How to distil Rosemary Hydrosol

Feature Article
Hydrosols and Hydro-Distillation
ByJill Mulvaney
What is “Hydrosol”
A
herbal infusion or tea is made by pouring
boiling water onto the plant. The heat
of the water softens the cells releasing
the constituents of the plant into the water.
The parts that are water soluble and the highly
volatile micro molecules of essential oils are
caught in the vapour. The hot steam hits the
cold lid of the container – forms droplets and
falls back into the tea. These precious droplets
are “hydrosol” – a name coined by Jeanne Rose
back in 1990.
“Hydrosols are real aroma-therapy. You
might consider them the homeopathy
of aromatic therapy. Just as herbs are
to homeopathy so are essential oils to
hydrosols. Hydrosols represent the true
synergy of herbalism and aromatherapy.”
(Jeanne Rose The Aromatic News, 2003)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jill grew up on a New Zealand
farm and after spending some
time living abroad, moved
to Waiheke Island in 1998
with her partner in life and
business, Charlie.
Whilst living in Perth, WA,
Jill set up and ran a natural
skincare business for many
years which found her
importing raw materials,
manufacturing, and teaching.
Jill & Charlie are now both
avid distillers of hydrosol,
essential oils and spirits.
Together they run workshops
and demonstrations
throughout NZ and sell
alembic stills worldwide.
They enjoy sharing the
knowledge of this ancient
process, using natural organic
seasonal botanicals and
beautiful handcrafted copper
stills to the householder,
gardener, lifestylers and
small business and to those
passionate about food and
aroma.
Go to www.alembics.co.nz
for more information, to
purchase an alembic still
or see if there's a workshop
coming up near you.
Up until the Middle Ages the distillation of
herbs and flowers was primarily for hydrosols
for therapeutic and cosmetic applications.
Essential oils were extracted by oil infusions and
maceration. It was much later the techniques
of distillation changed to produce greater
quantities of essential oils. Of course as they
became more popular and commerce and
trade was on the move, a tiny vial of an intense
aromatic essential oil had a much greater value
than a gallon of heavy water!
Mostly the hydrosols have been considered
a waste product of the distillation process
and discarded. Lavender, Rose and Orange
Flower waters have lasted the distance. Many
commercial products are synthetic, bearing
no relation to the plant or any of its healing
properties. Many others are essentials oils
dissolved in alcohol or glycerine and added to
water. However, there is now a growing trend
that recognizes the intrinsic value of a true
hydrosol.
Practical Applications
Hydrosols contain all the therapeutic qualities
of both the plant itself through its watersoluble properties (herbal therapy) as well as
the therapeutic properties of the essential
oils, which are present in the hydrosol in tiny
microdrops (essential oil therapy). They can be
absorbed by the skin or through the gut or any
mucus membrane.
They can be used:
ΏΏ Internally add 30ml to a litre of water for
a therapeutic refreshing drink
ΏΏ Externally as eardrops, nose drops,
eyewash, douche or suppository
ΏΏ Most are appropriate for the highly
sensitive, elderly and the young.
ΏΏ Use them as an active ingredient in the
aqueous part of creams shampoos and
skin tonics
ΏΏ Added directly to the bath, foot baths
and compresses
ΏΏ Topically for direct application to
affected or infected skin or cuts,
scratches, any injury
ΏΏ In the kitchen as a beverage or cooking
ingredient
ΏΏ Environmentally in the home as a
cleaner, or bug repellent, room freshener,
linen spray
ΏΏ Pet care
Winter 2012 Journal of the New Zealand Association of Medical Herbalists AVENA
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Hydrosols and Hydro-Distillation
1. My still sits on a gas ring, my
sterile beakers are ready to catch the
distillate and the oil separators are
clean and ready. I have prepared a
bowl of rye flour paste and have
my pH reader for taking regular pH
readings of the hydrosol. I have filled
the pot 2/3 water and set it to boil.
