Pinus sylvestris/Scotch Pine

pH 4.0–4.2

Aroma and Taste Scotch pine has a slightly sweet and refreshing aroma. Undiluted, the flavor is quite resiny. Diluted, it becomes dryer in taste and smell and retains the minty edge of the resin.

Stability and Shelf Life Stable. Usually lasts two years or more and does not develop the gray color of some other conifer waters.

Properties and Applications One of the best general tonics and an effective immune-system stimulant. The essential oil has a mild hormonelike effect on the endocrine system, and the hydrosol has demonstrated similar, although less powerful, results. Try it for asthenia and loss of libido. In synergy with black spruce, it makes a powerful compress for muscle, joint, and tissue pain of all kinds. When applied as a body splash during periods of stress or when you feel run down, there is an immediate and palpable improvement in both physical and mental strength. Scotch pine improves stamina generally, and athletes will find it of great help during periods of heavy training.

Scotch pine is antiseptic, antibacterial, mildly antifungal, and decongestant; choose it for the respiratory, lymphatic, and reproductive systems in oral, internal, or topical applications. In synergy with Inula, green myrtle, and/or eucalyptus it provides relief for bronchitis, asthma, and chest tightness and helps with all allergic or pollution-triggered breathing problems. Use it in baths, showers, steam rooms, and saunas; it’s great in the humidifier in winter, too.

Experimental properties of internal use include reduction of blood pressure, cholesterol, and arterial plaque. It treats attention deficit disorder (ADD) in adults in combination with cinnamon leaf hydrosol. (For ADHD see melissa hydrosol.)

Ribes nigrum/Black Currant Fruit and Leaf/Cassis

pH 3.6

Aroma and Taste The first scent is sharp and acrid, very green, and smells like something starting to go bad. Immediately after that comes the sweet, juicy, mouthwatering aroma of black currant fruit, a stark contrast. The flavor is also twofold but not at all unpleasant; it just starts green and leafy and finishes dark and fruity. An intriguing combination that I really like, but many people find the first smell quite off-putting.

Stability and Shelf Life Unknown; at least fourteen months.

Properties and Applications Experimental. It certainly has some digestive properties, particularly after a large or rich meal, and it may contain some tannins, which are rare in hydrosols. The fragrance gives it possibilities for blending with other, less palatable waters and for use in perfumes, colognes, and aftershaves.

Makes a wicked martini and a wonderful sorbet.

Rosa damascena/Rose

pH 4.1–4.4

Aroma and Taste Smells almost exactly like a fresh rose. Highly complex, sublime odor with the lemony edge particular to the true old varieties of rose used in distillation. Moist, cool, intensely floral scent and taste. Undiluted, the flavor is dramatic and overwhelming—far too strong—but in dilution, its intense floral nature becomes delicate, ethereal, and quite delicious. Once you have smelled and tasted real rose hydrosol, you will instantly recognize the many artificial rosewaters in the marketplace. Some distillers produce a hydrosol from Rosa centifolia, and I have seen the extraordinary Rosa x alba oil, so perhaps that hydrosol may become available soon as well.

Stability and Shelf Life Quite stable. Shelf life is usually close to two years or more, although it is highly dependent on the quality of the product. Rose hydrosol made from dried petals starts to lose its fragrance around ten to twelve months, and the flavor is less intense from the outset.

Properties and Applications Divine. Because modern roses are so different in aroma, the smell of true rose hydrosol is often an eye-opener for the newcomer to aromatherapy. This is what rose is supposed to smell like! It is good for almost everything and is so nice to use that you don’t need an excuse. Highly recommended as a hormone balancer for all ages when used internally in dilution. Experimental in many applications as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women and excellent as part of a program combining essential oils, herbs, and other naturopathic treatments. Combats PMS, cramps, and moodiness by virtue of its balancing effects on the endocrine system. Treats the autonomic nervous system and makes you “feel so good.”

A humectant, rose adds and retains moisture and is suitable for normal to dry, mature, sensitive, and devitalized skin. Rose is cooling and very mildly astringent; use it in masks, steams, and compresses or add it to any beauty product for both its effects and fragrance. An antiwrinkle treatment when combined with rock rose, it dramatically improves the aroma of the latter. Try it in the bath for relaxation and rejuvenation or for a postpartum healing sitz bath, or use it in a douche or bidet for the most luxuriously effective personal hygiene.

Anyone suffering from environmental or chemical sensitivities could try this as an aromatic and hypoallergenic body, clothes, or room perfume. Its moisture-retaining nature makes it a good choice for the traveler, and its mild antiseptic and cooling properties make it useful for many first-aid applications. A good combination if you can take only one hydrosol with you is rose, lavender, and one of the chamomiles in roughly equal proportions (adjust to suit your nose), which will allow you to address most general health concerns, from stress and insomnia to sunburns and wound care.

Some people claim that rose exhibits the highest vibration of any essential oil. Rose has an affinity with the heart and the emotional spheres of the mind, body, and spirit. However it is applied or taken, it promotes balance, aids emotional processing, and supports you in decision making and the completion of projects. Rose lets you love yourself, but be aware that true emotional healing and opening of the heart make you more vulnerable and fragile in the short term. Make sure you request and have the support of those around you when seeking to heal these emotional, heart-centered parts of your being.

Try rose hydrosol in desserts, beverages, or a glass of champagne.