More and more people all over the world are choosing natural and organic cosmetics free of synthetic preservatives, colourants, fragrances and other potentially allergenic, irritating or harmful ingredients. Cosmetic brands meet them halfway, offering more and more new products. For example, Ukrainian brand Agor has started producing hydrolate toners that contain only herbal distillates and colloidal silver.
Agor is a Ukrainian cosmetic brand that first became known thanks to it dry powder cosmetics made from herbal ingredients and minerals. Agor uses a unique patented technology that allows to quickly dry micronised particles of raw plant material without overheating and thus to preserve high biological activity of all ingredients. When its dry cosmetics proved to be a success, Agor began to produce other cosmetic products with natural ingredients such as face creams, serums, mineral deodorant sprays, hair fluids, aftershave lotions, and hydrolate toners.
Hydrolates, also known as herbal distillates, herbal waters, floral waters, and essential waters, are aqueous products of steam distillation of raw plant material (leaves, stems, roots, flowers, fruit and berries, wood, bark, seeds, peel). They are produced in the same or similar manner as essential oils. Plant material is put into a distillation apparatus over water. As the water is heated, the steam passes through the raw material, vaporising the volatile compounds. The vapors then condense back to liquid. This liquid consists of herbal distillate and essential oil floating on the top of it.
To put it simply, a hydrolate is a colloidal suspension of an essential oil which consists of distilled water and microscopical insoluble essential oil particles. It is essentially a diluted essential oil at less than 1% concentration. Unlike most essential oils, hydrolates can be applied directly to the skin. However, citrus distillates are photosensitisers just like citrus peel oils so you shouldn’t use them under direct sunlight. Most hydrolates have a long shelf life (for a natural product) because essential oils contained in them are natural preservatives.
Agor offers a line of hydrolate toners entitled SUMMER TIME. It consists of 18 all-natural face toners based on herbs (peppermint, calendula, rosemary, lavender, chamomile, parsley), flowers (rose, linden), citrus fruits (orange, lemon, bergamot, grapefruit), berries (blackcurrant, raspberry, strawberry, rose hip), and fruits (apricot, pineapple, grape, peach). Each hydrolate toner by Agor can be used for skin, body and hair care, as a solvent for dry powder cosmetics, as an air freshener, as a fabric conditioner when ironing, and for other purposes.
For example, Agor’s Orange Hydrolate Tomer can be used as a refreshing and cleansing product for the skin of your face and body. You can also use it to prepare Agor’s powder masks and cleansers (except for alginate masks) or to make DIY cosmetics. Besides, this hydrolate has a fresh citrus scent so you can use it for aromatherapy or as a fabric conditioner.
Apricot & Pineapple Hydrolate Toner can be used as a toner, a make-up remover, or a pre- or post-tanning skincare product, as well as for making cosmetic ice. Chamomile hydrolate has excellent soothing properties so you can use it to relieve sunburn or post-depilatory irritation. Calendula hydrolate has antibacterial and healing properties and thus accelerates the healing of minor skin injuries.
Along with herbal waters derived from herbs, flowers, fruits and berries, SUMMER TIME hydrolate toners contain colloidal silver (nanoparticles of silver). Colloidal silver is a safe and effective natural preservative. Thanks to its strong antiseptic properties, colloidal silver inhibits the growth and reproduction of 650 harmful microorganisms. It prolongs the shelf life of hydrolate toners by preventing bacterial contamination.
It should be noted that, as herbal distillates are suspensions rather than solutions, a small amount of natural sediment may appear in the bottle at some point. It is a natural process which doesn’t mean that the hydrolate has gone bad. All you have to do in this situation is shake the bottle up a bit and then use the toner as usual.
In our online shop Organic Store you can found a wide selection of hydrolate toners and other personal care products by Agor including body scrubs, algae face masks, polysaccharide face masks, dry shampoos, face cleansers, mineral deodorant sprays, phyto-active face toners, and more.