Rose water – what to use it for and how?

Undoubtedly, you must have heard many times how beneficial rose water is. But do you, in fact, know what rose water really is and how to use it to a best effect? The fragrant liquid is produced through the process of steam distillation of rose petals. It is a tender product of this process, with a wide range of applications: from skincare to aromatherapy – it can be a natural addition to our daily skin routine. In case you are curious to learn more about the different types of rose water, about its beneficial properties and how to use it correctly – go on reading, please!

What is real rose water?

First of all, it is important to make it clear that the term “rose water” can be used to refer to several completely different products. Some people use the term for distilled water with a few drops of rose oil added to it. Other people use the same term for rose petals infusion. The real rose water, though, is a product of water steam distillation of fresh rose petals, picked at sunrise. Sometimes it can be referred to as “rose hydrosol” of “rose hydrolаte” and despite the fact that experts can make slight differences between the terms, they are used interchangeably.

Ever since ancient times rose water has been given pride of place in medicine, in cosmetics and even in cooking due to its valuable properties, pleasant taste and flavour. Apart from its exquisite, captivating fragrance, which can ease tension and act as an aphrodisiac, rose water also has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, refreshing, moisturizing and skin tightening properties, which makes it an especially valuable product to be added to your skincare routine.

It is worth to know that unlike rose oil, which is very concentrated and should only be used when diluted, rose hydrolate contains much smaller concentration of essential rose oil and thus can be applied directly on the skin.

How to use rose water?

Rose water, as we already mentioned has quite a wide range of applications in various areas of life. Here are some ideas how to use it to a best effect in your daily life:

Daily skin routine:

● Facial Toner: After cleansing your face, apply rose water in order to tone and hydrate the skin. Use a cotton pad to gently apply rose water on your face and neck.

● Facial Mist: Keep the bottle in the fridge and spray you face multiple times during the day to keep you skin fresh and hydrated. This is especially suitable for hot summer days.

Aromatherapy:

● Room Spray: Pour rose water in a spray bottle to sprinkle around you home so that you can create romantic and cosy atmosphere.

● Aroma diffuser: Pour a little quantity of rose water directly into your diffuser and enjoy the delicate fragrance.

Culinary Delights:

● Desserts: Add some rose water to your favourite desserts to give them delicious flowery flavour. Some of the classical recipes, which can be improved by adding rose water are pannacotta, raspberry cake, French raspberry macarons. You can even add rose water to home-made lemonade or fruit sorbet.

Pure organic rose water is a natural, multiple-purpose product, which brings benefits to the skin and delight for the senses. Regardless of whether you want to improve your beauty care routine, to create romantic atmosphere or to add a characteristic floral flavour to your culinary products, rose water is a wonderful addition you definitely need to think about. Now, let’s look a bit closer at what benefits the different uses of rosa water can bring.

Beneficial properties of rose water

The effects of rose water can be different depending on whether you choose to use it on your skin, as part of aromatherapy practices or as a food and beverage ingredient.

When used in skin care:

● It hydrates the skin: Rose water is famous for its skin hydration properties, which makes it an excellent addition to your daily skin routine. It helps maintain skin moisture balance, leaving it soft and elastic.

● It tones the skin: Rose water has been used ever since ancient times as a tender mature skin toning and refreshing agent

● It soothes the skin: Rose water is known to have anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it useful for soothing irritated or sensitive skin. That is why it is appropriate for medical conditions like eczema or rosacea.

● It neutralizes free radicals: Rose hydrosol contains antioxidants – substances which neutralize free radicals and thus reduce the negative effects of oxidative stress, caused by environmental factors.

When used in aromatherapy:

● It eases tension: Rose water fragrance is quite often used in aromatherapy to reduce stress. That is why it can also be used as a supplementary aromatherapy product to manage medical conditions like depression and anxiety.

● It can work as an aphrodisiac: Rose aroma is not only a powerful romantic atmosphere booster, but it is also known to work as an aphrodisiac.

How to choose the right type of rose water?

As we already mentioned, choosing the right product is very important since the term “rose water” can be used for different types of products. The first thing to check is the ingredients. If the product you are looking at is real rose water, then it would be marked as Rosa Damascena (Rose) Flower Distillate or Rosa Damascena Flower Water. It is important to note that both rose oil and rose water naturally contain а complex combination of aromatic compounds. In line with European regulations, all ingredients which can be potential allergens, should be explicitly written on the label, in the list of ingredients. Such typical substances would be citronellol, farnesol and geraniol. It does not, though, mean that they have been added to the product but that they are naturally present in its chemical composition.

The second thing, which is not less important is the way the roses used to make that particular rose water have been grown. Bio-cultivation is always the better option. It does not allow for the rose fields to be treated with aggressive pesticides, herbicides and other harmful chemicals. That is why organic products are much purer and of higher quality. 

What makes Alteya Organics rose water different?

Alteya Organics’ mission is to provide our customers with organic cosmetic products of unquestionable quality. That is why we produce rose water through a special process, where rose hydrosol is the end product, not just a by-product. It allows for our organic rose water to have a higher essential rose oil content, which makes it extremely powerful. We offer three different types, produced from the three most popular rose species grown in Bulgaria. You can choose between the classical aroma of Rosa Damascena, the irresistible sweetness of Rosa Centifolia or the immeasurable tenderness of Rosa Alba.

No matter which of the three happens to be your favourite – the numberless benefits of rose hydrosol are something you should not miss. Regardless of your skin type, do not hesitate to include Alteya Organics’ bio rose water in your daily cosmetic skin routine. It will be a pleasure your skin will be thankful for.