The Distillation Process
2. While I wait for the water to boil
I strip the leaves off the stems and
discard any damaged or woody parts
of the plant. I have a fragrant pile of
flowers and fresh sticky leaves. The
twigs are set aside to dry. I can use
them as skewers for kebabs or throw
in the pizza oven. While they are
still pliable I plait some for smudge
sticks – for cleansing.
ever use it in the morning, never after an evening bath or shower.
No,
it’s part of the rising, morning, settling into the day routine.
Plants or flowers are put into boiling water or subjected to steam
I
call
it “daily self care and maintenance”.
or both. If the plant is in boiling water only – its called a 'HydroOn
a more pragmatic note why does this work for me?
distillation'. If the plant is steamed and is above or separate from
Rosemary
is considered to be an anti-oxidant, a circulatory
the water it’s called a 'Steam Distillation'.
stimulant, promotes healthy shiny hair, tones normal to oily skin,
helps relieve chest tightness and congestion, eases muscular pain,
Making Hydrosol
mild diuretic, stimulates digestions and has a tonic effect on the
We have had a long warm and mostly dry autumn: it’s
nervous system.
made up for the lack of a hot summer. The Rosemary
I know where there is a neglected uncultivated hedge of
in the garden is covered in blue flowers and the leaves
Rosemary vigorously growing on a steep northern facing rocky
hillside looking out to the sea. It will be swept by the prevailing
have a fresh waxy sticky oily feel. There is plenty of
salty wind and receives the full arc of the sun. I think of the workers
vibrant growth and its strikes upward. It’s been
in
Tunisia, lugging steel drums on their donkeys and backs up the
bothering me of late, I wake at night it’s in my thoughts,
hillsides to harvest Rosemary and distil it in barrels over open fires
the aroma washes by me unexpectedly; I see the blue
in the heat of the day.
in many places. Yes, time to replenish the jars and the
Thankfully for me it’s a stroll up the hill, harvest the plant,
empty essential oil bottle before the moon wanes, the
thank and bless the Rosemary, return home to set up my still in
the garden.
chill comes in; the flowers turn to seed and the juices
I'm planning to do two types of distillation to compare results,
of the plant retreat to the roots bedding down for the
steam
distillation – for essential oil and a hydrodistillation for
winter. Last chance before spring.
hydrosol. I use a Traditional Copper Alembic for the task.
Rosemary is a hydrosol I use daily and the essential oil preciously.
After showering I spritz my hair, face and underarms. After my
teeth are clean a quick spray in the mouth – set for the day! I only
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AVENA Journal of the New Zealand Association of Medical Herbalists Winter 2012
IMAGE: Mary Allan © 2012
Feature Article
3. When the water is boiling I
carefully remove the onion dome
(copper gets hot!) and place 5 good
handfuls (approx. 100g each) in the
bowl – about 500g in total in approx.
7 Litres of boiling water.
4. I place the onion dome on the pot
and quickly seal the joins with my rye
flour paste. It’s important to prevent
any steam from escaping as it has
the bulk of the volatile essential oils
especially in the first flush of steam.
IMAGE: Mary Allan © 2012
So, the water in the pot is at a rolling
boil. The joins are sealed with rye flour
paste so no steam escapes. In moments
the hot water will soften and burst
the cells of the rosemary leaves and
flowers releasing the volatile essential
oils and water soluble constituents.
Steam fills the onion dome and spirals,
any particles and dust will drop back
into the water. The steam travels
quickly along the copper pipes to the
condenser bucket.
“
I am always asked “why rye flour?” I have known people who have tried
plumbers tape, silicon and putty. The copper becomes extremely hot during
the process and will melt glues and plastic, they invariably make a mess of
the copper and are difficult to remove. The rye flour is organic, we are not
introducing any synthetic complex chemicals, although it bakes on firm, it
stays pliable enough to easily remove for a second distillation. It also keeps the
copper clean.
”
Winter 2012 Journal of the New Zealand Association of Medical Herbalists AVENA
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Hydrosols and Hydro-Distillation
5. The condenser bucket must have cool running water flowing through it
during the entire process. This is to cool the coil so the steam condenses to
become hydrosol. If the hydrosol feels warm, the coil is too hot, increase
the flow of water.
