Water is a common ingredient found in many cosmetics and personal care products. From emulsions, such as creams, lotions and hair products, to foaming cleansers, body washes and aloe based gels, water plays a key role in their formulation.

What is an Infused Water?
An Infused Water has a mild aromatic profile that is identical to the specific essential oil used for infusion. The method of manufacture sees the essential oil infused into the water to produce a ready-to-use, scented ingredient. 

They remain aromatically vibrant and stable when maintained in optimal conditions. 

What is a Hydrosol?
A Hydrosol is the water that results from the steam distilling process that extracts essential oil from plant material. It is sometimes also called a hydrolate or floral water but the process by which it is sourced is always steam distillation. 

Hydrosols contain water soluble elements from the plant material along with microscopic particles of essential oil.

Formulating with Infused Waters or Hydrosols
Did you know that when you formulate a product that includes water, you can actually replace the standard water with an Infused Water or a Hydrosol?

All you need to so is simply substitute the aqueous content. If you choose to incorporate an infused water or hydrosol, you will receive a number of additional benefits in your natural cosmetic formulation.

Firstly, they impart a very gentle aroma to your product. For formulations that require a low level of scent this is an excellent, economical option. The results are subtle and are perfect for people who prefer to use lightly scented cosmetics.

Infused Waters and Hydrosols also offer mild aromatherapeutic benefits and are a great way to introduce aromatherapy to children, the elderly, or people with sensitivities. 

When choosing an Infused Water or Hydrosol, you should also consider the specific action that aligns with the essential oil properties. For example, Rose Infused Water is excellent for mature skin as it offers a moisturising and revitalising action. Peppermint Infused Water is a great choice for after sun cooling and Tea Tree Infused Water will help balance oily skin conditions.

Just remember that water based ingredients can degrade over time particularly if they are not stored correctly. If you choose to add your own preservative this can extend the shelf life, but always keep an eye out for obvious changes to aroma, appearance and viscosity as that can indicate product spoilage. 

Join us in our Anti-Ageing Skincare Workshop, where we make a delightful Toning Face Mist using Infused Water.