Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy [Paperback]

Suzanne Catty (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2001

• The first book devoted exclusively to aromatic hydrosols--gentle, water-based plant extracts that expand the healing, cosmetic, and culinary applications of aromatherapy.

• The newest development in the field of aromatherapy.

• The homeopathic form of aromatic treatment that is the perfect complement to other forms of vibrational medicine.

• A comprehensive reference with more than 100 recipes and formulas for using hydrosols as well as sources of supply.

• With an introduction by Kurt Schnaubelt, author of Advanced Aromatherapy and Medical Aromatherapy.

Hydrosols is one of the most anticipated books in the world of holistic health because it introduces a revolutionary new use of essential oils in aromatic treatment. Hydrosols, or hydrolates, are the pure, water-based solutions created when essential oils are steam distilled. Through this process, a potent, yet subtle form of medicine is created, one that is able to be ingested as well as applied directly to the skin, unlike most pure essential oils. In fact, hydrosols are considered the homeopathic version of aromatherapy, and as such are ideal for use with children, animals, and those with fragile immune systems. 

Suzanne Catty details the specifics of 67 hydrosols, provides formulas to treat more than 50 health concerns, and offers 40 delicious recipes in which hydrosols can be used. Her section on pets will help owners deal with urinary tract and digestive problems as well as grooming and odor issues. She also shows how hydrosols can be used with other forms of vibrational medicine and with feng shui, geomancy, and dowsing.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Suzanne Catty performs a great service to us all in bringing forth from obscurity this aspect of plant medicine, which is both ancient and modern."
(Robert Tisserand, Author The Art of Aromatherapy, Co-author Essentail Oils Safety, Founder The International Journal of Aromatherapy, Principal of The Tisserand Institute )

"This book is really a must for every aromatherapist who longs for this 'missing link'. At last, Suzanne Catty bridges the gap and opens a door that will lead the reader into a world where science and intuition arking harmoniously for helping us recover a natural and vibrant health and bring the best out of each of us, physically and spiritually."
(Daniel Penoel, MD, Author Home Health Using Essential Oils, Co-author L'aromatherapie exatement, Director Osmobiose Center, France )

"Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy puts aromatherapy in its safest form at the disposal of every interested enthusiast. The sheer wealth of carefully assembled empirical data will answer many hither to unanswered questions about how to use hydrosols for many different conditions."
(Kurt Schnaubelt, PhD, Author of Medical Aromatherapy and Advanced Aromatherapy, Director The Pacific Institiute of Aromatherapy and Original Swiss Aromatics )

"This important work stretches the boundaries of aromatherapy to include experiential information on aromatic hydrosols, the homeopathic marriage of herbs and essential oils."
(Mindy Green, Author of Natural Perfumes and Calendula, Co-author Aromatherapy A complete Guide to the Healing Art, Director of Education, Herb Research Foundation, Boulder, CO )

"You cannot imagine how thrilled I was, to discover Suzanne Catty when she presented a paper at a conference I attended in San Francisco in 1998. Now, having been gifted with the opportunity of reading several chapters of her book, I am absolutely awed. I was fascinated by the material and overwhelmed by her generosity and total openness in sharing this information with all of us. Nothing is held back. Nothing. Every conceivable aspect that one could wish to know about hydrosols is covered--not only for the consumer, but also for the manufacturer and retailer as well."
(Pamela Parsons, Holistic Practitioner, Editor, The Aromatic Thymes magazine )

"A revolutionary book on the new use of essential oils in aromatic treatment."
(OmegaSource, Volume 4, Issue 1 )

About the Author

Suzanne Catty is North America's preeminent researcher and advocate of hydrosols. A professional aromatherapist, she is the founder of Acqua Vita, a company specializing in hydrosols and essential oils. She lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Healing Arts Press (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892819464
• ISBN-13: 978-0892819461
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #190,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Astounding contribution to the field of Aromatherapy, February 24, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy (Paperback)

This book is the first of its kind to exclusively profile the use of hydrosols for phytoaromatherapy.and I expect it will revolutionize aromatherapy practice. Well written and researched, this book is based on Suzanne Catty's personal research. She has tried everything in this book, often on herself, and she speaks from well informed experience! I appreciate her honesty and candor. However, since the use of hydrosols (or hydrolates) is so new, often the reader is left with many questions, no fault of Ms. Catty, to be sure. What I would have appreciated was some sort of a chart or summary at the end that easily condensed much of the information in the book. As a healthcare professional and nationally certified Aromatherapist, I highly recommend this landmark achievement.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good information source, May 22, 2005

By 

Dianne Foster "Di" (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy (Paperback)

Suzanne Catty says many folks believe they are allergic to scents, but scent allergies are usually owing to the impurity of the substance used. "If we used unpolluted, totally natural smells, the chances of negative health reactions would be dramatically reduced."Catty says she discovered hydrosols when she received a brochure from the Aromatic Plant Project initiated by Jeanne Rose and other pioneers. Catty thinks these substances are as effective as oils, tisanes, and other plant-based remedies.

HYDROSOLS: THE NEXT AROMA THERAPY includes a good deal of information about the beginning of the use of hydrosols and a discussion about water. Good clean water is in demand and growing scarcer every day. In years to come a growing share of the world's population will not have access to clean water. Because humans are 60-70 percent water, and totally dependent on the stuff, this is a crises. Catty suggests good water, in addition to being a life-source, can also be medicine when combined with plant substances.

A large section of the book discusses specific hydrosols, rthe water products which form as a by-product during essential oil production (i.e. healthful water derivatives). In a section entitled `The Monographs' Catty covers specific information discovered by researchers about the properties and some applications of hydrosols. Here Catty is concerned with the chemical makeup as well as various phases of hydrosol production. Temperature, filter quality and water source all play a role in the end product(production and storage).

In subsequent chapters she goes into more depth, covering uses of hydrosols: as compresses; sitz baths and regular baths; topical compresses such as masks, scrubs, and compresses; and shampoos, conditioners and rinses. She also considers hydrosols for oral use as tonics, eye-washes or douches.

I like Catty's matter-of-fact writing about these useful products. She also provides a list of sources in the appendix, including information about her own company 'Acqua Vita'.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've waited so long for something like this !, May 8, 2001

By 

phoenixrose (SE NSW, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy (Paperback)

A wonderful wonderful book that takes the reader on a journey through the process of distilling plants specially for the hydrosols, gives information on the proper handling of these special waters, then goes on the open up a whole new world of healing with the other side of Aromatherapy: Hydrosols. A must-have book for any serious Aromatherapist. Suzanne Catty mirrors so much of my own understanding on "Life, the Universe & Aromatherapy" that reading this book is a true joy. She has opened new doors for me that I have been trying to pick the locks of for some time now. Thank you Suzanne !