For the Love of Floral Waters

Rosewater has long been an item I've kept in my skincare arsenal. In the past I used it for general misting and mixing with clay-type facial masks. But more recently, I've been enjoying using different floral waters more often and for more purposes.

 

Floral waters (or Hydrosols) are made by distilling fresh flowers, fruits, leaves, herbs and other plants. They are obtained during the same process as essential oil distillation but they are a much gentler alternative to essential oils (which generally cannot be applied directly to skin).

 

Note: It's very tempting to rush out and buy lots of different floral waters BUT remember that they have a reasonably short shelf-life - maybe as short as 3 months!

 

My current floral water collection

 

 

Rose Water

Zenon Kition 100ml for £9.99 BUY HERE

My favourite of all the floral waters. It's great for normal, dry, mature, sensitive skin and skin prone to redness. Helps to retain moisture, is mildly astringent and very cooling. I use it as toner, as a morning cleanser, as a cooling mist and as a hydrating mist between skincare steps and also to mix with clay-type powder masks and treatments.
This can also be used for your hair. 

 

Lemon Floral Water

 

Lemon Floral Water

Anita Grant 100ml for £7.99 BUY HERE

 

Such a refreshing mist! And not at all astringent like you might imagine when spraying lemon water on your face!

Similarly to the Rose Water, I use this as a morning cleanse, a toner, a mist between skincare steps and also as a refreshing spray throughout the day.
Can also be used as a refreshing body mist and also on the hair.

 

Cornflower Water

 

 

I had been using (and loving) Liz Earle Soothing Eyebright Lotion on my eyes - particularly on mornings when I woke up with puffy or sticky eyes. This contains Eyebright extract, Witch Hazel, Cornflower extract and Aloe Vera - but as I have a slight sensitivity with Aloe Vera, this sometimes could sting my eyes a bit - which completely defeats the purpose of this product for me! Then I saw a Cornflower Floral Water, which was considerably cheaper (£5.30 for 200ml compared to the Liz Earle at £15.50 for 150ml) on the Easy Parapharmacie website (link at the bottom of this article).

 

 

 Naturado Cornflower Water

200ml for £5.31 BUY HERE

 

I use this in the mornings and it also works as a very gentle eye makeup remover (I often go over my eyes with this when other cleansers haven't fully removed all traces of eye makeup). It is scent-free, non-irritating and does exactly the same job as the Liz Earle Soothing Eyebright Lotion. You can also use this as a compress - soak two cotton pads and relax with them over your eyes for 10 minutes to soothe irritated and tired eyes.

 

Manuka Honey Floral Water

 

Manuka Floral Water

Naturally Thinking 100ml for £3.00 BUY HERE

I use this as a morning cleanser, as a toner or as a refreshing facial mist.
Calming, astringent, rejuvenating and anti-bacterial. Can help with Sunburn Fungal Infections, Athletes Foot & Nail Bed Infections Itching Scalp & Dandruff Cuts, Scratched and Abrasions Oily skin and Pimples Skin irritation, Chafing and Rashes Foot & Body Odour Insect Bites and Stings.

 

I love how Naturally Thinking present the information on the label.

 

Other Floral Waters and their uses

 

Lavender: Regenerates skin. Noted for it's calming properties and is often used as a sleep aid. Spray on textiles and as a room spray for a calm environment. Anti-bacterial so good for mild acne and blemishes. Calms insect bites.

Witch Hazel: A good anti-oxidant and a strong astringent.

Tea Tree: Good for acne-prone skin. Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.

Neroli (Orange Blossom): Relieves stress and calms your senses. Great for sensitive and oily skin

Chamomile: Has calming and soothing properties. Great for after sun care, babies, cleansing and toning and soothing irritated skin.

Clary Sage: Best known for being a natural anti-depressant - Clary Sage is great for calming and soothing the mind. But it also has anti-bacterial properties, can be used as a deodorant, is said to stimulate hair growth, can help cell regeneration (if used daily), firms and tightens skin and also regulates sebum - so is great for oily skin. 

Frankincense: Uplifting and toning. Can help skin texture.

Peppermint: Physically and mentally cooling - aids concentration. Great for a summer mist. Calms sunburn. Is said to keep flies and gnats away!

Rose Geranium: Slightly astringent. Can be used as a deodorant, to condition hair, as a humectant and for masking.

Aloe Vera: Soothing, calming, healing - used for skin irritations, burns, sunburn, bites, scalds, wounds, eczema, psoriasis, acne.

Geranium: Great for teen skin, oily skin and combination skin - this helps to regulate the skins secretions.

Juniperberry: Great for sluggish skin. Detoxifying, reviving and rejuvenating.
Melissa: Great for dull, sluggish skin. Use as a toner for tightening and awakening the skin.

Rosemary: Good for oily skin. Slightly astringent. Good for concentration. Can be used on the scalp as a stimulator and for glossy hair.

 

Where to Buy

Happily, floral waters are reasonably cheap and readily available. There are some very basic, no-frills hydrosols readily available online, which, quite frankly, will get the job done as well as the more aesthetically pleasing branded ones! It depends if you are happy to just get the job done or if you favour a more photogenic bottle (and let's face it, we're all guilty of that!!)

 

Mystic Moments (one of my favourite go-to stores for essential oils and hydrosols)have a huge range of essential oils, natural ingredients for making your own cosmetics and soaps and also a good range of hydrosols with prices of hydrosols starting from just £3.95 for 125ml.

Aromantic Products start from less than £4 for 100ml.

 

Anita Grant Anita has a fantastic range of skincare, hair care and body care products. She also offers smaller sizes which are a great way to try out new products.

 

Naturally Thinking Hydrosol prices start from £3.00 for 100ml. They also sell ingredients for making your own skincare products plus bottles, jars, etc.

Easy Parapharmacie A fantastic French online pharmacy that has a huge selection of natural skincare products.