Lavender Hydrosol Hydrating Spray

Ingredients: Lavender Hydrosol 

Recipe: Simply add 30ml of Lavender Hydrosol to a spray bottle

Aroma: Light and floral

Perfect for: Anytime of day

Cautions: None

How to use: After cleansing, spray this hydrosol all over your face. As it's water based, you don't have to worry about getting it in your hair anymore than you would worry about a few drops of rain. The important thing is to get it onto your skin soon after cleansing when your skin is warm and most easily able to absorb it. It will quickly be absorbed by your skin and be perfectly primed for your choice of serum.

In case you have not used hydrosols before and are unfamiliar with how effective they can be, I have provided a high-level explanation of how they work.

Hydrosols are created when an essential oil is made using steam distillation. The steam passes through the plant matter, is cooled in a condenser and finally collects in a separator. The oil is lighter and sits on top of the hydrosol enabling them to be separated.

Although these hydrosols are primarily water (usually over 99.9% water), they have a much lower pH than pure water, typically falling within the 3.3–5.5 pH range. This closely matches the skin’s own acidic "acid mantle" (4.5–5.5), helping to restore pH balance after cleansing, which prevents dryness and supports the skin barrier. 

As well as this acidity match, the plant-origin particles in them are extremely small and many contain antioxidant properties. This is hugely helpful both to inhibiting aging processes caused by oxidative stress, as well as calming inflamed skin. This study which looked at 17 different popular hydrosols found that those made from organically grown flowers from France had the best antioxidant capacity. If you are looking for a toner than hydrates and nourishes your skin while protecting its natural barrier, a hydrosol is perfect.