I remember being a little girl and seeing my mom put rose water on her face every night. She always told me it was great for her skin. As the years went by she kept on using and I remember thinking as a teenager how can something so cheap be good for you face, after all, most tonics are a lot more expensive than this rose water my mom was using.
Eventually I got older, moved out and forgot all about rose water. It wasn’t until last year that I was researching about natural products ideal for different skin types that I came across rose water. My first thought was, of course, my mom. All this time she knew what she was doing and I didn’t even pay much attention. Moms are wise!
If you already know how awesome rose water is for your skin, scroll to the end of this post to find the tutorial on how to make rose water.
What is rose water?
If you’re like me, you probably thought rose water is some type of water made with roses and other ingredients but actually it’s literally just rose + water.
Rose water is water infused with rose petals, plain and simple. It is not only great for your skin but you can also use it for cooking. It’s smells amazing too!
I’ve been experimenting by adding it to different DIY products and the results are always great. You can pretty much use rose water in any DIY recipe that requires water, you can use it directly on your skin or as a face mist for those hot summer months – which is my favorite way to use it. You can even combine it with witch hazel and use it as an astringent toner every night or put it on your hair.
Rose water has been around for a long time, even Cleopatra used it! It’s so versatile and gentle that it can be used on all skin types.
What are the benefits of using rose water on your skin?
When I started researching about rose water I was pretty amazed about all I’ve found. This is one of those things that should be part of everyone’s beauty regimen because not only is it very affordable, it is very beneficial.
Here are some reasons why you should be using rose water every day:
- It helps with aging – it’s antioxidant properties strengthen skin cells and regenerate skin tissues.
- Helps maintain your skin’s pH balance.
- It has astringent properties so it cleans your pores and helps tone your skin. It’s also great at removing excess oil and any dirt accumulated on your skin.
- It reduces skin redness and helps heal wounds and scars on your skin.
- It helps get rid of acne, dermatitis and eczema.
- It hydrates and moisturizes your skin.
- The smell of rose water is also great to uplift your mood and make you feel fresh and awake.
- It is amazing for your hair: it can be used as a conditioner, aids in hair growth and even helps get rid of dandruff.
In summary, rose water is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, has antioxidants and it hydrates. This is why you find rose water in so many beauty products, because it is just amazing for your skin and hair.
Beware: not all rose waters are the same
Unfortunately some of the rose water you can buy contains other ingredients that are not so good for you. If you opt for buying rose water instead of making it make sure you read the label, the only ingredient on it should be rose water.
When buying it, the label should say it’s an hydrosol – this just means it was made using the steam of the rose petals and therefore, has a better shelf life. Rose water should also be made with organic roses – you don’t want to put pesticides on your face.
When I don’t have time to make rose water, I buy this one by Plant Therapy (you can also get it on Amazon). They also have other hydrosols if you’re looking for certain properties and all of them are USDA organic.
Uses for Rose water:
There are so many uses for rose water it will need its own separate post! However there are three ways I use it and that’s what I’m going to share with you.
Facial toner:
Use it after washing your face every night and before putting on your face cream.
Moisten a cotton ball or pad with some rose water and gently rub it on your face. You can use pure rose water or make a mixture of 1 part of rose water and 1 part of witch hazel (make sure you use an alcohol-free witch hazel like the one I linked to).
Use the witch hazel and rose water combination if you have troubled skin, such as acne prone skin, redness and swelling, sun damage, razor burns/cuts (this is for the gentlemen reading this post) or oily skin.
Make-up setting spray:
Put your rose water in a small spray bottle, it’s best to use one made with a dark colored glass.
Once you’re done putting all of your make-up, spray lightly your face with rose water. It will keep your make-up in place longer and give you a nice glow.
Cooling mist:
This is my favorite way to use it! Put the rose water in a small spray bottle and keep it in your purse or diaper bag. I like this 1 oz bottle but if you use a lot of it, you might prefer the 2 oz bottle.
Spray it one your face to cool your skin and freshen up. This is great for the summer time when our skin gets so much sun exposure. I also use it this way on my kids if we’ve been out too long – it’s completely safe for the kiddos!
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Two ways to make rose water:
There are two ways to make rose water: simmering and distilling. Both are very easy to make but distilling takes a little longer. The biggest difference is that when you use the simmering method the rose water has a shorter shelf life. If you make it using the distilling method you’re essentially creating an hydrosol so the shelf life will be longer.
I like to keep things simple so I use the simmering method, this is also the way you want to prepare your rose water if you intent to use it for cooking since it’s more flavorful and the scent is stronger.
If you’re making this for your own use, you don’t have to worry so much about shelf-life. Make small batches and keep whatever you’re not using in the fridge.
How to chose the right roses:
You can use fresh or dried rose petals, the most important thing is that you need to make sure the roses were not sprayed with any chemicals. This rose water will go on your face, you don’t want chemicals or pesticides on your face.
If you’re buying fresh roses, stick to organic roses. You can also use the roses on your yard that haven’t been sprayed with any pesticides.
When buying dried rose petals make sure they’re chemical-free and good quality – I like to buy the edible kind.
DIY Rose Water:
This recipe is to make rose water using the simmering method.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup fresh rose petals or 1/4 cup dried rose petals
- 1 1/4 cups of distilled or filtered water
- To store:
Directions:
When making rose water using fresh roses, all you’re going to be using is the petals. Put the rose petals in a small sauce pan and discard the stem and leaves.
Add the water to the pot. If you’re using fresh petals you should add just enough water to cover the petals. If you’re using the dried petals, follow the quantity stated above.
Cover the pot with a lid and over low-medium heat bring the water to boil. Once the water is boiling, lower the heat and let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until the petals have lost all their color.
Strain the water from the petals. You can use a cheesecloth or stainless steel strainer for this.
Discard the petals
Once the rose water has cooled down it’s ready to use. Keep in mind that the color of your rose water will vary depending on the color of the roses you’re using.
Store the rose water it in a small glass jar if you’re going to use it as a face toner or add it to a spraying bottle if you’re going to use it to set your make-up or as a cooling spray.
If you’re not going to use all the rose water right away, keep in an air tight glass jar in your fridge.
Use it daily and soon you’ll start noticing the improvement on your skin.
Love it as much as I do? Leave a comment!
DIY Rose Water Creation
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Could you provide the distillation method? I would want something that is more shelf stable so I didn’t have to go to the fridge every night for my beauty regimen. Thank you!
Hi Beth! I sure can but I would have to write a whole post for this since the process has quite a few steps. If you give me a week or two I’ll be more than happy to post it. 🙂
Can you drink this- using food grade roses
Yes, you can use it for cooking too.
I would love to try to make this.
I made this and loved it, but………it grew a scoby. I will make it again, but could I freeze it and just take out a little at a time to use? I was using as a toner, so not using a great deal. Thought perhaps I could freeze in ice cube trays and 1 could would probably last a week.