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Here is something you can try at home if you like lavender water, rose water and the like.
Making your own floral waters is fun and the results are excellent.
Why bother, and what use are they to shavers?
Hydrosols have a number of practical uses, for people with dry or sensitive skins they make brilliant astringents and toners, you can use them as a direct splash after shaving in place of an aftershave, they smell wonderful and have no chemical content to irritate the skin. They leave you with a very (it's hard to describe) satin like feel to the skin, and they don't sting when you splash or massage them into freshly shaved skin. You can also use them to dilute an aftershave splash to remove the stinging sensation, by adding about 25% floral water to your normal aftershave.
By the way, women tend to love them as well, so they do make a really personal and thoughtful present which will win you shed loads of brownie points from any female you are trying to impress!
So here is what you will need.
One large cooking pot with a rounded lid ( a chinese wok is ideal)
Two much smaller bowls without lids (pyrex type if possible)
Bottled water
Organic material (rose leaves for instance)
Several trays of ice cubes
A ladel to fit the smaller bowls, or a turkey baster
A clean recepticle for the finished product.
STEP ONE
Place the large bowl on the stove, and inside it place the first of the two smaller bowls upside down, and place the second small bowl on top of the upturned bowl.
STEP TWO
Place your organic material, rose leaves, lavender leaves, any flower petals you can find in your garden, any fresh herbs, into the sides of the larger bowl. Pour enough pure still bottled water over the organic material to cover it. Do not let the water level rise up high enough to touch the bottom of the higher bowl. In other words, the water level can only come up to the top of the upturned bowl as a maximum.
STEP THREE
Turn on the stove and place the lid of the large pot or wok upside down on the pot, so the curve of the lid is inside the pot/wok.
STEP FOUR
When the water boils inside the large pot/wok, throw a good few trays of ice cubes onto the inverted lid.
STEP FIVE
After about twenty minutes remove the lid and ladel out the floral water in the smaller bowl, job done!
HOW IT WORKS
When the water boils inside the large pot or wok it turns to steam which carries with it micro droplets of the natural saps in the organic material in the water. When this steam hits the freezing cold underside of the lid (the ice is on the otherside of the lid, remember), it immediately turns back into liquid, which runs down the underside of the lid, and drips into the smaller collecting bowl.
NOTES
If you add the leaves and stalks of the plants the resultant floral water will be sharper, and will have a more "bitter" or acidic smell to it. Generally only use the petals.
You end up with a beautiful smelling skin toner and astringent which is wholly organic and pure, will gently close the pores of freshly shaved skin and will not sting. It is good fun to try at home, costs next to nothing, and produces superb results. Also, if you live in a hard water area, use this floral water to shave with, soak your brush in it before lathering and you will be amazed at the difference it makes to the lather.
Give it a try and let me know how you get on.
Martin.
Making your own floral waters is fun and the results are excellent.
Why bother, and what use are they to shavers?
Hydrosols have a number of practical uses, for people with dry or sensitive skins they make brilliant astringents and toners, you can use them as a direct splash after shaving in place of an aftershave, they smell wonderful and have no chemical content to irritate the skin. They leave you with a very (it's hard to describe) satin like feel to the skin, and they don't sting when you splash or massage them into freshly shaved skin. You can also use them to dilute an aftershave splash to remove the stinging sensation, by adding about 25% floral water to your normal aftershave.
By the way, women tend to love them as well, so they do make a really personal and thoughtful present which will win you shed loads of brownie points from any female you are trying to impress!
So here is what you will need.
One large cooking pot with a rounded lid ( a chinese wok is ideal)
Two much smaller bowls without lids (pyrex type if possible)
Bottled water
Organic material (rose leaves for instance)
Several trays of ice cubes
A ladel to fit the smaller bowls, or a turkey baster
A clean recepticle for the finished product.
STEP ONE
Place the large bowl on the stove, and inside it place the first of the two smaller bowls upside down, and place the second small bowl on top of the upturned bowl.
STEP TWO
Place your organic material, rose leaves, lavender leaves, any flower petals you can find in your garden, any fresh herbs, into the sides of the larger bowl. Pour enough pure still bottled water over the organic material to cover it. Do not let the water level rise up high enough to touch the bottom of the higher bowl. In other words, the water level can only come up to the top of the upturned bowl as a maximum.
STEP THREE
Turn on the stove and place the lid of the large pot or wok upside down on the pot, so the curve of the lid is inside the pot/wok.
STEP FOUR
When the water boils inside the large pot/wok, throw a good few trays of ice cubes onto the inverted lid.
STEP FIVE
After about twenty minutes remove the lid and ladel out the floral water in the smaller bowl, job done!
HOW IT WORKS
When the water boils inside the large pot or wok it turns to steam which carries with it micro droplets of the natural saps in the organic material in the water. When this steam hits the freezing cold underside of the lid (the ice is on the otherside of the lid, remember), it immediately turns back into liquid, which runs down the underside of the lid, and drips into the smaller collecting bowl.
NOTES
If you add the leaves and stalks of the plants the resultant floral water will be sharper, and will have a more "bitter" or acidic smell to it. Generally only use the petals.
You end up with a beautiful smelling skin toner and astringent which is wholly organic and pure, will gently close the pores of freshly shaved skin and will not sting. It is good fun to try at home, costs next to nothing, and produces superb results. Also, if you live in a hard water area, use this floral water to shave with, soak your brush in it before lathering and you will be amazed at the difference it makes to the lather.
Give it a try and let me know how you get on.
Martin.