by Erik Wesseling
Recently we introduced a brand new product to Belvedere Lavender customers – Hydrosol. But what is this product, how can you use it around your home and most importantly, why should you?
Let’s dive in!
What’s Hydrosol?
When we extract essential oil from lavender, the process creates the essential lavender oil – which we bottle and sell, and the hydrosol. This hydrosol is the floral water, containing essence of lavender and water. Hydrosols are a gentle scent and less concentrated while essential oils are a heavier smell, and more concentrated.
Hydrosol has so many uses and purposes! While new in popularity, you’ll find a rich history of using floral water in various forms. These include: Perfumes, Skin toners, Aromatherapy, Makeup products, Skin care products, and Natural Health Products.
We’ll focus our attention on lavender. When we make essential lavender oil, using our copper still, we end up with 2 different products – the essential oil and the hydrosol. After these mixtures are separated and cooled, they’re bottled separately and dated. At each step we control the manufacturing process to ensure quality. Using both liquids from this manufacturing process is a smart, environmental move. We hate waste!
What do you use hydrosol for?
Now that we know what hydrosol is, what is its purpose? What can the floral water be used for, during or with? This is an excellent question. As we use all natural, organic products in our work and home lives, using hydrosol in our homes is the perfect addition to going green and using sustainable products.
Room deodorizer
You can use hydrosol for many purposes, including in place of room deodorizers. Looking to add a light, gentle scent to your room? Give hydrosol a try. You can add this light scent, without using products full of chemicals.
Ironing
Looking to iron a shirt or pair of pants, or whatever you iron? Use hydrosol in place of regular water. Be careful when ironing – cotton, linen clothing work well with hydrosol. But stay clear of using hydrosol on all silk items.
Cleaning Products
If you’re looking to kick your cleaning products to the curb because they’re made with too many chemicals for your liking, try making your own. We suggest a mixture of distilled water, white vinegar and lavender hydrosol. This cleaning mixture can also be used on windows and glass. If you’re cleaning greasy items, add a little dish soap into the mixture.
Rinsing Clothing
Adding lavender hydrosol to the final rinse of your washing machine is a great way to add softness and a light lavender scent to clothing. Consider swapping out fabric softener.
Makeup Remover
So many makeup removers are full of chemicals and dry out your skin. Instead of using these products, switch to a lavender hydrosol. You can add a little hydrosol to a cotton makeup pad and remove your makeup. The addition of lavender hydrosol adds moisture back to your skin and helps condition and tone it.
These 5 uses for hydrosol begin to demonstrate how useful and how versatile this product is. As we and many others continue to incorporate using all natural ingredients and products in our homes, we’ve begun to use our Lavender Hydrosol in place of many household products. We don’t miss the chemicals, but love the all natural scents.
You can find our all-natural, organic, Hydrosol on our shop, along with our luxurious hand processed organic skin care products.
by Erik Wesseling
When you think of folklore, the words “historic and spooky” may come to mind. While there is nothing spooky about Lavender, it has been around for ages and has even been used in mystic ways!
Lavender has long had an association with magic, in fact, as far back in time as the Pharaohs of the old dynasties in Egypt, and to the Holy temples in both Jerusalem and Rome. Let’s do a quick recap off lavender folklore through the ages and around the globe:
- In France, Spain and Italy, love spells have been recorded mixing lavender, rose hips/petals, and violet petals, a combination said to be most powerful.
- Alpine girls hid lavender sachets under the pillows of loved ones to keep loving thoughts in their beloveds’ minds.
- In the dark ages, lavender was associated with protection to ward off the evil eye; this particular belief was wide spread across different European countries over many centuries.
- In Christian folklore, a cross of lavender was hung on the door to safeguard against evil.
- In Ireland, lavender was used with a variety of other herbs, such as rose hips, and mixed into sweet-cakes to call favors from the elves and fairy people. It can also be found in Irish folklore that if lavender is used with rosemary, it will uphold a virtuous person or cause.
- Indian folklore shows lavender flowers to be healing to the body’s subtle energy system and the soft blue-purple color of lavender is associated with the crown chakra, the energy center associated with higher purpose and spiritual inter-connectedness. Lavender flower is still often used in India for healing and raising your energy frequency to the highest level where the body’s natural healing abilities are activated.
- From the Orient to the middle-east and through many cultures, lavender and sandalwood were and are still to this day burned together during child birth to ease the pain.
- Lavender oil sprinkled on tassels was said confuse and disorientate evil spirits.
- Powdered lavender made into candles were burned for protection in ancient Rome.
It is said that there are many threads of truth in folklore and the magic of lavender can be found to enhance life, spirituality and keep us safe from unseen forces. Today lavender is finding new breath in the modern world of magic that we call science. At Belvedere Lavender we believe there is still much magic to be discovered by introducing lavender to people’s lives.
by Erik Wesseling
Lavender and skin care routines have been entwined since the earliest written records and archaeology evidence dates its use far back in pre-history.
In written records, lavender has long been relished for its enticing scent as well as its healing effects. As far back as the ancient Egyptians lavender is referenced in hieroglyphics for its extensive use cosmetics and as anti-aging agent and was one of the essential herbs in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
In Victorian time, ladies of status used lavender oil as perfumes, most notable during this era Queen Elizabeth regularly used lavender as a perfume and in a medicinal tea.
In early America, wet bedding and clothing was thrown over lavender bushes to pick up the lavender scent.
Written records of the medicinal properties of lavender go back to the first century Greek medical writings. In Roman times lavender was used for indigestion, headaches and as an antiseptic for sore throats, wounds and burns. Lavender now has long list properties that have proven beneficial for medical usage, here the most common:
- Treatment for a large number of skin conditions
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Exhaustion
- Irritability
- Headache
- Migraine
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Digestion
- Upset Stomach
- Colds
- Breath Freshener
Lavender has many evidence for its benefits and is still popular until these days for skin care and alternative medicine. Beyond all the benefits lavender can offer, at Belvedere Lavender we added more natural ingredients to make we could deliver the best all natural skincare. Here is the list of our natural ingredients and their benefits.
