Italian helichrysum hydrosol: immortelle for your skin care

In the scrubland around the Mediterranean grows a small silvery shrub with golden-yellow flowers whose warm scent is surprisingly reminiscent of curry. Once picked and dried, the flowers keep their shape and colour for a very long time, hence the name immortelle. Today it features in many skin care products, including in the form of a hydrosol.

What is Italian helichrysum?

Italian helichrysum, Helichrysum italicum, belongs to the daisy family (Asteraceae), like chamomile and cornflower. Its botanical name comes from Greek: hēlios, the sun, and chrysos, gold, a clear nod to its small, bright flower heads. It thrives on poor, dry, sunny ground, from Corsica to the Italian coast and the Balkans.

A hydrosol, or floral water, is the water collected when a plant is steam-distilled. It carries traces of the plant's aromatic compounds and is far gentler than an essential oil, which is why it can be used as it is on the skin.

According to the product sheet, our Italian helichrysum hydrosol comes in a 200 ml bottle. The sheet describes its external use: on a cotton pad, as a compress or as a fine mist.

How to use it

Our druggist recommends it as a cosmetic product for the face and body, or as part of a massage.

In your skin care routine

• Morning and evening, soak a cotton pad with hydrosol and sweep it over clean skin, like a toner.
• Spray it as a fine mist over your face with your eyes closed, then apply your usual cream.
• For a compress, moisten a gauze or a clean cloth and leave it in place for a few minutes.

Before a massage

• Spray a little hydrosol onto skin that is still slightly damp.
• Then apply your massage oil: water and oil combine under your hands and the oil glides more easily.
• Massage with slow movements and take your time.

Precautions

Good to know. Gentle as it is, a hydrosol is still a natural product rich in aromatic compounds: before first use, try it on a small area in the crook of your elbow. Avoid direct contact with the eyes and do not apply it to broken skin. Ask for advice during pregnancy or breastfeeding, for a child or if you are taking medication. Close the bottle tightly after use and keep it somewhere cool and dark; if the smell or appearance changes, it is time to replace it.

Our products

• Italian helichrysum hydrosol, 200 ml – on a cotton pad, as a compress or as a mist. Please read the documentation tab before use.

A flower that stands the test of time

Immortelle is one of those plants with a story to tell. As a hydrosol, it slips easily into everyday routines, from the morning cotton pad to the evening massage. Would you like to pair it with a plant oil or another product? The team at Droguerie Perusset in Yverdon-les-Bains will be glad to advise you in store.