Hydrosols
Our hydrosols do NOT contain any artificial preservatives and ARE a farm-fresh product. Their shelf-life will vary depending on how they are kept and how often the hydrosol is exposed to bacteria or other contaminants. We personally have found them to be very hardy, but are telling you this just so you don't abuse them. :) If you aren't going to be using your hydrosol very often, it's best to keep it stored in a fridge, and it's always best to minimize the number of times you open the bottle (which is why we love the mister tops - ideally you will never have to open the bottle!
Available in 2 fl. Oz. and 8 fl. Oz. spray bottles. (32 Oz. and 1 gallon sizes may be available by special arrangement, depending on availability).
Basil (Ocimum basilicum)- Very licorice/basil, smells just like the fresh leaf! Basil is considered and excellent digestive aid, and is considered balancing and soothing, especially for stress and nervousness. We've also read it's great for helping with headaches.
Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa ) - Why, oh why did we wait so long to distill this lovely native plant? It's FABULOUS. Strong, like a wild mint with licorice undertones. This plant was traditionally used to make a delicious, medicinal tea, and was a historical treatment for repiratory issues. It's considered to be a wonderful treatment for antiexty/stress, an excellent analgesic (pain reliever), anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial. In short, this is absolutely a must-have in your herbal medicine chest! It tastes delightful in black tea too :)
Catnip (Nepeta cataria) = It's been proven that catnip essential oil is 10 times more effective in repelling mosquitoes that DEET. But the price of catnip essential oil is, well, OUCH. So we're making our own catnip hydrosol (which contains minute quantities added benefit, it seems to have some amusing effects on cats too....try spraying it on their favorite toy, scratching post, or play area. :)
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)- This is the one that Donna and Maggie won't be without. It's a "sleeper" - as the scent is very, very subtle. But it's healing powers are really quite impressive! We've used this with great success on our pets as an eyewash and ear cleaner, works VERY well on sunburn, soothes and heals scrapes and cuts (and our relative's road rash from crashing on a bike!), and takes itching away from rashes. Works well on diaper rash. Applied to our horse's irritated, swollen eye (she had gotten sand in it) it was cured *overnight*. Another tester also reports that comfrey helps her aches and pains. Very soft and gentle, we reach for this one first for babies of the human and 4-legged varieties. Donna loves this as a daily facial toner for her "experienced" skin. :)
Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus)- The lovely fresh menthol-cool scent of eucalyptus comes right through in this lovely hydrosol. It's antibacterial - wonderful for cold and flu season! A friend had pneumonia, bronchitis and sinusitis all at once so she spent a couple of days drinking mint hydrosol in her tea and spraying her pillow and chest with the eucalyptus hydrosol. She said it did help her clear up - and as an added bonus the doctor thought she smelled like some kind of "herbal incense"!
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) - Another one of our favorites! Maggie uses this daily as a facial mist or just general "pick me up" - smells great and is very refreshing! Works well as a sunburn treatment too (go ahead, ask us how we know...). Lemon balm is antiviral, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory so it's a good place to start treating any skin problems. Gentle enough to use with children, especially as a nighttime bath additive or spray for their bedding. We keep this one around the shop for whenever our moods get "funky" - the bright lemony aroma really seems to help. Delicious in iced tea or sparkling water (Maggie loves it in Raspberry Canada Dry Sparking water - yum!) . We also like this one as an earwash for our pets.
Lemon Verbena(Aloysia triphylla) - Suzanne Catty (author of Hydrosols - the Next Aromatherapy) has oodles of nice things to say about lemon verbena. Catty considers it a "powerful mental relaxant and stress buster", good for pre-exam jitters, stage fright, and fear. She also says it's a wonderful facial toner and clarifier for normal and combination skin, and also recommends it for any anti-inflammatory needs. We think it's a marvellous fresh lemon-ey scent that is also wonderful as a linen spray, especially for your pillows.
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus)- Lemon-ey, woodsy, and very strongly scented - we are SO pleased with this distillation of lemongrass! Maggie is already dreaming of using it in Asian-inspired soups and stirfries. We think it would be fabulous as a "pick-me-up" spray, and a wonderful toner for oily skin. Wonderful as a bug-repellant spray, and an excellent deodorizer and refreshing spray for canine coats and beds. :)
Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) - Words cannot describe the scent of this...except maybe the word "Wow". Mountain mint is native to our area, and is different than any other mint we know of. It is certainly a member of the mint family, yet has a very different growth habit - upright, NOT spreading (gardeners take note: yes you CAN have a well behaved mint in your garden!) with button-like flowers. And boy, does it smell amazing. Minty, but yet softer, and more sophisticated. As if some perfume designer got inspired by mint and wanted to transform it into a swanky upscale cologne or body mist. What can I say...except we love it!
Peppermint(Mentha x piperita) - Peppy, jazzy, fresh and minty - this is the classic peppermint we all know and love! Great for oily or dull skin or hair...as a foot spray, facial toner, linen or room spray...the possibilities are endless. Great for travel too, when you feel tired and grumpy..a wee spritz of mint is refreshing and reviving. Tastes delicious too - try it in tea, hot chocolate, carbonated water, or a mint julep or mojito!
Sage (Salvia officinalis) - Woodsy, dry, herbal.... A natural balancer, deodorizer, and cleanser, sage hydrosol has potential for many uses, both physical and emotional/spiritual. Mildly astringent, this antioxidant hydrosol is considered an anti-aging skin treatment, and is also a wonderful hair and scalp conditioner and treatment. We've noticed that healers tend to gravitate towards this one....must have powerful healing and purifying energy!
White Sage(Salvia apiana) - As John remarked while disitlling this herb, "We will have NO evil sprits in here....ever!". This white sage, distilled from dried sage, is LOVELY and strong, and smells exactly like freshly dried white sage herb. This is the same herb typically used in smudge sticks, burned as incence. It has important ritual, mystical, and magical powers and association. This white sage hydrosol is a wonderful way to get the cleansing, purifying benefits of sage, without having to burn herbs. Simply spritz around your home, altar, or space, for refreshing, purifying energy.
