Rose water - how to prepare it at home from rose petals, use in cooking or cosmetology

The healing effect of rose petals has been known since ancient times. The Romans and Persians used rose water for aromatization, cooling the skin, and also as a refreshing cosmetic product. The Egyptian queen Cleopatra used baths of rose petals to improve skin turgor. Asians and residents of eastern countries used rose water for cooking.

In ancient books, the philosopher from Arabia I. Khaldun described the properties of roses and rose water obtained from flower petals by evaporation. From the beginning of the eighth century BC, traders brought rose water in vessels to China and Byzantium. The Persian province in those days was the main producer of healing water. For example, the ruler of Baghdad, Mamun, ordered more than thirty thousand vessels of rose water a year from Persian traders.

Rose petal water is a liquid substance with a pleasant floral scent; is extracted by evaporation of liquid and condensation of vapor. When preparing rose oil, a secondary product is formed - rose water. The cosmetic product does not contain alcohol-containing components.

Rose cosmetics include: rose water, oil, honey. To prepare cosmetic products, wild plant varieties, Bulgarian and Crimean roses, and rose hips are used. Store-bought roses are not suitable for making homemade products.

What is rose water

Ancient medicine was well aware of the healing properties of roses. Essential oil and water obtained from this amazing flower were already expensive goods. In Russia, the main raw material for their production is Crimean rose. Rose aromatic water is a secondary product in the production of essential oil, obtained by steam distillation. It is a clear liquid with a slight aroma. When properly made, it consists only of the water-soluble components of oil and distilled water.

What is it for?

Rose water is a most valuable achievement in medicine and cosmetology. It has a natural antiseptic effect, so it is used to heal wounds and treat diseases. Flower solution is used in all areas of cosmetology. Hydrolate is used as a tonic and as a base for creams. Rose water has found application in cooking. Fans of oriental cuisine often use it to make sweets.

What to pay attention to when using

The key point that directly affects the magical properties of rose water is naturalness. It is effective on its own due to its herbal properties. It should not contain unnecessary ingredients.

Read the label carefully to make sure the manufacturer has not added artificial flavors, colored dyes or alcohol. But naturalness is not a guarantee that there will be no problems with the component. Don’t forget that before applying an unfamiliar product to your face for the first time, you must do a test on your hand and leave it for 24 hours to rule out an allergic reaction.

Irritation, redness, itching - this is a firm “no” for further use. During pregnancy, breastfeeding and exacerbation of chronic skin diseases, the use of rose water is possible only with the permission of a doctor.

Beneficial features

A solution of rose petals, having anti-inflammatory properties, fights infections well, therefore:

• treats respiratory diseases;
• helps cope with bacterial conjunctivitis;
• treats periodontal disease;
• eliminates bad breath;
• heals wounds;

Hydrolate is the basis for the preparation of cosmetic products or as an independent skin care product, as it has many beneficial properties:

• moisturizes the skin;
• tones well;
• gives skin elasticity;
• refreshes complexion;
• eliminates small wrinkles;
• fights dark circles under the eyes;
• protects against ultraviolet rays;
• soothes skin after sunburn;
• has a cooling effect;
• relieves irritation;
• has a delicate aroma.

Rose essential oils have a calming effect. Thanks to this valuable quality, rose water is used for aromatherapy and is capable of:

• eliminate headaches;
• calm the nervous system;
• relieve fatigue.

Indications for use

Rose petal liquid is used for various cosmetic problems and medical conditions such as:

• bronchopulmonary diseases (inhalations with rose hydrosol);
• sore throats, tonsillitis, pharyngitis (gargles, lotions);
• periodontal disease (mouth rinsing);
• conjunctivitis, eye fatigue (instillation of pure hydrosol, eye rinsing)
• wounds (wiping with flower solution);
• dark circles under the eyes (compresses);
• aging skin (cosmetics containing hydrosol or essential oil)
• problematic skin (rubbing);
• itching of the scalp (rubbing in hydrosol);
• headache (applying a gauze bandage soaked in a decoction of rose petals to the forehead);
• fatigue, nervous tension (baths with added hydrolate).

