Roses are laden with beneficial properties that can contribute to the health and beauty of your skin.  You have two main options when using roses in skin care: rose essential oil and rose water.  Both contain vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Rose essential oil has antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties that are also present in lesser concentrations in rose water.

The essential oil of rose is both potent and incredibly expensive. Rose otto (created via steam distillation) essential oil is currently hovering at about $1,000 an ounce because it’s so labor intensive to harvest and it takes about 4 tons of roses to create just 36 ounces of pure essential oil. The good thing about this valuable oil is that it takes just a drop, mixed with a carrier oil like jojoba or sweet almond, to make a moisturizer or salve that can calm, moisturize, heal and refresh the skin. Rose essential oil should be used very sparingly, and in fact, can irritate skin if too much is used.

Rose water is the other wonderfully fragrant result of steaming all those roses during the distillation process.  Rose water contains all the benefits of the essential oil in a much more diluted form, and comes at an affordable price.

Both rose essential oil and rose water are suitable for all skin types, but are especially effective for dry, sensitive, and mature skin.   You might try unlocking the rose’s secrets for:

• Toning.  As a gentle astringent, rose can tighten pores, help balance oily skin, and lessen redness caused by capillaries close to the skin’s surface.  Unlike alcohol-based toners, rose leaves skin smooth and soft, not dry and tight.
• Moisturizing.  Rose helps lock moisture into the skin to help keep it smooth and petal soft.  A spritz of rose water after washing your face, morning or night, can help replenish and rejuvenate skin. Works well under your favorite moisturizer and/or makeup, or all by itself.
• Calming. The anti-inflammatory components of rose make it especially helpful in managing rosacea, acne, eczema and other inflammatory skin conditions.  It soothes sunburns, too.  The anti-oxidants in rose can help protect skin cells from damage over the long term as well.

We carry pure, organic rose water in a two-ounce spray. We suggest storing it in a dark place to maintain its freshness and scent.  Feel free to spritz with abandon – unlike rose essential oil, it’s hard to overdo it. You can even store it in the fridge - a cool spritz of rose water is great skin care and aromatherapy all at once! And it’s a real treat after a long day in the sun.

We don’t keep rose essential oil in stock, but we are happy to obtain it for you or give you recommendations on good sources.  A small bottle (about 3ml or 1/10th of an ounce) costs about $100. For rose luxury in the shower or bath, try our excellent rose soap from Provence that has the petals ground right in and smells divine.  For your skin, roses take flower power to a whole new level.