Hydrolats

Photo by Raven3k.

In this months Today’s Therapist Journal there was an article about Irritable Bowel Syndrome and how Hydrolats can help the condition. It was written by Penny Price who is a world renowned Aromatherapist, as is Shirley Price.

I briefly learnt about hydrolats in my training and used them to cleanse the feet before a reflexology session and knew they could be used in making face masks but I never knew exactly how many uses they had and how beneficial they can be. They can be used as a cooling spray in the summer, to cleanse and tone the skin, as a mouth wash or gargle for a sore throat, as an eye wash, and taken as a tonic to help various ailments such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome as mentioned above.

I was aware that there were many hydrolats available – not just rose, lavender, or tea tree which are most common but I didn’t realise just how many there were. The article in the journal mentioned Peppermint, Angelica, and Fennel hydrolats to help with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Penny Price recommends adding 10ml of hydrolat to a glass of warm water and drinking slowly.

Hydrolats are a by-product of the steam distillation process of producing essential oils. They consist of mainly water along with micronized droplets of essential oils (This means the particles of essential oils are reduced down so that they are only a few microns in diameter). Because of this, they are gentle and safe to use, with less contra-indications than the stronger, more concentrated essential oil. They are easily absorbed by the body both through the skin and when ingested. That’s right! Hydrolats are so safe that they can even be taken orally to help with various ailments. This is something I did not know about Hydrolats and I’m really excited that I stumbled across this fact – it has opened up a completely new side of Aromatherapy for me.

Penny Price runs an Aromatherapy Academy which holds courses nearby in Cirencester so I think I might have to book on to the Hydrolats course as I think they will be an invaluable addition to treatments – something that I can advise my clients to take in between treatments to help with their complaints.