However, essential oils will float to the top of the distillate where it is removed, leaving behind the watery distillate. For this reason the term essential water is an apt description. In the past, these essential waters were often considered a byproduct of distillation, but are now considered an important co-product.[citation needed] The produced herbal waters are essentially diluted essential oils at less than 1% concentration (typically 0.01% to 0.04%).[1] Several factors, such as temperature and an herb's growth cycle, impact the characteristics of a distillate, and therefore influence the timing of the distillation.