Rose water in folk medicine

Traditional medicine has long used flower essence for its unique bactericidal properties. It relieves inflammation without drying out the skin and mucous membranes because it does not contain alcohol. There are many folk recipes based on the use of rose hydrosol. The aromatic liquid is used for sore throats and dental problems. It helps cope with skin diseases: dermatitis, allergies, and treats problematic skin.

For sore throat

It is useful to gargle with rose hydrosol during a sore throat. Instead of rinsing, you can use another method. You need to pour rose water into a spray bottle and irrigate your throat with the resulting spray. You can make lotions. To do this, you need to wrap a little cotton wool on a stick, dip it in rose hydrosol and apply it to the inflamed tonsils for a few minutes.

For inflammation of the gums

Due to its antiseptic properties, it is used for dental problems. To prevent periodontal disease, it is recommended to rinse your mouth daily with rose hydrosol. If your gums are bleeding, you can apply cotton balls soaked in the solution to the inflamed areas. Such lotions will relieve pain and soothe the mucous membranes.

For acne

Having acne can make life very difficult. Rose water helps complete the cleansing process. Possessing powerful anti-inflammatory properties, it kills bacteria, relieves inflammation, eliminates itching and redness. Used twice a day as a tonic, rose hydrosol cleanses and tightens pores, helps get rid of acne, unevenness on the face, and oily shine. When you return home, wipe your problem skin with a fragrant liquid to remove street dust.

Increased sweating of the feet

Special baths will help to cope with this problem of excessive sweating of the feet. You need to add 50 ml of hydrosol or 5 drops of rose essential oil to a bowl of warm water and soak your feet for a quarter of an hour. You can make a decoction instead. Petals of tea rose or rose hips should be poured with boiling water, left for an hour under the lid and applied by filling a foot bath with the solution.

Features of use for the face

Rose water can be used in its pure form as an independent remedy, as well as as a base for masks or enriched with it in finished cosmetics.

Rose hydrolate is suitable for cleansing all skin types, it regulates the function of the sebaceous glands, moisturizes dry epidermis and adds matte to oily skin.

The aromatic liquid can be used:

• for freshness of the face and body in the heat: pour into a bottle with a sprayer and spray from a distance of 30-50 cm onto the skin;
• when irritation or inflammation occurs in the form of lotions;
• instead of toner in the morning and before bed: moisten a cotton pad and wipe your face;
• as a remedy against eye fatigue: moisten the cloth and apply to the eyelids for 20-25 minutes. This method eliminates puffiness and dark circles;
• for diluting cosmetic clay, sea mud (hydrolate will increase efficiency).

Rose water will eliminate fatigue and lift your spirits if you pour 200-300 ml into the bath; compresses with this liquid will soothe headaches; it can be used for rinsing for diseases of the oral cavity in children and adults. Hydrolate will make your hair silky and remove dandruff if you add it to the rinse water.

Cosmetical tools

Many cosmetic companies produce products containing rose water. These are face and body lotions, tonics, masks, face creams and sunscreens. Cosmetics are very popular due to their versatility and gentle effect on the skin.

Popular means:

• "Valley of Roses" from Ukrainian;
• rose water from Lebanon House of Orient;
• Meela Meelo hydrosol, Germany;
• facial tonic “Siberian Rose”, Russia;
• hair care series “Bulgarian Rose”, Bulgaria;
• products for aging skin with rose water from Botanicus, Czech Republic.

Almost all products can be classified as mid-price, but there are also elite ones.

Beauty salons offer professional masks and body wraps with rose water. Such procedures restore skin elasticity and healthy color.

Use at home

Rose water is used by women for home skin care. Based on it, you can prepare remedies that can solve any problem.

