Everything has an expiry date, including hydrosols. But how long do hydrosols last? Some months, and some years! Find out the shelf life for your favorite hydrosols and what you can do to prolong their properties.
What Are Hydrosols?
Hydrosols are delicate floral waters that are extracted from various plant material through a process called steam distillation.
The main product of steam distillation is essential oils, and hydrosols are actually a by-product of this process.
Hydrosols are important in the health, beauty and aromatherapy world thanks to their gentle yet potent medicinal and therapeutic properties.
To find out some of the ways in which hydrosols can be used, read: 25 Ways to Use Hydrosols
The Delicate Nature of Hydrosols
Being made of almost 99.8% water, and about 0.2% of essential oils, hydrosols are quite delicate indeed. Proper storage and handling will help prolong the life of your hydrosols.
Monitoring the pH values of hydrosols is a great tool to help you assess the condition of your floral waters. It can also help you estimate the shelf life of your hydrosols.
Hydrosols with a pH of lower than 5.0 tend to last longer than those with a pH higher than 5.
Use simple pH strips to test the acid/alkaline balance of your hydrosols.
Broadly speaking, hydrosols with a pH of 5.0 and lower can last for 2 years, while those with a pH of 5.0 and higher last 1 to 1.5 years.
How Long do Hydrosols Last?
Want to know the shelf life of your hydrosols? Here are some of the most popular hydrosols and how long they last:
- Aloe vera – 1 year
- Angelica root – 1 year
- Bergamot – 2 years
- Clary Sage – 1 to 2 years
- Carrot Seed – 2 years
- Chamomile – 2 years
- Cinnamon – 2 years
- Cistus (Labdanum) – 2 years
- Cornflower – 1 to 2 years
- Cucumber – 1 year
- Eucalyptus – 1 to 2 years
- Ginger – 2 years
- Helichrysum Italicum – 2 years
- Labrador Tea – 2 years
- Lavender- 2 years
- Lemon Balm (Melissa) – 2 years
- Lemongrass (Citronella) – 2 years
- Rosemary – 1 to 2 years
- Rose Damascena – 2 years
- Neroli – 2 years
- Vetiver – 2 years
- White Sage – 1 to 2 years
- Witch Hazel – 1 to 2 years
- Yarrow – 2 years
How to Know If Your Hydrosol is Expired
Here are some of the signs that show if your hydrosol has expired:
- The hydrosol is past its shelf life
- There is considerable reduction or loss in the scent and aroma of the hydrosol.
- The hydrosol has become murky or developed a white coagulated substance that settles at the bottom of the bottle. Do not use internally or on skin when this happens.
How to Prolong the Shelf Life of Hydrosols
- Always keep hydrosols refrigerated.
- Do not freeze hydrosols.
- Store away from sun light. UV rays can damage hydrosols.
- Keep in a cool, dry place. Damp humid places can cause hydrosols to disintegrate faster.
- Store in an amber glass bottle to prevent light degradation and plastic degradation.
- Use clean and sterile bottles to store hydrosols.
- Keep a record of the date of purchase of your hydrosols and the shelf life. You can record this on a label placed right on the hydrosol bottle for easier access.
- Never leave your hydrosols open. Always keep them securely closed with the caps. This is because when oxygen gets into the hydrosol, it can oxidize and cause it to degrade faster.
- Do not contaminate your hydrosol by putting your fingers, nose or other items like cotton balls and others into your hydrosol.
- Use a spray bottle, dropper bottle or any other smaller container to store a small portion of the hydrosol that you will be using frequently. Keep the bigger portion of the hydrosol in the refrigerator. Keep replenishing the smaller container as it gets used up. This will ensure that your bigger stock of hydrosol remains uncontaminated.
- Reduce the head space. Head space is the amount of empty space within the bottle containing the hydrosol. Reducing this head space means reducing the amount of oxygen damage. Transfer hydrosols to smaller bottles to keep the head space to minimum.
What to Do With Expired Hydrosols
It may be tempting to throw out your hydrosol when it is expired, after all it doesn’t have therapeutic properties anymore!
But one great way to take care of old, expired hydrosols is to pour them to your plants! Your plants will happily slurp them up!