My Sacred Beauty Rituals: Part 2
Back in ancient times, most cosmetics were made by using natural ingredients from the Earth. Various plants, flowers and minerals were used to create homemade recipes for everything from skincare to makeup. Evidence of plant-based beauty dates back over 3,000 years and has been found in Egyptian, Greek and Roman culture. It’s fascinating to think that beauty rituals may be one of the earliest forms of ritual we know of!
Perhaps that's why I feel so connected to the natural simplicity of hydrosols, which are produced by steam-water distilling flowers, fruits, herbs and other plant materials. This technique creates a delicate, subtle “flower water” that’s much less concentrated than essential oil, yet offers many of the same skincare benefits and aromatherapy properties. As you can probably imagine, these ancient beauty potions lend themselves to a multitude of wonderful, healing applications.
How to Use Hydrosols
One of the ways you can use hydrosols as a Sacred Beauty Ritual is to hydrate and balance your skin, before and/or after makeup application. When you get out of the shower, mist your face with a hydrosol before applying your moisturizer and sunscreen. This helps to seal in moisture and allows your other skincare products to absorb more readily. You will want to choose one based on the properties of each botanical and what you would like to achieve.
For this ritual, I love Mountain Rose Herbs Rose Geranium Hydrosol, because it's anti-inflammatory, which means it helps tone down any redness in the skin. Rose water is a natural humectant, which keeps skin moist, supple and aging beautifully. I also use this hydrosol as a gentle makeup remover and toner-- just spray it on a q-tip or cotton pad and wipe away makeup and oils.
Another favorite Sacred Beauty Ritual is to use hydrosols as a body, room, linen and aura spray. Since they contain an aspect of the plant used to make essential oils, they make your skin and space smell amazing! This is a great alternative to both perfume and room spray, as you will get refreshing, aromatherapeutic benefits without the chemicals. Certain hydrosols have the ability to energetically clear your space and aura, which make them a nice option for those who are sensitive to the smoke from sage, palo santo or other incenses.
My go-to for this ritual is Mountain Rose Herbs Frankincense Hydrosol. Frankincense is one of the oldest resins used to promote physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. It’s useful to help calm the mind before meditation or after a long day out and about in the world. I also like to spray my pillows and bedding with it for a peaceful night’s sleep. If you have oily or acneic skin, like me, Frankincense Hydrosol can be used as a toner to help dry things up naturally.
Beauties, these are just a few of the many, many ways you can use hydrosols in your own Sacred Beauty Rituals! Mountain Rose Herbs stocks over 25 different types of hydrosols with all different benefits for mind, body, beauty and spirit. They use 100% pure, organic botanicals, steam distilled with love and care.
Plants are truly amazing, aren't they? Which hydrosols will you choose? I would love to hear from you!
This post is sponsored by Mountain Rose Herbs. Please know that I only partner with brands that I have tried, love and trust. I’m inspired to share their products because I believe you will benefit from knowing about them.