Jill Mulvaney on combination hydrosols
As I’ve grown more confident in my distilling practice, I’ve learnt to play and experiment with combination hydrosols.
A combination hydrosol, as the name suggests, is where more than one plant type is distilled. These are also sometimes called mixed botanical hydrosols.
Sometimes I run combination hydrosols when I have a particular project in mind—like creating a perfume straight from the still—where I create with purpose, layering top, heart and base notes. Other times I find there’s many different plants in my garden that all need distilling at once—some that have just burst forth, and others that are going to seed. It’s a great way to fill your still and expand your practice.
One of my favourite combination hydrosols is called The Green Pharmacy. This was inspired by Barabara Griggs, the author of ‘The Green Pharmacy: The History and Evolution of Western Herbal Medicine’. My own green pharmacy hydrosol is made from five different botanicals, some of which are rich in VOCs and some which aren’t. Nettles (Urtica dioica) make up the bulk of the blend, with small amounts of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), wild mint (Mentha arvenisis), peppermint (Mentha piperita), fennel leaves and flowers (Foeniculum vulgare).
I often use this as a base for herbal botanical cocktails and as the water phase in creams for insect bites, swellings and pain. This hydrosol can also be used as a hair tonic and a deodorant.
The Green Pharmacy is my go-to combination hydrosol in spring as this is when all these plants appear in my a garden at the same time. But there’s so much new, lush green growth in spring—you don’t have to stick to this ingredients list, instead harvest whatever is calling to you.
You can place all the plants together in the pot, or if you have a column still, you can choose to pack some of the more delicate botanicals in the column to increase those crisp, fresh notes in your hydrosol.
After only a few distillations you’ll know more about the ratios of different plants you like to use, and find you’ll understand how to balance the aromas and flavours to your liking.
If you ever want to share your experience with us or ask questions just get in touch, we always like to hear about what people are distilling.
Below: a combination elderflower, yuzu and petitgrain hydrosol.
