hydrosol

plural hydrosols

1. A sol (solid-in-liquid colloid) in which the continuous phase (dispersing medium) is water.

   Meronyms: hydrocolloid, water

2. An herbal distillate: an aqueous product, made from plants (especially herbs) via steam distillation (usually specifically hydrodistillation); such a product is a colloidal suspension of essential oils that also has some water-soluble components dissolved in the water.

   1 more example

   I live on 15 acres with all kinds of small ecosystems, such as a woods, pond/boggy area, stream, fields, and everything in between. 90% of the herbs used at EH [Essential Herbal magazine] grow here. In the last decade, many natives have been reintroduced into the woods and wetland area, while around the house a riot of color explodes each year, and the wild plant foods are encouraged and eaten. The line between weed and cultivated herb is very fine around here. Somewhere around 2004, a glass distiller arrived, and it has been a great teaching tool, traveling halfway across the US to show exactly how essential oils are made. Now (2018) stills are much more common, so it's good to stay home and make hydrosols when the mood strikes. We do eco-dying and are working with embedding botanicals in resins, always learning something new to do with herbs.

   2018, Tina Sams, “About the author”, in Amazon, Amazon, retrieved 28 Oct 2026