Hydrosols in Facial Mists, Toners and Cremes for Enhancing & Beautifying Skin

There are many floral hydrosols that I enjoy incorporating into my skin care blends.  Some of my favorites are rose, orange blossom, lavender, calendula, lemon balm, and chamomile.  I love orange blossom hydrosol.  It makes my Calendula Orange Blossom: The Daily Lotion smell so sweet. You can make just about any hydrosol you desire....all one needs is a steam distiller.

Here's a beautiful copper steam distiller made by Al-Ambiq.  These pictures were taken last fall at Rootstalk Festival, an herb conference celebrating plants, people and planet benefiting Cascadia Wildlands.  The good folks at Mountain Rose really did a fine job putting on this conference.  It was my favorite thus far.  It was held in Oregon and I can't say enough about it.  Sadly, this was the first and last Rootstalk Festival they will put on.

This is Ann Harman's copper distiller (from Morning Myst Botanicals).  She presented a live demonstration on how to assemble the distiller and make essential oil and hydrosol using lemon thyme plant matter.

Hydrosols, or essential waters, are a co-product of essential oil making.  Hydrosols and essential oils are created when you steam distill plant matter.  In this case, after assembly, Ann added water and plant matter into the distiller.  As the distiller produces heat, the plants release their essential oils and are carried through the distiller's coils.  

It vaporizes the water and the essential oils from the plants. The condensing coil, shown here in this picture, is a coil submerged in cool water.  When the steam travels through the condensing coil, the steam and essential oil condenses from a vapor into a liquid. The liquid (hydrosol and oil) drips into the glass receiving element shown below.

Here, you can see the results of the steam distillation process: the darker golden line above the water is the essential oil and since oil and water don't mix...the oil will float above the water.  The water portion below the essential oil is the beautiful hydrosol.  Hydrosols also possess the  fragrance of the plant. Although the fragrance is not as strong as the essential oil, it is still a delicate representation of the essence of the plant.

 

Hydrosols are not only deliciously fragrant, they carry many of the benefits of the plant. They carry beneficial plant acids and are anti-inflammatory. Hydrosols help heal, tone, restore pH balance and hydrate skin.  Hydrosols are also wonderful because of their antioxidant properties. Plant acids can have wonderful impacts on the skin. Rose hydrosol, for example, has a long history for being known to help hydrate skin and reduce fine lines on the face. 

Due to its mild and therapeutic benefits, I use calendula hydrosol topically to help heal irritations on my cat, Basil.  Like many cats, Basil does not like to tolerate much in terms of therapeutic intervention, but he enjoys the calendula hydrosol when applied to his skin.  He is very allergic to fleas and if he gets bitten he will quickly get inflamed lips and sores. After applying the hydrosol with a cotton ball on his skin, his inflammation is reduced and his sores heal faster. 

I encourage you to keep researching and reading about the many benefits of hydrosols in skin care. For facial mists, I love to keep it simple: rose and lavender hydrosol.  Rose hydrosol is a wrinkle fighting beauty secret and lavender is so loving to the skin making it wonderful for even those with the most delicate and sensitive skin.

When purchasing hydrosol for skin care, be sure to purchase from a distiller whose main objective is to make hydrosol rather than essential oil.  If it's a hydrosol that is a byproduct of essential oil, then the flowers and plant matter used may not be as fresh and full of the wonderful watery elements you want when enjoying hydrosol.  However, if the distiller's main objective is making hydrosol, then you will ultimately have the best representation of hydrosol.





Lemon Mint (Monarda citriodora) Growing in the Texas Hill Country: Benefits & Uses

Lemon Mint, or Monarda citriodora, is a wonderful addition to your garden.  It invites and welcomes beautiful butterflies and honey bees as well as herbaceous plant lovers, like you and me.   It's also known as lemon bee balm, purple horsemint, lemon bergamot and lemon horsemint.  Like other Monardas, it is very beneficial to skin care and also helps promote our bodies to fight off colds and flu's. It is a member of the Lamiaceae or mint family.  This is my favorite family, I'm just naturally drawn to anything Lamiaceae!

In skin care, Lemon Mint leaves can be rubbed directly on the skin to ward off pesky mosquitoes and other biting flies.  The essential oils of Lemon Mint contain citronellol, which is the reason it is effective at deterring these pesky insects. Citronellol is also used in making perfumes.

