Lavender Hydrosol Recipe: How to Make Hydrosol at Home
Making your own lavender hydrosol recipe is a simple way to turn fresh lavender into a beautiful botanical water you can use in your natural skincare routine and around your home.
This easy lavender hydrosol recipe uses fresh lavender, distilled water, and a simple stovetop steam distillation process—no special distilling equipment required. Use your homemade lavender hydrosol as a facial toner, facial mist, body spray, linen spray, and more.
If you have lavender growing in your garden, this is also a wonderful way to preserve and use your harvest long after the growing season is over.
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What Is Lavender Hydrosol?
Lavender hydrosol is an aromatic floral water produced by distilling lavender plant material. During the steam distillation process, steam captures the aromatic and water-soluble components of the plant before cooling and condensing back into liquid.
Unlike lavender essential oil, lavender hydrosol is water-based and has a much softer scent, making it a gentle option for natural skincare, facial mists, and other homemade products.
Lavender Hydrosol Recipe Benefits
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) has a long history of use as an aromatic and medicinal plant. Lavender hydrosol provides a gentle way to incorporate some of the aromatic and water-soluble plant compounds found in lavender into your skincare routine and home.
Some of my favorite lavender hydrosol benefits and qualities include:
- Provides a light, refreshing facial mist
- Can help soothe and refresh the skin
- Works well with many different skin types
- Has a softer scent than lavender essential oil
- Makes a beautiful base for natural skincare products
- Can be used as a simple body or linen spray
- Provides a natural way to use fresh lavender from the garden
Lavender Hydrosol Recipe
Ingredients
- 60 grams fresh lavender flowering tops (about 4 cups) or 30 grams dried
- 2-3 quarts distilled water (or less if using dried lavender)
- Ice
These amounts are approximate. With hydrosol you most often need to eye ball the amount of flowers to water and adjust accordingly. You generally want enough water to cover the fresh flowers.
Equipment
- Large stainless steel pot with a domed lid
- Heat-safe collection bowl
- Small heat-safe ramekin, brick, or steaming rack
- Clean glass jar, spray bottle, or dark glass bottle for storage
How to Make Lavender Hydrosol at Home
1. Prepare the Lavender
The first step is to harvest your fresh lavender, ideally when the flowers are open or beginning to open. Gently shake the lavender to remove insects or debris. If needed, rinse it lightly and allow the excess water to drain.
2. Set Up the Pot
Place a small heat-safe ramekin, clean brick, or steaming rack in the bottom of a large pot. This will elevate your collection bowl above the surrounding water. Place your heat-safe collection bowl on top. This is where your finished lavender hydrosol will collect. Arrange the fresh lavender around the collection bowl.
* The pot I used in these images is really narrow and since I used fresh lavender I placed my lavender in first and then simply placed my trivet on top. But the set up may look slightly different depending on if you use fresh or dried lavender and depending on how wide your pot is.
3. Add the Distilled Water
Pour the distilled water over the lavender until the plant material is mostly submerged. Be careful not to pour any water into the collection bowl. Depending on the size and shape of your pot, you may not need all of the water.
5. Invert the Lid and Add Ice
Place the lid upside down on the pot so the lowest point of the lid is positioned directly above the collection bowl. As the lavender-infused steam rises and hits the cold lid, it will condense. The droplets will travel toward the center of the lid before dripping into the bowl below.
Place ice on the top of the lid. This keeps the lid cold and helps the steam inside the pot condense back into liquid. As the ice melts, carefully remove the excess water from the top of the lid and replace it with fresh ice as needed.
6. Gently Simmer
Place the pot over low heat and bring the water to a very gentle simmer. Avoid a vigorous boil. You want enough heat to continuously create steam without rapidly boiling away the water. Continue the distillation process until you have collected your desired amount of hydrosol or the aroma of the distillate begins to weaken.
7. Cool and Store
Turn off the heat and allow everything to cool enough to handle safely. Carefully remove the collection bowl. The liquid inside is your homemade lavender hydrosol. Transfer the hydrosol into a sanitized clean glass jar, spray bottle, or dark glass bottle and refrigerate.
Lavender Hydrosol Uses
There are so many simple lavender hydrosol uses for natural skincare and around the home.
Facial toner: Apply lavender hydrosol to clean skin before your moisturizer or facial oil.
Facial mist: Pour it into a fine-mist spray bottle and lightly mist your face whenever your skin needs a refresh.
Body spray: Use your hydrosol as a light botanical body spray when you want a subtle lavender scent.
Linen spray: Lightly mist pillows, sheets, and other linens for a soft, natural lavender aroma.
DIY skincare: Lavender hydrosol can replace plain water in some properly formulated water-based skincare recipes. Keep in mind that adding hydrosol to a homemade skincare product introduces water and generally means an appropriate preservative will be needed.