Rose hydrolate is an excellent skin toner; it will remove impurities from pores, moisturize and prepare for subsequent care. Aromatic water can be used in its pure form, or lotions can be prepared based on it:

1. Honey.

Dissolve 2 teaspoons of fresh honey in 100 ml of rose water, add 30 ml of lemon juice and 60 ml of alcohol (you can use vodka or calendula tincture). The resulting solution is stored in the refrigerator and used before bed, after shaking.

1. Walnut.

Prepare a decoction of hazelnut and elderberry leaves or flowers: pour a handful of raw materials into 200 ml of hot water and leave in a water bath for 15 minutes. To 100 ml of rose hydrolate, add the same amount of decoction, 30 ml of boric acid solution and shake thoroughly. The product is suitable for daily care of oily (problem) skin.

To tone the skin, you can use ice made from pure or diluted rose water.

Hydrosol is often used for compresses and lotions. If irritation occurs on the skin, signs of fatigue appear, or after prolonged exposure to the sun, it is recommended to moisten a linen or cotton cloth and apply it to the face for a quarter of an hour.

Rose water lotions will get rid of circles and bags under the eyes.

Using it, you can prepare effective masks for any skin type:

1. Nourishing for dry skin: mash half a very ripe banana, add cream (20 ml) and 50 ml of rose water to the puree.
2. Cleanser for oily skin consists of only 2 ingredients: green clay and rose water.
3. For pigmented ones. To a tablespoon of fresh cottage cheese, add the same amount of cucumber pulp and 50 ml of rose water. Beat the mixture in a blender or mash with a spoon and apply to the skin.
4. Firming for mature epidermis. Ingredients: almonds (8-10 grains), honey (half a teaspoon), rose water (1-1.5 tablespoons). Dry the nuts in the oven and grind in a blender. Combine the resulting powder with honey and hydrolate.

The masks are applied to clean, better-steamed skin for 15-30 minutes, rinsed off with warm water and a regular cream or serum is applied to consolidate the effect.

Rose water can be added to cosmetic products for daily care. Cream mixed with hydrolate will have a more delicate consistency and rich composition.

However, you can prepare rose water cream yourself:

1. Moisturizing for dry or aging skin.

Ingredients: rose hydrolate and olive oil (30 ml each), glycerin and natural beeswax (10 ml each). Carefully add warm glycerin, oil and aromatic water into the wax melted in a water bath, boil for 30-40 minutes, remembering to stir. At the end of cooking, beat with a wooden spatula and transfer to a non-metallic container.

1. Cleansing for problematic skin.

Product components: any oil for baby skin care (50 ml), rose water (75 ml), emulsifying and beeswax (15-20 grams each), borax (quarter teaspoon). Melt the wax in a water bath and add oil.

In a separate container, dissolve borax in hot clean water, pour into the oil base, add hydrolate, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and beat gently with a non-metallic spatula until a thick white mass forms. The product can be enriched with essential oils: rose, tea tree, shea.

Homemade creams should be stored in the refrigerator, taken out immediately before use. The required portion should be taken with a glass or plastic spatula, or with a cotton swab.

Rose water in cosmetology

The Egyptian queen Cleopatra washed herself and took baths of rose petals to improve her skin. Flower water has beneficial properties at lower concentrations than essential oil. This natural product is suitable for all skin types, and the aqueous consistency of the hydrolate is most effectively absorbed by the upper layers of the epidermis. The product is used in cosmetology to care for:

• behind the face (moisturizing, toning, removing swelling and irritation);
• for the body (ensuring an even tan, relaxation, wound healing).

Facial skin care

You can prepare many cosmetic products, effective and natural, from rose hydrosol. For example:

• tonic made from undiluted hydrosol for everyday use;
• cosmetic ice: freeze the product in special containers and wipe your face with pink cubes in the morning;
• fabric mask for sensitive skin: moisten 3 layers of gauze in a pink solution and apply to a cleansed face for 20 minutes, do not wash after the procedure;
• mask for skin elasticity: mix 20 ml of rose hydrosol, 5 g of flower honey, 20 g of crushed almonds and apply the mixture to the face for a quarter of an hour, after the procedure wipe the face with a cotton pad;
• face cream: dilute the thick baby cream with rose hydrolate to a creamy consistency, apply the cream to the face moistened with rose tonic;
• compress for dark circles under the eyes: apply cotton pads moistened with fragrant water to the area around the eyes, hold for 15 minutes.