The dried herb can be infused in oil (cold oil infusion) and later made into salves and lotions to sooth skin. It is also beneficial when added to facial steams. I would combine it with chamomille and lavender in a facial steam to assist with acne or oily skin.   

Internally, it is beneficial in soothing sore throats and boosting the body's ability to fight off colds and flu's since it also contains thymol-  like other Monardas such as Bee Balm.  Gargling with plants that contain thymol (such as Bee Balm and Thyme) helps fight sore throat and throat infections.  It has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. As an herbal tea, Lemon Mint can be sipped and enjoyed to help calm an upset stomach. 

Today, I'm heading to the garden to harvest some Lemon Mint.  I'm going to cut and dry the flowers by hanging them upside down in my kitchen window.  The dried flowers can also be used in floral arrangements but I will be drying the leaves and flowers for herbal infusions. Until nextime :) HCH.

Getting Your Skin Ready for Spring

Spring is around the corner! The gardens and fields are filled with buds and the beginnings of a beautiful flower show. Rosemary, Shepherd’s Purse, Roses, Anemone, Alyssum, Verbena, and Agarita are just a few herbs that are blooming around the hill country garden. (Anemone shown here).

This is a wonderful time to pamper the delicate skin on your face and neck -  rejuvenating and nourishing it for a glorious Spring debut!

This winter season, my face had become dull and lackluster. I was so sad - coupled with the fact I gained a few pounds - I had to do something. I'm so excited by the results of my efforts I had to share them with you.

Two words: Facial Steam!

Trust me on this, you want one. It's so easy, too. Your face will be revitalized and vibrant. Incorporate a facial steam once to twice a week for the next few weeks and you'll be one vibrant specimen.

I like to use herbs traditionally used in facial care, such as: chamomile, calendula, lavender, comfrey, rose petals, raspberry leaves, and any herb in the mint family. If you don't have these plants or dried herbs, you could use bagged tea you may have sitting around your cupboards. You could tear open the bags and pour right into your soup pot.

To prepare your skin for a facial steam, use your favorite facial cleanser. I like to use my oatmeal, lavender and citrus sugar facial polish before enjoying an herbal facial steam.

Start the facial steam by adding water to a small soup pot (2 or 3 quart pot is fine) and adding herbs of choice (my absolute favorite is two pinches lavender, two pinches of calendula, two pinches comfrey and two pinches of chamomile). Simmer over low heat until the herbs have completely infused the water. I don't allow my water to boil; I like to simmer allowing it to gently infuse.

After 20 minutes or so, take the pot off the heat and drape your head with a large bath towel and lower your face over the pot to begin receiving the benefits of the lovely steam. Hold your head over the pot in a position comfortable for you. You don't want to hurt your skin, you just want to gently expose your skin to the benefits of the herbal steam. Breathing in the steam can also help cleanse the respiratory tract. I found this out accidentally. I had been struggling with an itchy dry cough after experiencing a small cold. After the facial steam, my persistent cough had been greatly improved.

Steam your skin for at least five minutes and more if you are having fun. It feels wonderful coming away from the steam and feeling the cool air in the room enter you as you breathe deeply. Your skin will be singing! Allow your face to air dry. I like to spritz my face with either rose hydrosol or orange blossom hydrosol, too.

Next, follow up with a facial mask to experience enhanced results or if you are short on time, apply moisturizer to your face to protect and nourish your skin.

Facial masks I like to use include ingredients I have on hand. If I have a little left over avocado, I'll cream a spoonful and add a little honey. If I have some Greek yogurt on hand, I'll use that. Sometimes, I like to simply use honey I infused with rose petals. This is a lovely and delicious treat for your skin.

Here's how to prepare the Avocado and Rose Honey Facial Mask:

Begin with a small spoonful of avocado. Mash it until it is extremely creamy - the less lumps the better. Add a teaspoon of honey to the creamed avocado and mix.
Next, apply the mask to your face with your fingers. Allow to sit on your face for 10-15 minutes. This mask is skin tightening and pore reducing. I love the essential fatty acids in this mask. Skin food = sexy skin! And we all want that, don't we?

Rinse face with warm water and pat dry with a clean towel. Finish your facial regime by applying a facial moisturizer (I like to use my Restorative Skin Support Facial Moisturizer) and enjoy your replenished, revitalized and healthy skin. Spring - here you come!!