Collection: Food-grade Hydrolats

Food-grade hydrolats are the pure aromatic waters produced during the steam distillation of certified organic plants — the same process that yields essential oils. What makes them distinct from cosmetic hydrolats is their compliance with food safety standards, making them suitable for direct use in cooking, baking, drinks, and natural food preparations. They are not flavouring extracts, not infusions, and not synthetic aromas. They are the genuine, undiluted aqueous co-product of a single distillation run — approximately 1 kg of plant material per litre of hydrolat.

A culinary tradition with deep roots — the culinary use of floral and aromatic waters is not a modern wellness trend. Damask Rose water has been used in Middle Eastern, Persian, and South Asian cuisines for centuries — in pastries, rice dishes, sweets, and ceremonial drinks. Orange Blossom water is a cornerstone of North African and Mediterranean baking. Peppermint water and Lemon Verbena water have long traditions in European herbal and culinary practice. Our food-grade hydrolats bring these traditions into a certified organic, traceable format.

Natural flavouring without compromise — food-grade hydrolats offer a delicate, true-to-plant aroma that synthetic flavouring agents cannot replicate. Because they are water-based, they integrate naturally into aqueous preparations — drinks, syrups, creams, custards, ice creams, and sauces — without altering texture or requiring emulsification. A few millilitres are sufficient to flavour an entire preparation.

Clean label & certified organic — for food producers, pastry chefs, and home cooks seeking clean-label natural ingredients, food-grade hydrolats offer a single-ingredient, certified organic flavouring solution with full traceability. No additives, no carriers, no synthetic compounds — just the aromatic water of the plant, as it comes from the still.

Beyond the kitchen — food-grade certification also means these hydrolats are safe for all cosmetic applications. They can be used as facial toners, body mists, scalp rinses, and as the aqueous phase in DIY cosmetic formulations — with the added assurance of food-grade purity. A single bottle serves both the kitchen and the bathroom cabinet.

Food-grade hydrolats sit at the intersection of natural gastronomy, organic cosmetics, and clean-label ingredient sourcing. This collection is for anyone who demands the same standard of purity in their kitchen as in their skincare routine.

Home cooks & natural food enthusiasts — those who cook from scratch, read ingredient labels, and seek natural alternatives to synthetic flavouring agents. Food-grade hydrolats such as Damask Rose, Orange Blossom, Peppermint, and Lemon Verbena add authentic, plant-derived aroma to drinks, desserts, pastries, and sauces — with full traceability and certified organic origin.

Pastry chefs & artisan bakers — professionals and serious home bakers who use floral waters as a core ingredient in their craft. Damask Rose water and Orange Blossom water are foundational in Middle Eastern, North African, and Mediterranean pastry traditions. Food-grade certified organic hydrolats offer a clean-label, premium alternative to conventional flavouring waters of uncertain origin.

Mixologists & beverage creators — bartenders, tea blenders, and drink formulators seeking natural, certified organic aromatic waters to flavour cocktails, mocktails, infusions, syrups, and sparkling drinks. Peppermint, Lemon Verbena, and Rose hydrolats integrate cleanly into aqueous preparations without altering texture or requiring emulsification.

Clean-label food producers & artisan brands — small food producers, confectioners, and artisan brands formulating clean-label products who need a certified organic, single-ingredient natural flavouring with full traceability documentation. Food-grade hydrolats meet this requirement as a direct, unadulterated plant distillate.

Natural wellness & holistic health practitioners — those integrating plant-based ingredients into their daily wellness rituals — herbal teas, morning tonics, natural digestive preparations — who value the gentleness and bioavailability of water-soluble plant compounds over concentrated extracts.

Natural skincare enthusiasts & DIY formulators — those who also use their food-grade hydrolats in skincare — as facial toners, body mists, or the aqueous phase in homemade cosmetics — with the added confidence of food-grade purity. One bottle, two uses.

Each food-grade hydrolat in our collection is selected for its certified organic origin, culinary authenticity, and flavour integrity. Here are the star ingredients grouped by flavour profile and culinary tradition.

Floral & iconic — Damask Rose, Orange Blossom. The two most celebrated culinary hydrolats in the world, with centuries of documented use across Middle Eastern, Persian, North African, South Asian, and Mediterranean cuisines. Damask Rose water flavours Turkish delight, baklava, rice puddings, and ceremonial drinks. Orange Blossom water is essential in Moroccan pastries, madeleine, cannelé, and orange blossom lemonade. Both are available in certified organic, food-grade quality — traceable to their botanical source.

