Botanicals - Hydrosols
Hydrosols (the "cellular water" of the plant)
the chemistry shifts away from the heavy lipids or concentrated oils and toward the water-soluble acids, polyphenols, and micro-amounts of suspended essential oils. These are naturally acidic (usually a pH of 3.5–5.5), which makes them incredibly effective for restoring the skin’s acid mantle
Agonis flexuosa Hydrosol
(Agonis flexuosa — West Australian Peppermint)
- Properties: Refreshing, respiratory‑supportive, mildly antimicrobial, and emotionally uplifting.
- Benefits: Excellent for sinus support, mental fatigue, and cooling inflamed or overheated skin. Ideal for room mists, post‑exercise sprays, and clarifying toners.
- Products: We may use this in future in respiratory blends, cooling body mists.
- Safety: Very gentle. Avoid use around very young infants due to mild cineole content.
The Chemistry: Rich in water‑soluble piperitone, 1,8‑cineole, and gentle ketones, giving it a soft mint‑eucalyptus profile without the intensity of peppermint.
Basil Hydrosol
(Ocimum gratissimum)
- Properties: Antibacterial, clarifying, cooling, sebum‑balancing.
- Benefits: Calms congestion and breakouts, reduces inflammation, refreshes heat‑reactive skin.
- Products: Used in our Cleo Cleanser, Face Mask and Scrub, Herbal Teas, and Herbal Shampoo and Skin Creams
- Safety: Generally well tolerated. Avoid use on highly sensitised or barrier‑impaired skin due to its naturally active phenolic content.
The Chemistry: Rich in water‑soluble eugenol, rosmarinic acid, and mild phenolics, giving strong purifying and anti‑inflammatory and antimicrobial activity while maintaining a gentle, skin‑compatible profile.
Bay Laurel Hydrosol
(Laurus nobilis)
- Benefits: A classic “hair tonic,” supports healthy scalp function, eases dandruff, and tones skin post‑shave.
- Products: Used in our Scalp & Hair Tonic, Herbal Shampoo & Conditioner
- Safety: Generally non‑irritating. Avoid on broken or hypersensitive skin.
The Chemistry: Contains water‑soluble cineole fractions and acetic acid, giving a mildly acidic, scalp‑friendly profile.
-
Properties: Antiseptic, circulatory stimulant, clarifying.
Black Mulberry Hydrosol
(Morus nigra)
- Properties: Brightening, antioxidant, rejuvenating.
- Benefits: Helps even skin tone, improves appearance of age spots, refreshes dull skin.
- Products: Used in our Brightening Serums, Anti-Aging Facial Mists and Sun Guard 30SPF
- Safety: Safe for regular use.
The Chemistry: Contains water‑soluble anthocyanins and resveratrol fractions—potent antioxidants and powerful pigments that protect the plant (and your skin) from environmental damage.
Chamomile Hydrosol
(Matricaria recutica — German Chamomile)
- Benefits: The ultimate "soothing water" for sensitive skin. It reduces redness, calms heat/sunburn, and is gentle enough to be used as a calming mist for infants or as a compress for tired eyes.
- Products: Important for our Face Moisturisers, Rosacea Relief, Serenity Lotion…
- Safety: Extremely gentle; safe for newborns. One of the few botanical waters recommended for use with newborns.
The Chemistry: Contains water‑soluble esters and trace chamazulene‑precursors which provide significant anti-inflammatory activity without the intensity of the essential oil.
Properties
Helichrysum Hydrosol
(Helichrysum italicum)
- Properties: Regenerating, anti‑inflammatory, soothing, circulation‑supportive.
- Benefits: Helps calm redness, supports post‑sun or post‑procedure recovery, reduces the look of irritation, and promotes a more even, resilient complexion. Beautiful for mature, sensitive, or reactive skin needing gentle repair.
- Products: Used for our Rosacea Relief, Regen-Ultra Face Moisturiser and Scar Healing Balm when we have sufficient available.
- Safety: Exceptionally well tolerated; suitable for barrier‑impaired skin.
The Chemistry: Naturally rich in water‑soluble flavonoids, diketones (especially italidiones in trace hydrosol‑soluble form), and gentle anti‑inflammatory esters. These give it its signature regenerative, redness‑reducing, and tissue‑soothing activity without the intensity of the essential oil
Lemon Myrtle Hydrosol
(Backhousia citriodora)
- Properties: Clarifying, uplifting, antimicrobial, toning.
- Benefits: Helps reduce surface bacteria, refreshes oily or congested skin, and brightens dull or fatigued complexions. Its vibrant citrus‑herbal aroma makes it ideal for energising mists, clarifying toners, and post‑exercise body sprays.
- Products: Used in many of our products that require its special properties.
- Safety: Generally well tolerated. Avoid use on highly sensitised or barrier‑impaired skin due to its naturally active citral content.
The Chemistry: Rich in water‑soluble citral (neral + geranial), along with gentle aldehydes and antioxidant flavonoids. This gives the hydrosol its bright, lemon‑verbena aroma and strong purifying, antimicrobial activity while remaining softer than the essential oil.
Nepeta cataria Hydrosol
(Catnip)
- Properties: Deeply calming, sedative, and anti‑spasmodic. Known in herbalism for easing nervous tension, digestive discomfort, and emotional restlessness.
