Hydrosols are great for the skin. Their slightly acidic pH mirrors the pH of our skin. Maintaining pH is essential to keep our skin protected, vibrant, and healthy. When used before a moisturizer, hydrosols will increase its absorption and effectiveness.

Hydrosols are also great for spirit and energy. If you’re tapped into that good good universal energy, Prana, God, Mother Earth, the Universe, the Source, or whatever name you choose to call it, then you know how overwhelming spirituality can get. Once ‘plugged in’ and aware of the vibes circulating around and within us, it can be easy for us to feel and absorb the energy of others. Have you ever taken on someone else’s emotions? Suddenly, while you’re listening to your coworker go on and on about their financial worries, your chest and throat tighten and you start feeling nervous and anxious. Maybe it occurs several hours later or even the next day. Those nerves aren’t yours, babe! They’re your coworker’s. And you, being tapped into the energy world, easily picked them up and took them on as your own.

Well, friend, you’re in luck because, a) you’re not alone here and b) hydrosols are great tools for spiritual people like you + me. Here’s why you need them:

1. Physical protection.
Hydrosols protect the physical boundary between your internal and external world. That physical boundary is your skin! Mist hydrosols across your face and body throughout the day for nourishing refreshment. Your skin, being the largest and most exposed organ, receives and processes tactile messages from the outside world. It then communicates that information internally to your brain. Important stuff! Skin does a big job and can get tired from over-stimulation. Nourish it, baby!

2. Energetic protection.
Just like your skin needs protection, so too does your energy. By setting boundaries for yourself, you create space within to preserve your vibe. (If you’re new to the practice of setting boundaries, check out this guide). Misting hydrosols onto the skin and around your energy field (aka your personal bubble) protects you from other people’s draining, toxic energy.  My fave hydrosols for energetic protection: Yarrow for befriending and honoring the boundaries you set, Lemon for spinning a protective, energetic cocoon of golden thread around yourself.

3. Purification of space.
You know that feeling that lingers in the air after you’ve shared space with negative people? Yeah, clear that shit out with a few mists of hydrosol! Spritz in the air and on surfaces as you would do with an air freshener. Any hydrosol will shift the energy of your space but, alternatively, you can select one whose characteristics you’d like to invite into your environment. This is a useful self-care ritual to set a peaceful tone before a sacred ceremony or before bed. It’s also a great alternative to smoke clearing.

4. Replenishment.
When depleted, hydrosols can give you a replenishing boost. These aromatic waters are created by extracting the vital essence and soul from the plant. They are chock full of Prana! (Prana is life force energy, by the way.) Next time you’re feeling dull, low, and lifeless, these high-vibrational waters will revive your spirit in a splash!

5. Stabilization.
As a spiritual being, it is easy to get swept up into the ethers- the space where intuitions, dreams, and premonitions live. Think about guided meditation, yoga Nidra, or visualizations you’ve done. Any cosmic downloads you received, any realizations or spirit guides that popped up….that all took place amongst the space element. If no grounding, or settling back into the earth element, follows those practices, then you may experience flightiness, inability to focus or feel frantic afterward. The space element is characterized by cold, clear, mobile, dry, and rough qualities. 

The water element, on the other hand, is heavy, dense, fluid, moist, smooth- the perfect balance to the space element. Hydrosols, being comprised almost entirely of the water element, introduce heavy, dense, fluid qualities to your gross and subtle bodies. Incorporating a hydrosol into your meditation, post-meditation, or spiritual practice will be incredibly grounding. Yogis: think about it as a counterpose to balance out the main/apex pose. Mist onto the face, around the outline of your body, or onto the feet for some atmospheric and earthly stabilization.

While hydrosols are a miracle for your skin, they are perhaps just as extraordinary for your spiritual self-care toolkit. Whether you implement one or all five of the tips above, incorporating hydrosols into your life will absolutely create a positive shift in your spiritual life. Reach us at info@birchstoneapothecary.com if you have questions about self-care or want to share your stellar hydrosol experiences!