Fresh & herbaceous — Peppermint, Lemon Verbena. Peppermint hydrolat delivers a clean, cooling mint flavour without the intensity of essential oil — ideal for teas, infusions, chocolate preparations, confectionery, and digestive drinks. Lemon Verbena hydrolat offers a delicate citrus-herbaceous aroma prized in French herbal tradition, suited to cold drinks, sorbets, fruit salads, and light desserts.

Floral & delicate — Fine Lavender, Roman Chamomile. Lavender hydrolat brings a softer, more nuanced floral note than lavender essential oil — used in Provençal baking, honey preparations, and artisan confectionery. Roman Chamomile hydrolat offers a gentle apple-like floral note suited to herbal teas, light syrups, and natural wellness drinks.

Aromatic & functional — Rosemary Verbenone, Thyme Linalool. Less common in mainstream cooking but valued in natural food practice and herbal gastronomy. Rosemary hydrolat adds a subtle aromatic note to marinades, olive oil preparations, and savoury dishes. Thyme Linalool hydrolat — the gentlest of the thyme family — is used in herbal infusions and natural food preparations where a mild thyme character is desired without the intensity of the essential oil.

Food-grade hydrolats offer a unique combination of culinary, nutritional, and cosmetic benefits — all from a single certified organic, traceable ingredient. Here is what makes them genuinely distinct.

True-to-plant natural flavouring — food-grade hydrolats deliver the authentic aromatic character of the plant in a water-soluble, ready-to-use format. Unlike essential oils, which are too concentrated for direct culinary use, hydrolats integrate naturally into aqueous preparations — drinks, syrups, creams, custards, and sauces — without requiring dilution, emulsification, or a carrier. The flavour is delicate, nuanced, and true to the plant source.

Clean-label ingredient — a single ingredient, a single origin, a single process. Food-grade hydrolats contain no additives, no carriers, no synthetic compounds, and no artificial flavour enhancers. For home cooks and food producers seeking clean-label natural ingredients, they offer full traceability and certified organic status in a format that requires no further processing before use.

Water-soluble plant compounds — hydrolats contain water-soluble aromatic and bioactive compounds that are not present in the essential oil. These include hydrophilic phenols, organic acids, and water-soluble terpene derivatives that contribute both flavour and gentle functional properties. This makes hydrolats a nutritionally and aromatically distinct ingredient from their corresponding essential oil.

Versatility across culinary applications — from pastry and confectionery to cocktails, herbal teas, savoury marinades, and fermented preparations, food-grade hydrolats adapt to a wide range of culinary contexts. A few millilitres are sufficient to flavour an entire preparation, making them an economical as well as a clean-label choice.

Dual-use purity — food-grade certification means these hydrolats meet the highest purity standard available. They are equally suitable for cosmetic use — as facial toners, body mists, scalp rinses, and DIY cosmetic formulations — with the added assurance that what goes on your skin is held to the same standard as what goes in your food.

Certified organic from plant to bottle — every food-grade hydrolat in our collection is produced from certified organic plant material, distilled without synthetic additives, and traceable to its botanical source and geographical origin. For consumers and producers who take organic certification seriously in their food choices, this is the standard they should expect from their floral waters too.

Food-grade hydrolats are ready to use directly — no dilution, no preparation, no carrier required. A few millilitres are sufficient for most culinary applications. Here is how to get the most from them.

Drinks & infusions — add 1–2 teaspoons (5–10 ml) per litre of water, lemonade, sparkling water, or herbal tea. Damask Rose and Orange Blossom hydrolats make exceptional floral waters for drinks; Peppermint for digestive infusions and mint lemonade; Lemon Verbena for cold drinks and summer infusions. Adjust quantity to taste — hydrolats are subtle and can be layered.

Pastry & baking — replace part of the liquid in your recipe with a food-grade hydrolat, or add 1–2 tablespoons (15–30 ml) directly to batters, creams, and doughs. Damask Rose water is traditional in baklava, maamoul, rice pudding, and Turkish delight; Orange Blossom water in madeleine, cannelé, brioche, and Moroccan pastries; Lavender hydrolat in Provençal shortbreads and honey preparations.

