Recipes for Floral Waters

Love floral waters and would like to create your own? Here are some soothing, fragrant, decorative floral waters recipes from Possumal Homemade that are both convenient and inexpensive to make. You can use floral waters as a refreshing after bath splash, or a mild astringent, spritz for an air freshener, or uncover and let the fragrance refresh a room. So try the following the variety of recipes that this site has to offer:

Types of Floral Waters

Alcohol Based floral waters:

Alcohol based floral waters are made by combining fresh botanicals with a grain alcohol (vodka) and letting them sit for a few weeks to scent and color the liquid. Use only the glass jars with non metallic lids. The solution is then strained and fragrance oils are dissolved in the scented alcohol. This fragrant mix is added to distilled water to dilute the finished product. Dried botanicals can be added to the bottles for decoration, if you wish.

Vinegar based floral waters:

Another type of floral water is made from fresh botanicals and vinegar. Vinegar based floral waters make fine astringents for your face and also may be added to bath water. Fresh botanicals are soaked in vinegar for three weeks (or until all the color and fragrance has been leached out). Use only glass jars with non metallic lids. I sometimes strain the mixture, add additional fresh botanicals, and soak an additional three weeks to make an extra fragrant blend. The mixture is then diluted with distilled water or rose water. No additional fragrance oils are added.

Lavender & Rose Floral Water:

Mix 1/4 cup fresh lavender buds and 1/4 cup red rose petals with 1/2 cup vodka (or enough to cover) in a jar. Let stand covered in a cool, dark place for two weeks. Decant and strain the mixture. Add 10 drops rose oil and 5 drops lavender oil, stirring gently to dissolve the oils. Add 3 cups distilled water. Let stand an additional week for the scents to mellow. Pour into a decorative bottle with sprigs of dried lavender and dried rose petals for decoration.

Orange Spice Water:

Mix the rind of one orange and 10 whole allspice berries with 1/4 cup vodka in a jar. Let stand, covered, for two to three weeks in a dark, cook place. Decant and strain the mixture. Add 15 drops sweet orange oil and stir to dissolve. Add 3 cups distilled water. Let the scents mellow for another week. Pour into decorative bottles with a few allspice berries and a long strip of dried orange zest for decoration.

Fairy Water:

Gently heat 1 cup apple cider vinegar. Pour over 1/4 cup fresh rose petals, 1/4 cup mint leaves, and 1/8 cup sage leaves. Place in a covered jar and let stand, shaking daily, for two weeks. Decant and strain the mixture. Add 1/2 cup rose water to the vinegar. Decant into decorative
bottles.

Source: http://possumsal.homestead.com/Bath/00003.html