There has been quite an upsurge in people trying to find natural and less processed ingredients for their skincare and make-up products, one of such ingredients is - yes, you guessed it - Rose Water! Rose Water is not something we are new to, sure, the youngins might be new to it, or the western beauty world might be just discovering rosewater, but it has been around in the east for a long, long time.
Rose Water is not only a beauty ingredient but also plays a key role in maintaining our mental health. According to ayurvedic texts, rose balances ‘Sadhaka Pitta’, the subdosha of Pitta, which governs emotions and their effect on the heart and thoughts. Isn’t it wonderful how Rose Water can do wonders for your body as well the mind?
Rose Water, produced by distilling rose petals with steam is thought to have originated in Iran. It has been used for thousands of years in beauty products, food and drinks! This magic ingredient contains a ton of benefits, especially for skin health! Would you like to know how to use rosewater properly? We have a guide waiting right here, read on!
BENEFITS OF ROSE WATER FOR FACE
We mentioned earlier how rose water is used in beauty products because of the number of benefits it offers, especially for the skin! Would you like to know what it does? Take a look -
Rose water is one of the go-to skincare products if you need to calm irritated and blotchy skin! It has strong anti-inflammatory properties which can help soothe eczema and rosacea! Moreover, rosewater contains antibacterial properties which can help in evening out your complexion by reducing the redness which is caused by acne and allergies.
- Helps prevent and treat infections:
Ever wondered why so many natural treatments used in healing various ailments contain rosewater? Well, the answer is, simply, because it helps! Rosewater has got powerful antiseptic and analgesic properties, and can prevent and treat infections!
- Helps in wound healing:
Got a cut or a burn? Got a scar that has now healed but gone dark and just won’t vanish? Rosewater can help! Remember how we mentioned it has antibacterial and antiseptic properties? Apply some rosewater to your cut or gently dab it using some cotton on your burn, it can help in speeding up the healing process. Additionally, if you have some scarring left-over from a zit, try using rosewater as toner at least 3 times a week while doing your skincare routine, you should be able to see a positive change swiftly!
- Contains anti-ageing properties:
Rose oil and rose petals (and consequently, rosewater) contain a number of powerful antioxidants, which can help protect cells from damage. It has been found that these antioxidants had potential lipid peroxidation inhibitory effects. This provides powerful cell protection as a result. Combine the knowledge of these facts and the fact that rosewater already has antibacterial properties, and we have established that rosewater is an excellent help against ageing! Rosewater helps your skin retain its firmness and bounciness for significantly longer with long-term use!
HOW TO USE ROSE WATER FOR THE FACE?
In the section above, we led you through the scientifically proven health benefits that rosewater can offer to you for your skin, and now you may want to try it for yourself! Are we correct? Can we offer you some interesting and prudent ways in which you can utilize rosewater in your day-to-day lives? Here you go -
- Rosewater as a Toner:
Now, most people who do not know any better tend to skip the toning part while doing their regular skincare routines, but there is a reason why it exists in the first place! A toner removes leftover oils and dirt from the skin that the cleanser may have missed. Hence, a toner aids in cleansing the skin thoroughly while maintaining the skin’s delicate pH balance. While most toners in the market as of now are all filled to the brim with alcohol and dry out the skin as a consequence, pure rose water is incredibly gentle in nature and also possesses astringent properties which help clean the pores of oil and grime.
Use it regularly (at least 3 times a week) and Rose Water will keep the skin free of extra oil and help prevent problems like blackheads, whiteheads, acne and pimple.
This following video shows how you can incorporate Rose Water in your daily skincare routine.
- Rosewater as a Facial Mist:
Everything we just mentioned about rose water being an excellent toner stands along with the impeccable hydrating capabilities of rose water! Are you someone who is out and about a lot, especially in the summers? You can use rosewater as a facial mist, carry some around in one of those travel-sized bottles, and boom - you have a refreshing but natural and calming facial mist to spritz on your face for your summer escapades! Oh, bonus, it smells heavenly!