Lavender hydrosol can also be combined with other herbal hydrosols such as rose hydrosol, chamomile hydrosol, or peppermint hydrosol to create different botanical blends and scents.
How Long Does This Homemade Lavender Hydrosol Recipe Last?
Homemade lavender hydrosol can last several months, and sometimes 6 months or longer, when made and stored properly. For the best shelf life, I recommend storing it in a clean, tightly sealed bottle in the refrigerator. Always discard your hydrosol if you notice any changes in its smell, color, or clarity.
Tips for Making Homemade Lavender Hydrosol
Use primarily the flower heads. The lavender buds and flowers are the main plant material I recommend using for this recipe. You can include some tender leaves and green stems, but avoid adding a large amount of thick, woody stems.
Use fresh lavender when possible. Fresh flowers are my favorite option for making your own hydrosol, especially if you have English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) growing in your garden. However, dried lavender works beautifully as well!
Start with very clean equipment. Thoroughly clean and sanitize your pot, collection bowl, storage bottle, and anything else that will come into contact with the finished hydrosol.
Always use distilled water. Distilled water is the best option for homemade hydrosols because it doesn’t contain the minerals and other compounds commonly found in tap water.
Keep the heat low. You only need a gentle simmer. The goal is to steadily produce steam rather than vigorously boil the lavender.
Keep the lid cold. Replace the ice on top of the lid as it melts. The temperature difference between the steam and the cold lid encourages condensation, which then drips into your collection bowl.
Make small batches. Making your own hydrosol in small quantities makes it easier to keep it fresh and use it within its shelf life.
Making Your Own Lavender Hydrosol
Once you learn how to make lavender hydrosol, it’s a surprisingly simple process. This small-scale distillation method allows you to capture some of the beautiful aromatic and water-soluble plant compounds found in fresh lavender using equipment you probably already have in your kitchen.
Whether you use your DIY hydrosol as a facial toner, facial mist, linen spray, body spray, or ingredient in homemade skincare, it’s a simple and natural way to turn fresh lavender into something you can enjoy well beyond the growing season.
More Reader Favorite DIY Skincare Recipes
If you love this recipe then check out some of my other tallow skincare recipes:
If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @wholisticmandy on Instagram. Your reviews help support this blog and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love.
Lavender Hydrosol Recipe
Equipment
- heat safe collection bowl
Ingredients
- 60 grams fresh lavender 4-6 cups (or 30 grams dried lavender)
- 2-3 quarts distilled water or enough to fully cover the lavender
Instructions
- The first step is to harvest your fresh lavender, ideally when the flowers are open or beginning to open. Gently shake the lavender to remove insects or debris. If needed, rinse it lightly and allow the excess water to drain.60 grams fresh lavender
- Place a small heat-safe ramekin, clean brick, or steaming rack in the bottom of a large pot. This will elevate your collection bowl above the surrounding water. Place your heat-safe collection bowl on top. This is where your finished lavender hydrosol will collect. Arrange the fresh lavender around the collection bowl.
- Pour the distilled water over the lavender until the plant material is mostly submerged. Be careful not to pour any water into the collection bowl. Depending on the size and shape of your pot, you may not need all of the water.2-3 quarts distilled water
- Place the lid upside down on the pot so the lowest point of the lid is positioned directly above the collection bowl. As the lavender-infused steam rises and hits the cold lid, it will condense. The droplets will travel toward the center of the lid before dripping into the bowl below. Place ice on the top of the lid. This keeps the lid cold and helps the steam inside the pot condense back into liquid. As the ice melts, carefully remove the excess water from the top of the lid and replace it with fresh ice as needed
- Place the pot over low heat and bring the water to a very gentle simmer. Avoid a vigorous boil. You want enough heat to continuously create steam without rapidly boiling away the water. Continue the distillation process until you have collected your desired amount of hydrosol or the aroma of the distillate begins to weaken.
- Turn off the heat and allow everything to cool enough to handle safely. Carefully remove the collection bowl. The liquid inside is your homemade lavender hydrosol. Transfer the hydrosol into a sanitized clean glass jar, spray bottle, or dark glass bottle and refrigerate.
Notes
- Use mostly flowering tops. For fresh lavender, use primarily the flowers and buds with a small amount of tender stem and leaves. Avoid thick, woody stems.
- Measure by weight when possible. Fresh lavender varies considerably in volume, so grams provide the most consistent results.
- Add enough water to cover. The exact amount of distilled water will depend on your pot and how much space the lavender takes up.
- Keep the heat gentle. Once steaming, reduce to a low, gentle simmer. Avoid a vigorous boil.
- Keep the lid cold. Replace the ice as it melts so steam continues to condense and drip into the collection bowl.
- Don’t distill the pot dry. Stop once you’ve collected your desired amount of hydrosol rather than trying to evaporate all of the water.
- Store it cold. Transfer the cooled hydrosol to a clean, sterilized glass bottle and refrigerate to help extend its shelf life.
