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Title: Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy
(Healing Arts Press, 2001)

Author: Suzanne Catty. Suzanne is the owner of AcquaVita, a Canadian company specializing in hydrosols and essential oils. A former president of the Canadian Federation of Aromatherapists, Ms. Catty is well known and well respected in aromatherapy circles as one of the foremost experts on the use of hydrosols for everything from food products and cosmetics to the treatment of various ailments. Ms. Catty delivers lectures around the world on the topic of hydrosols and essential oils.

Book Details: 290 pages, including indices (bibliography, notes, conversation chart, sources, index and glossary. Soft cover.

Table of Contents:

1. In The Beginning Was Smell
2. Wholly Water!
3. The Monographs
4. The Hard pHacts
5. Now What Do I Do With Them?
6. Bubble Bubble-The Recipes (containing recipes for powders, scrubs, toners, soaps, mists and face packs, as well as formulations to treat scars, depression, varicose veins, arthritis and more!)

Reviewer's Note

I first began using hydrosols in 1996 when I purchased rose hydrosol from a reputable supplier of essential oils. I used them in soaps, lotions and other cosmetics products created for clients at my aromatherapy shop. Until 1999, I stick mainly with hydrosols of rose, neroli and lavender, mainly because I did not know where I could obtain non-floral hydrosols such as rosemary, spruce and rock rose. Then, along came Ms. Catty ... I ordered 2 dozen hydrosols from her to take with me for my several-month long trip to South Africa. Sandalwood, St. John's wort, greenland moss, purple coneflower, rosemary, sage and more. Along with my stash of essential oils, these hydrosols helped me through a long and dry winter in Africa, keeping my skin supple and moist in a most arid environment.

Excerpt

"Facial masks can be made from many different substances, although clays are some of the most common and popular. You will find green, red, blue, gray, and white clays, as well as bentonite and pascalite clays, which come from the fossilized remains of ancient sea beds. They are favored for their fine texture and high mineral content. There are mask recipes in chapter 6 for specific skin conditions. For one treatment, take a heaping tablespoon of clays an add the appropriate hydrosol or hydrosol blend drop by drop until the desired consistency is reached. The clays should be neither so stiff that it is hard to spread on your face nor so runny that it won't stay where you put it. You may also wish to add one or two drops of essential oil to your mask, choosing the oils corresponding to the hydrosols used or different oils to create a synergy. Oatmeal, mashed avocado, eggs, honey, and even banana and papaya can all form the base for a mask, and many beauty books can give you recipes for facial masks. In each case just be sure that the amount of hydrosol added balances the final texture of the mask. There is nothing worse than having egg dripping all over the place, even if your skin looks fabulous afterward." (From "Now What Do I Do With Them, page 76.)

Book Review by Donna Maria

"Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy" leaves no question about hydrosols unanswered. With information ranging from how hydrosols are extracted from plant material to discussions of their use in dozens of applications (from food to the treatment of disease), the book forms a complete synergy of valuable information drawn from Ms. Catty's years of experience working with aromatic waters.

One of the most valuable things about the book is the section on monographs. Monographs are narrowly targeted, focused written accounts or descriptions of a single thing, or class of things. This book contains nearly 70 monographs on hydrosols, including those that are well known (rose, neroli, lavender), and those that are not (basil, green myrtle, purple coneflower and tamarack). The monographs are as complete as possible, recognizing that more information will be available about more well known hydrosols than those that have received less notoriety. Ms. Catty's monographs summarize: (1) aroma and taste; (2) stability and shelf life; (3) properties and applications; and (4) cautionary suggestions (where applicable).

Ms. Catty also provides a great deal of historical information on the use of essential oils and hydrosols for various purposes, and includes information on how she got started using essential oils and those in the industry who have influenced her the most such as Kurt Schnaubelt, Nelly Grosjean and others.

Dozens of recipes for skincare products, as well as delectable culinary treats such as Thai Green Curry Paste (with lemon verbena hydrosol), Cream of Carrot Soup (with cinnamon hydrosol) and Minted Peas (with peppermint hydrosol) make this book not only useful but also fun!!

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