- Rosewater as a Makeup Remover:
Some people can simply never find a suitable makeup remover for their skin - yes, that is, in fact, a big problem since a lot of people with sensitive skin breakout because of their makeup removers! There is no reason to tolerate irritating makeup removers anymore - rosewater contains astringent properties and when applied liberally on the face with a cotton pad or ball, it can help in gently dissolving your makeup by mixing in with the oils present on your skin and breaking it all down, just as a regular makeup remover product.
- Rosewater as a Cleanser:
As mentioned, Rose Water can take off the leftover dirt and grime which the cleanser fails to take off, but can it be used as a substitute for an actual cleanser? Yes, yes it can be! Mix 2-3 teaspoons of Rosewater with 1 teaspoon of Fuller’s Earth (also known as Multani Mitti), mix it in till it is smooth and apply it by spreading it on to your face evenly. Once applied, you can massage the exceptionally oily areas of your (the nose, the T-zone, the chin) gently and briefly, let the mix stay on your face for 2 minutes and then wipe off gently (do not tug or rub!) with a soft cloth dipped in lukewarm water, then rinse your face.
The Fuller’s Earth in this Rose water cleanser helps in extracting the excess sebum and grime from your pores as it is very absorbent, and the rosewater, of course, works like a charm in every situation by calming any inflammation and acting on the breakouts on the surface of the skin.
- Rosewater as a Moisturizer:
Yet another fantastic use for rosewater if you have some leftover from all the uses we just informed you about! Mix in 4 teaspoons of rosewater with 2 teaspoons of raw honey, mix it well and apply it on to your face, leave it on for about 5-10 minutes, then rinse it off with considerably cold water, and voila! The raw honey is an impeccable moisturizer, it has hydrating benefits along with antioxidants, mixed with rosewater as a solid base for honey to hold on to, these two make a great moisturizing team!
- DIY Face Packs using Rosewater:
Perhaps you are somebody who already has their skincare routine down pat, and aren’t even really looking for a new addition - can we show you some DIY face masks? Everyone gets bored with their skincare once in a while, and wants to switch things up, the next time you want to try something new, try one of these face masks! We present to you face packs that you can make yourself, according to your skin type - Dry, Normal, and Oily.
Let us start with dry skin - Mix in 1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel and raw honey each, into 2 tablespoons of rosewater, mix them all well, then apply liberally onto your cleansed but wet face. The raw honey and seals in the hydration, while aloe vera gel and rosewater work on the inflammation and irritation which can occur due to extreme dryness of the skin. Keep the mask on for 10 minutes at the very least, then rinse it off with considerably cold water.
For normal skin - Mix 2 teaspoons of gram flour, along with 1 tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt, into 4 tablespoons of rosewater, mix them well and apply liberally to your face and neck. We would encourage you to gently massage your face immediately after applying the mask to your face, this will help the gram flour to exfoliate your skin while the yogurt moisturizes and the rosewater takes off the grime and provides hydration. Leave the mask on for 10 minutes at least, then rinse off with lukewarm water.
For oily skin - Mix 1 tablespoon of Bentonite Clay and 2 tablespoons of fresh cucumber juice to 2 tablespoons of rosewater, mix them well and spread evenly on the face. The Bentonite Clay, similar to Fuller’s Earth, is very absorbent and will extract the excess sebum and grime out of your pores, and so does the rosewater along with hydrating the skin, while the cucumber juice soothes and moisturizes the skin lightly. Leave the mask on for 8-10 minutes, depending on when the mask looks like it is still wet but feels dry to the touch, gently take out the mask with a soft cloth dipped in lukewarm water.
HOW TO MAKE ROSE WATER
Is all this talk about rose water finally breaking your resolve to not buy another skincare product until your current ones are running low? If not, we have a solution for you. If you are not ready to commit to rosewater enough to buy it just yet, perhaps we can teach you to make your own, so you can try and see for yourself, all the goodness that rosewater contains!
