Sweetgrass Hydrosol

SWEETGRASS HYDROSOL

The burning of Sweetgrass braids for ceremonial purposes has long been part of the native culture in North America. This is often what comes to mind when the species is mentioned. But the use of the plant is not restricted to North America. Aromatic plants have been used by cultures all around the world since the beginning of time. Sweetgrass was once used in Europe as a strewing herb where it was laid at the entrance to churches especially on saints' days. The practice of using the grass in European churches gave rise to the botanical name Hierochloe or Holy grass. 

Sweetgrass Hydrosol is typically made with leaves harvested during the warm summer months when both the volume of leaf material and the scent is highest. It's subtle aroma and energy imprint is deeply cleansing at a level that may easily be missed by more overt tools. 

A hydrosol is the condensate water that is left over when essential oils are extracted by steam distillation. Many of the important aromatic and healing components held within the plant are not captured by the oil during the process but are absorbed by the steam that is used to extract the oil, therefore adding an essential oil to water will never create a product with the same range of healing benefits as a true hydrosol. The steam eventually condenses back into water, and now contains small quantities of essential oil plus many of the water-soluble (hydrophilic) parts of the plant. This aromatic water contains the very essence of everything that was contained within the plant when it was still alive and growing and is now supercharged with more active principles than the essential oil.