Desserts & confectionery — stir into custards, panna cotta, ice creams, sorbets, and chocolate ganaches. Peppermint hydrolat adds a clean mint note to chocolate preparations and confectionery without the intensity of essential oil. Roman Chamomile hydrolat brings a delicate apple-floral note to light creams and fruit-based desserts.

Syrups, cocktails & mixology — add to simple syrups, shrubs, and cocktail bases for a natural floral or herbal note. Damask Rose and Lemon Verbena hydrolats work particularly well in gin-based cocktails, mocktails, and artisan lemonades. Use 1–2 teaspoons per cocktail or 2–4 tablespoons per 500 ml of syrup as a starting point.

Savoury cooking — add to marinades, salad dressings, couscous, rice, and grain dishes. Rosemary hydrolat adds a subtle aromatic note to Mediterranean preparations; Thyme Linalool to herbal marinades and slow-cooked dishes. Use sparingly — 1 tablespoon per serving is typically sufficient.

Facial toner & body mist — food-grade hydrolats are equally suitable for cosmetic use. Apply directly to skin as a facial toner, body mist, or scalp rinse. No dilution required. The food-grade purity standard provides additional confidence for use on sensitive skin and around the eye contour.

DIY cosmetics — aqueous phase — replace plain water with a food-grade hydrolat in homemade emulsions, lotions, micellar waters, and serums. Food-grade certification adds an extra layer of purity assurance to your formulation.

Always verify food-grade status on the product page before culinary use. Although gentle and generally well tolerated on skin, perform a patch test if you have highly reactive skin. Keep out of eyes.

Food-grade hydrolats carry a dual certification burden — they must meet both cosmetic and food safety standards. Every product in this collection satisfies both, independently verified and fully traceable.

Food-grade certification — the defining standard of this collection. Each hydrolat designated as food-grade complies with food safety and labelling requirements applicable to products intended for human consumption under EU food law. This is a distinct and additional certification layer on top of cosmetic compliance — not a marketing label, but a regulated status that governs production conditions, packaging, and traceability for edible products.

EU Organic Farming regulation — all products in this collection are certified organic under EU Organic Farming regulation, independently verified by accredited bodies such as Ecocert or Bureau Veritas. For food-grade products, this certification applies to both the agricultural origin of the plant material and the food production process — a stricter combined standard than cosmetic organic certification alone.

Traceability & production integrity — approximately 1 kg of certified organic plant material per litre of hydrolat, documented by our producers and reflected on each product page. This ratio is the benchmark of an authentic, undiluted hydrolat. In the food industry, traceability is not optional — it is a regulatory requirement. Our food-grade hydrolats meet this requirement from field to bottle, with full documentation of botanical source, geographical origin, and distillation batch.

COSMOS Organic & Nature & Progrès — several of our producers hold institutional certifications that go beyond EU Organic in their requirements for processing, packaging, and environmental impact. These are verified by independent third-party auditors and apply to both the cosmetic and food-grade dimensions of the product.

No additives, no preservatives in food-grade products — our food-grade hydrolats are produced and bottled without synthetic additives or preservatives. This is a deliberate commitment to purity that goes beyond regulatory minimum requirements. Storage and shelf-life guidance is provided on each product page to ensure microbiological safety without the need for chemical preservation.

Vegan & cruelty-free — no animal-derived ingredients, no animal testing, across the entire collection.

Fair sourcing — sourced from the same certified organic distillers as our essential oils and cosmetic hydrolats — small, specialist producers with full traceability and fair compensation practices. The same supply chain integrity that governs our cosmetic range applies without exception to our food-grade products.

For certification details specific to each product, visit the individual product page. For general questions, visit our FAQ page.

What you put in your body deserves at least the same scrutiny as what you put on your skin. That is the principle behind our food-grade hydrolat collection — and it is a higher bar than most food products on the market are held to.

Food-grade means something specific — it is not a marketing term. It is a regulated status that governs production conditions, packaging, traceability, and labelling for products intended for human consumption. Every hydrolat in this collection meets that standard — in addition to its cosmetic certification. We do not use the term loosely.

Culinary authenticity over convenience — the floral waters used in traditional Middle Eastern, Persian, North African, and Mediterranean cuisines were never synthetic. They were the genuine distillate of the plant — rose petals, orange blossoms, herbs — produced in small batches by local distillers. Our food-grade hydrolats are the modern, certified organic continuation of that tradition. We will not substitute authenticity for a cheaper, synthetic alternative.

