Melaleuca alternifolia/Tea tree

pH 3.9–4.1

Aroma and Taste Smells like a disinfectant. Medicinal, sharp, acrid in smell and taste, although the flavor improves a lot in dilution, which isn’t saying much really. However, as its uses are purely health oriented, you may find it easier to take it undiluted rather than sip it all day long.

Stability and Shelf Life Fairly stable; fourteen to sixteen months or better. Although one would expect that this hydrosol would never go off, it will occasionally bloom.

Properties and Applications Antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral: tea tree does it all. Internally it is used in many ways for many conditions, including as a gargle or mouthwash for sore throat, coughs, and gingivitis or as a cough syrup when combined with honey and essential oils. Mildly mucolytic and expectorant, it is best combined with Inula and eucalyptus or rosemary for chest infections. You can snuff a few drops up the nose for allergies and sinus congestion. Dilute in a douche for thrush, candidiasis, and reproductive or urinary tract infections. Internally take one-half tablespoon four times a day during a parasite cleanse or combine with peppermint for bad breath resulting from poor digestion. Like the oil, tea tree hydrolol’s benefits are myriad.

Topically tea tree hydrosol can be used undiluted to cleanse cuts, scrapes, and wounds of all kinds. For children, combine it with lavender and keep it on hand for all the boo-boos. Skin infections of all kinds react positively to tea tree; use as strong as you can and use clean cotton balls to wash the areas. Fungal infections under the nails should be soaked in or compressed with the hydrosol, then use one drop of clove oil directly on the nail itself. Psoriasis, which can be associated with streptococcus, may also benefit. Use the hydrosol internally for a three-week protocol and topically, combined with yarrow, directly on the affected areas.

Despite its unpleasant taste and odor, tea tree is one of the most useful hydrosols. Unfortunately, many Australian distillers do not like to ship the waters, so it tends to come from other countries. I recently received some from a distiller in Florida, where the tree was introduced to help clear swamps and is now considered a pest. Huge quantities of the tree are now being disposed of . . . perfect for distilling.

Melissa officinalis/Lemon Balm/Melissa

pH 4.8–5.0

Aroma and Taste Not at all like the herb, which is remarkably stronger. The water is a lighter, more floral version of the oil. It has an unusual edge to its scent, like both the plant and oil. The taste is mildly bitter undiluted and quite lemony but not citrusy, more the idea of lemon in a flavor. Becomes very soft, quite sweet, and delicious in dilution. A great favorite for a daily beverage.

Stability and Shelf Life Very stable; easily lasts two years or more. Melissa, thankfully, is unlikely to go off or grow a mold, and the aroma and taste remain fine for a very long time.

Properties and Applications Owing to the extremely low yield and temperamental nature of melissa essential-oil production, distillers will often cohobate the waters to improve yield. However, many distill melissa specifically for the hydrosol and consider any oil a bonus. Be sure you know what you are getting.

Melissa is calming to the body more than the mind but without being overly sedative. Use it for stress, anxiety, and childhood hysterics. Combine with rosemary while studying and with neroli to drink during exams. Has shown some positive results for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and is certainly worth trying instead of drugs like Ritalin for people of all ages. For children with ADHD, use thirty milliliters in one liter of water; consume throughout the day. For adults, double the quantity of hydrosol: sixty milliliters in one liter of water. (For more on attention deficit disorder [ADD] see Scotch pine [Pinus silvestris].)

During pregnancy lemon balm can be used to treat morning sickness, digestive upsets, and water retention and as a system tonic for general well-being. You can also add a small percentage of cinnamon bark and peppermint hydrosols for morning sickness to great effect. Melissa is gentle enough for use on babies; try adding a teaspoon to a nighttime bath or blend with German chamomile or yarrow for cradle cap and diaper rash (it greatly improves the aroma of yarrow). The essential oil of melissa is frequently recommended for use during pregnancy, but the real thing is very expensive and hard to find, so use the hydrosol.

Taken internally in the three-week protocol, lemon balm makes a good prophylactic in flu and allergy season and has both immune-stimulating and some infection-fighting properties. It has some effect on lowering blood pressure, although this may be due primarily to its anxiolytic properties. People who are very hypotensive should avoid the three-week protocol, as it has further lowered already low blood pressure in some clients. Lemon balm is a gentle cholagogue and has been used in digestive drinks for centuries; the hydrosol certainly aids digestion and reduces the intestinal spasms and cramps associated with colitis and Crohn’s disease. In some people, however, it has shown a laxative effect, so test it on the individual before using in cases of bowel disorders. It is experimental for kidney and gallstones and, so far, works best combined with reflexology treatments.

A good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, melissa can be used on its own or in blends as a skin clarifier and to calm rash, irritations, and eczema. Use undiluted as soon as possible after contact with poison oak or ivy. Add to proprietary lotions and creams for antiaging and after-sun body care. The aldehydes in the essential oil are considered responsible for the pronounced antiviral properties, and the hydrosol seems to contain at least some quantity of these components owing to the large amounts of oil in solution in uncohobated waters. Apply undiluted topically to herpes sores six to ten times a day, ideally as soon as you feel them coming on, and take one-half tablespoon internally at each application. It works almost as fast as the oil.

A yummy beverage, either hot or cold. Excellent in all recipes, whether sweet or savory. Try it for steaming vegetables or fish: delicious.