Bamboo Hydrosol - Soothing Mystery Mist

This is a brand new acquaintance for me. Who knew it was possible to make hydrosol from bamboo? Ask the French, and you'll find it most certainly is. Bamboo hydrosol has a lovely, light, subtle scent that is both pleasant and mild.


Although bamboo is quite a common plant, the hydrosol is pricey enough to place it alongside orange blossom and rose - so we're looking at an ingredient for a higher-end budget.

1:1 Ratio

Bamboo hydrosol is made in a ratio of 1:1. This means, it takes a kilo of bamboo leaves and stems to create a liter of hydrosol. The hydrosol is made by steam-distilling leaves and stems.

Garden

Phyllostachys aurea – more commonly known as or Golden Bamboo or Fishpole Bamboo – is a hardy bamboo type that both can (and will) survive quite harsh conditions. For this very reason, it is also on the 'warning list' of some gardeners. This common bamboo can easily take over larger areas if not kept in tow.

The bamboo used for my hydrosol is certified 100% organic and grown, harvested, and distilled in France.

Bamboo Can

To my surprise, I have only been able to find information about topical use of bamboo (as hydrosol) from one source: my supplier. Either this is because they are first movers (which might well be true), or they're working on the 'if A, then B' logic.

Either way, I'm giving this hydrosol a chance because, well, I'm just downright curious about it.

According to Aroma Zone, bamboo hydrosol contains several skin and hair loving properties, among them:

• Silica rich content leaves the skin with a silky feel
• Soothing for skin
• Anti-inflammatory (good for hemorrhoid flare-ups)

Testing Mister

At the moment I am testing this – as I do every new hydrosol – straight up as a spray-on mist/tonic. Because there is no added preservative, the hydrosol 'lives' in the refrigerator and regularly refills the tester bottle.

This slim spray tester is the same as these hydrosol wands. It's the perfect size and allows for on-the-go misting (my favorite kind). I rarely make a proper label for ingredients testing of this nature, so the little round 'bam' and 'boo' are as close to a label as it gets.

First Impressions

The feel and scent of this lovely liquid is so enjoyable that I foresee a couple of bottles disappearing before this hydrosol is incorporated into any emulsion or other mix.

Meantime, I'll continue digging around for documentation and more information on why or if bamboo hydrosol could be the next big thing.

Links

Daves Garden has an extensive review of the pros and cons of how this bamboo fares in a garden environment.
Data sheet - Bamboo Hydrosol by Aroma Zone