Organic certification in food is non-negotiable — when an ingredient is consumed, the absence of synthetic pesticide residues, chemical fertilisers, and processing additives is not a preference — it is a health matter. EU Organic Farming certification, independently verified by Ecocert or Bureau Veritas, is the standard we apply to every plant source in this collection. No exceptions.

No dilution, no additives — our food-grade hydrolats are the undiluted, unmodified co-product of a single certified organic distillation run. Approximately 1 kg of plant material per litre of hydrolat — documented, traceable, and reflected on each product page. We do not add water to increase volume. We do not add preservatives to food-grade products. What you receive is the plant’s aromatic water, as it comes from the still.

Honest pricing for a real product — authentic food-grade certified organic hydrolats have a real production cost. We do not compete on price by compromising on origin or concentration. We compete by keeping our supply chain direct, our margins transparent, and our overheads lean — so that the price reflects the product, not the brand.

To learn more about who we are and what drives us, read our About Us and Our Manifesto pages.

What is a food-grade hydrolat and how is it different from a regular hydrolat? A food-grade hydrolat is a hydrolat that complies with food safety and labelling requirements for products intended for human consumption, in addition to its cosmetic certification. The production process is the same — steam distillation of certified organic plant material — but food-grade products are produced, bottled, and documented to meet the stricter traceability and safety standards required by EU food law. Not all hydrolats are food-grade. Always verify food-grade status on the product page before culinary use.

Is a food-grade hydrolat the same as rose water or orange blossom water sold in supermarkets? Not necessarily. Many rose waters and orange blossom waters sold in supermarkets and food stores are diluted, reconstituted, or produced from non-organic plant material of uncertain origin. Our food-grade hydrolats are the genuine, undiluted co-product of a single certified organic distillation run — approximately 1 kg of plant material per litre of hydrolat. The aroma, flavour intensity, and purity are significantly different from diluted commercial alternatives.

What does the 1 kg of plant / 1 litre of hydrolat ratio mean for culinary use? It means the hydrolat you are using is concentrated and authentic — not diluted with plain water after distillation. In culinary terms, this translates to a more pronounced, true-to-plant flavour that requires smaller quantities. A few millilitres of our Damask Rose or Orange Blossom hydrolat will flavour a preparation that would require significantly more of a diluted commercial rose water. Adjust quantities to taste and start with less than you think you need.

How much should I use in cooking? As a general guide: 1–2 teaspoons (5–10 ml) per litre for drinks and infusions; 1–2 tablespoons (15–30 ml) per batch for pastry and baking; 1 teaspoon per cocktail or mocktail. Because our hydrolats are undiluted, they are more concentrated than many commercial floral waters — start conservatively and adjust to taste. Specific usage suggestions are provided on each product page.

Do food-grade hydrolats contain preservatives? No. Our food-grade hydrolats are produced and bottled without synthetic additives or preservatives. This is a deliberate commitment to purity. As a result, they require careful storage — in a cool, dark place, and refrigerated after opening — to maintain microbiological integrity. Shelf life and storage instructions are specified on each product page.

Are food-grade hydrolats heat-stable? The aromatic compounds in hydrolats are water-soluble and volatile — prolonged exposure to high heat will reduce their flavour intensity. For best results, add food-grade hydrolats at the end of cooking, off the heat, or incorporate them into cold or room-temperature preparations such as creams, drinks, and icings. In baking, they can be added to batters and doughs where heat exposure is brief and the aromatic compounds are partially retained.

Can I use food-grade hydrolats on my skin as well? Yes — food-grade certification means these hydrolats meet the highest purity standard available. They are fully suitable for cosmetic use as facial toners, body mists, scalp rinses, and as the aqueous phase in DIY cosmetic formulations. Food-grade purity provides additional confidence for use on sensitive skin and around the eye contour.

Why are your food-grade certified organic hydrolats competitively priced? Because we source directly from the same certified organic distillers who produce our essential oils, with no unnecessary intermediaries. You pay for an authentic, traceable, food-grade certified organic hydrolat — not for dilution, not for packaging, not for marketing.

Where can I find detailed information about each product? Every product page includes botanical origin, geographical source, production method, food-grade status, usage recommendations, quantities, storage guidelines, and shelf life. For general questions, visit our FAQ page. To learn more about who we are and what drives us, read our About Us and Our Manifesto pages.