- Put fresh rose petals into a cooking pot, and pour distilled water all over them, enough to just cover all the petals with the water, we would like to emphasize that adding too much water can dilute the quality of your rosewater a bit too much, and do not forget to put the lid on the pot;
- Time to set the cooking pot on to the stove, the fire on but keep it on the ‘low’ setting, so the contents of the pot will come to a boil, but slowly;
- Once the contents have come to a boil, turn off the heat but let the lid remain on the pot, wait for the contents to cool down to room temperature;
- As soon as they come down to room temperature, you can strain out the rose petals and pour the fresh rosewater that you have just prepared, into a sanitized bottle, preferable one with a spray cap, and there you go, your very own rosewater!
If you found the process of making your own Rose Water more complex than what you thought it to be, don’t worry! In the next section, we’ve the perfect alternative for you - buying the purest Rose Water prepared from the best roses - the Bulgarian roses.
BEST ROSE WATER FOR THE FACE
Looking at the previous section of this article, some of you might be wondering - ‘Huh? But why would I make all this effort just to make some rosewater when I can just buy a bottle?’ - and to you, we say: we’ve got you, too! If you would much rather we just recommend a good brand for buying rosewater from, then your wish has been granted. Here is our recommendation for you:
It is Kama Ayurveda’s ‘Pure Rose Water’ - it has been described as ‘…a decadent floral distillation that refreshes, hydrates, and tones, leaving the skin scented with the luxuriant scent of pure Roses.’
The Pure Rose Water is made from the roses of Kannauj (Uttar Pradesh) - a region in North India, which is rich in white soil, which is conducive to the roses’ growth. The Kannauj rose is considered special because of its similarity to the Bulgarian rose. The steam distillation process of production of the Pure Rose Water is hygienic and uncontaminated to an extreme length. Plus it comes in a bottle already equipped with a spray cap - it eliminates your hassle of trying to find and sanitize properly, a bottle with a good spray cap!
What you get as your end product is a light, clear, and cooling water that can be sprayed directly to your skin, and leaves your skin revived and hydrated without any residue or stickiness - so you can spritz away happily
SIDE EFFECTS OF ROSE WATER
Rosewater happens to be extremely safe to use unless you are allergic to roses or fragrance in general. We would recommend doing thorough research before buying your rosewater to make sure it is, in fact, pure rosewater with no added substances for aesthetics. Once you have made sure the product you have is pure rosewater, we emphasize the importance of doing a patch test before using any new skincare product, in case you turn out to be allergic to any of the ingredients in the product.
If you are not familiar with doing a patch test, this how it is done - simply apply the new product on the inside of your arm, or behind your ear, and leave it applied for 24-72 hours, if there is no redness, itching, burning, or dryness after this period of time, the product is safe for you to use!
Frequently Asked Questions About Rose Water
- How can I use rose water for the face?
You can use it in many different ways, as we mention in the article above - you can use rosewater as a cleanser, toner, moisturizer, or simply as a facial mist!
- Can I use rose water daily?
Yes, you can! It is extremely gentle and can be used daily - you can use rosewater as a facial mist, allowing you to spray it on your face for some hydration during the day, or you can just use it as your toner as part of your regular skincare routine.
- Can I sleep with rose water on the face?
Yes, you can! If your skin is not reacting to the use of rosewater, prolonged use of it on your face should not be a problem! We suggest mixing some rosewater with some fresh aloe vera gel and leaving it on your face overnight!
- Should I wash my face after applying rose water?
It is not necessary, considering how many people tend to apply rosewater as a toner and then put on some moisturizer, no rinsing needed - however, it is up to your preferences!
- Does rose water have side effects?
Unless you have an allergy to roses or your skin is too sensitive to the mild fragrance of pure rosewater as well, no, rosewater is extremely safe and gentle on the skin.
- What happens if I use rose water on the face daily?
Nothing bad, if that’s what your concern is! As mentioned throughout the article, unless you are allergic to roses or sensitive to any fragrance, in general, rosewater is incredibly mild and safe. Incorporating rosewater regularly into your skincare routine will help your skin by reducing your acne and calming the inflammation, all while hydrating your skin and reducing the appearance of your pore size.