Clary Sage Hydrosol.

Description

The distiller sent me a sample of this delightful herbal water, and we had to have more. Then, after falling in love with it, of course we needed to learn what to use it for.

Gentle and delicious, tasting the way Bergamot Essential Oil smells, and reminiscent of Earl Grey tea, Clary Sage Hydrosol is delicious added to ice water for a refreshing drink. We’re told that it’s another ingredient in May Wine (in addition to the better known sweet woodruff).

Like the essential oil, Clary Sage Hydrosol is a mood elevator. We imagine seeing it used with Peppermint Hydrosol (or alone) as a remedy for hot flashes.

Hydrosol expert Suzanne Catty recommends the internal use of Clary Sage Hydrosol for treating a range of PMS related difficulties…cramps, bloating, water retention, moodiness…as well as for treating menopausal symptoms. She also recommends using Clary Sage Hydrosol during childbirth: make a compress of eight ounces of the hydrosol, with three drops of Clary Sage Essential Oil and three drops of Blue Tansy Essential Oil (Tanecetum anuum). Use as a warm compress on abdomen or lower back for relieving the pain of contractions.

For skin care, Catty recommends blending with Peppermint, Rose Hydrosol, or Geranium Hydrosol as a gently astringent toner. Price states that it is both astringent and antiseptic, suitable for treating acne and very oily skin. She writes that it also improves the appearance of mature and inflamed skin.

British aromatherapists Shirley and Len Price recommend gargling with Clary Sage Hydrosol to soothe and heal a sore throat. They also recommend it as an aid against hot flashes, during menopause.

Principle components: Linalyl acetate and Linalool.