As we are on tank water I use an outdoor shower unit which runs off a 12 volt
battery. It sits in a large bin of cold water and recirculates. I have a
hose attached to the outlet to drain the water back to the bin. You could
have a garden hose trickling into the bucket if water is in good supply.
6. This hydrosol soon trickles out into the beaker and the garden is filled with
the aroma of Rosemary.
When I have collected 100ml I take a pH reading. Good hydrosol has flavour,
aroma and a pH between 4.5-5.5. On 500g of Rosemary I only expect 500ml
of Hydrosol. I know when to stop the distillation by checking the pH every
100ml. As soon as it starts rising above the initial reading I know I am getting
mostly water. I also check the flavour and aroma throughout the distillation.
Less is mostly better than more.
However, every distillation is different, depending on the season, soil types,
weather, moon, how much rain, how much sun…..its nature. For me that’s
what makes distillation so interesting.
The pH has settled at 5.5.
7. I have 500ml of hydrosol with a constant pH of 5.5, strong, grassy, green,
herby flavour of Rosemary. It’s pleasant to taste.
When I distil Rosemary in the height of summer before it flowers, the aroma is
predominantly of camphor and quite unpleasant to taste. In this instance the
aroma is sweet, grassy and pleasant to taste. This suggests it will be great in skin
and hair care, and internal use. If the camphor is predominating it’s a useful
decongestant, antiseptic, cooling skin tonic on hot days.
I use both types to mist a leg of lamb before it arrives at the table or added to a
herby risotto at the last minute.
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AVENA Journal of the New Zealand Association of Medical Herbalists Winter 2012
Feature Article
8. The hydrosol is poured into an
oil separator flask. A little oil, hardly
worth separating. I often leave it in
the hydrosol.
The water acts as a sponge, it absorbs a
finite amount of the volatile essential
oil, what it can’t absorb and keep in
solution is released as millions of tiny
bubbles which I watch spiralling to
the surface. This is the essential oil
being released. The specific gravity of
the essential oil is lighter than water so
it floats to the top.
I have observed the distillation process. for daily use. When I decant I check
It has given me insight into how that there is no sediment or cloudiness
valuable and potent hydrosols are. In in the jar. This may indicate yeast and
some way, essential oil is the by-product microbial blooms. I also test the pH,
of distillation, that which cannot be if it has risen from that on the label I
held in suspension. Hydrosols by their know there may be microbial activity
nature have a greater complexity than so I discard the hydrosol. As long as
essential oils. Suzanne Catty describes hydrosol has a pH between 4.5-5.5, and
them in her book Hydrosols: The Next is kept in a cool sterile dark place and in
Aromatherapy as “holograms of the sterile containers you can expect them
plant”.
to last for at least 6 months and mostly
When my distillation is done I transfer 12 months. This varies depending on
my hydrosol to clear glass sterile jars plant type.
I distil plants throughout the year and
labelled with:
expect different results depending on
the season. Eucalyptus in the middle
• Plant Type
of
a hot dry summer yields double
• Date
the
essential oil compared to a winter
• Moon Phase
distillation,
but the winter distillation
• Tide (if coastal)
is
softer
and
sweeter and even makes
• Type of distillation
a
pleasant
addition
to drinking water.
•
pH
The same applies to Rosemary. Some
I then decant to 100ml spray mister plants I expect a barely noticeable
bottles or 500ml Amber Glass bottles sheen of essential oil – Melissa, Kawa
Kawa, Cornflowers, Calendula, Rose
and yet they are fragrant, acidic and
have flavour.
It’s important to remember when you
are doing a hydro-distillation it’s not
about achieving a high yield of essential
oil, it's about capturing the whole plant
in balance.
Next issue I will go through the Steam
Distillation process which is primarily
to yield essential oil. 3
Winter 2012 Journal of the New Zealand Association of Medical Herbalists AVENA
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