracts. 

Hydrolats are gentle and effective.  They contain only the most water-soluble chemicals from the plant material plus microscopic drops of the essential oils.  They may be used undiluted without problems but it is usually unnecessary as they are just as effective in dilution – less can be more!  Generally calming and soothing. 

How to use