- Benefits: A wonderful hydrosol for sleep support, stress reduction, and soothing irritated or reactive skin. Aromatically, it helps quiet a busy mind and settle the nervous system — ideal for evening rituals or children’s calming blends.
- Products: Currently used in our Skyeguard multipurpose & Insect repellant spray
- Safety: Exceptionally gentle. Suitable for children and sensitive skin. Avoid during pregnancy due to traditional herbal cautions around strong catnip tea (the hydrosol is far milder but caution is still advised).
The Chemistry: Contains nepetalactones, citronellol, geraniol, and soft terpenes that give catnip its calming, slightly citrus‑herbal aroma. The hydrosol is far softer than the essential oil and beautifully balanced.
Olive Hydrosol
(Olea europaea)
- Properties: Antioxidant, humectant, skin‑protective.
- Benefits: Offers deep hydration while fighting oxidative stress from pollution and UV exposure. It helps to maintain skin elasticity and provides a "breathable" layer of moisture that doesn't feel heavy or greasy.
- Products: Featured in our Antioxidant Face Mist ( Rose) , Toner, Foaming Face Wash, Face Moisturisers…
- Safety: Safe for all skin types.
The Chemistry: Rich in water-soluble hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein—potent antioxidants that are often lost in the oil-pressing process but captured during distillation.
Oregano Hydrosol
(Origanum vulgare)
- Properties: Strongly antimicrobial, clarifying, stimulating, and protective.
- Benefits: Supports blemish‑prone or congested skin, helps reduce microbial load on the surface, and can be used in foot care, scalp treatments, and purifying room sprays. Aromatically, it offers a warm herbal sharpness that feels cleansing and fortifying.
- Products: Used sparingly in our products where strong antibacterial action is needed i.e., Hand Repair and Nail Guard
- Safety: More active than most hydrosols. Avoid direct use on any skin surface. Never apply direct to skin.
The Chemistry: Contains water‑soluble fractions of carvacrol, thymol, and mild phenolic acids. These compounds give oregano hydrosol its potent purifying and antimicrobial profile while remaining far gentler than the essential oil
Plantain Hydrosol
(Plantago major)
- Properties: Anti-pruritic (anti-itch), anti-inflammatory, and soothing.
- Benefits: The "go-to" for itchy skin, insect bites, and stings. It provides immediate cooling relief and helps to draw out minor impurities while calming the histamine response in the skin.
- Products: Increasingly used across our skincare range. Especially important in our Sun Guard 30SPF, Everyday Herb Tea, Gingko Triple Leaf Powder, and all calming lotions and balms.
- Safety: Very mild; safe for children and reactive skin.
The Chemistry: High in aucubin and allantoin, which are highly stable in water and known for their ability to soothe mucous membranes and skin tissue.
Rue Hydrosol
(Ruta graveolens)
- Properties: Traditionally known for its antispasmodic, circulatory‑stimulating, and anti‑inflammatory actions. Energetically, Rue is considered a clearing herb — grounding, protective, and emotionally strengthening.
- Benefits: Useful for muscle tension, nerve fatigue, and stagnant circulation. Topically, the hydrosol may help calm irritated or sluggish skin. Aromatically, it supports mental clarity and emotional resilience.
- Products: An important part of our Feeling Sore Lotion
- Safety: Much safer than the essential oil, but still best avoided on sun‑exposed skin due to trace furanocoumarins. Not recommended during pregnancy. Patch‑test for sensitive individuals.
The Chemistry: Contains rutamarin, bergapten, psoralens, and a range of alkaloids and flavonoids that give Rue its distinctive sharp, herbaceous aroma. The hydrosol is far gentler than the essential oil, with significantly reduced furumarin content.
Schinus molle Hydrosol
(Pink Peppercorn)
- Properties: Balancing, mildly antimicrobial, uplifting, and anti‑aging.
- Benefits: Helps tone and refresh the skin, supports emotional balance, and adds a soft, bright, pepper‑floral note to mists and skincare. Beautiful for grounding yet uplifting blends, post‑exercise sprays, and clarifying facial waters.
- Products: This is one of our unique / signature botanicals and is used across our brand where ever its versatile properties are needed in face, body and medicinal items.
- Safety: Generally very gentle. Suitable for most skin types. Patch‑test if prone to botanical sensitivities.
The Chemistry: Rich in gentle aromatic esters, soft peppery terpenes, and subtle floral aldehydes. The hydrosol captures the plant’s unique rosy‑pepper, slightly honeyed aroma without the sharpness of the essential oil.
Yarrow Hydrosol
(Achillea millefolium)
- Properties: Astringent, styptic (stops minor bleeding), and vulnerary (wound-healing).
- Benefits: Exceptional for oily or acne-prone skin as it helps to regulate sebum and tighten pores. Its healing properties make it an ideal spray for minor cuts, scratches, or "weeping" skin irritations.
- Products: An important inclusion for our Astringent Face Toner, Balance Lotion…
- Safety: Very effective, but because it is quite astringent, it may be too drying for those with naturally very dry skin.
The Chemistry: Contains salicylic acid derivatives and tannins, which provide its characteristic "hemostatic" (blood-stopping) and astringent qualities.