For body care

In aromatherapy, natural essential oils and floral solutions are used to harmonize the emotional and physical state of a person. Fragrances, through their impact on the olfactory receptors, send a signal to the area of ​​the brain responsible for emotions. Rose petal water is a good aromatherapy product; it has a calming effect on the nervous system and relaxes muscles. To relieve fatigue after a busy day, it is recommended to add half a glass of aromatic hydrosol to a warm bath and lie down for 20 minutes.

Rose essence, added to a bath for steaming nails before a manicure, will do an excellent job of disinfecting small wounds, strengthening nails and moisturizing the cuticle. In hot summers, tea rose hydrosol will help you get a beautiful, even tan. Having filled a bottle with a spray bottle with fragrant liquid, it is recommended to periodically spray the body when in the sun.

Body care

Rose hydrosol has a beneficial effect on the human body and nervous system, and relaxes muscles after a busy day. To relieve fatigue, it is recommended to take a bath, to which you need to add 100 ml of rose water. The procedure time is 20 minutes.

Rose water is useful for a beautiful tan on hot days. Before sunbathing, it is recommended to spray your body with rose hydrosol from a bottle with a dispenser. Use water at all times on the beach. Rose petals will relieve skin tightness and refresh the skin.

For hair

The product has a beneficial effect not only on the skin, but also on the quality of the hair. Hydrolate relieves irritation of the scalp, moisturizes curls, fights hair loss, dandruff, and also gives the hair a delightful aroma. You can care for your hair in the following ways:

• to give a silky shine, rub rose hydrosol into the scalp, distribute evenly over the entire length of the strands, leave for half an hour, then wash your hair with regular shampoo;
• dilute the shampoo with hydrosol by one third, wash your hair with the resulting composition 2-3 times a week;
• after washing, rinse your hair with a pink solution;
• mask for nourishing hair follicles: mix pink hydrosol with glycerin oil in equal proportions, rub into hair roots, wash with shampoo after half an hour, apply weekly;
• mask for restoring damaged hair after coloring, styling, blow-drying: mix 50 ml of pink hydrolate with the contents of one vitamin E capsule and five drops of jojoba oil, distribute through curls, after 10 minutes, rinse with shampoo, apply weekly.

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Folk recipes

Shampoo for oily hair

Compound:

Rose hydrolate – 50 ml Rum – 30 ml Chicken egg – 3 pieces Table vinegar 9% – 10 ml

Preparation:

Mix the ingredients until smooth except for the vinegar. Apply to oily hair along the entire length. Leave on curls for 10 minutes. Rinse your hair as usual with shampoo for oily hair. Rinse your hair with acidified water: add 10 ml of vinegar to 1 liter of water.

Shampoo is recommended to be used 2 times a week.

Pink cream for dry sensitive skin

Compound:

Bulgarian rose – 5 buds Butter – 50 g Retinol acetate (capsules) – 2 pieces Lemon juice – 5 drops

How to cook:

Grind rose petals with a blender or meat grinder. Pour water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Place a container with butter on top of the pan. Melt the fatty base. Add melted butter to the pink paste and stir the mixture with a wooden spatula. Add retinol to the solution (squeeze out from the capsule) and lemon juice. Mix the ingredients until smooth. Sterilize a glass container for cream: pour water into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Place two knives parallel to the top of the pan. Place a glass jar for the cream on the knives so that the steam passes into the container. After 5 minutes, the cream container will be sterilized. Place the cream in a clean jar and close with a screw cap.

Store the cream in the refrigerator on the side cover.

Use in cooking

Since ancient times, in Asia and the Middle East, fragrant water from rose flowers has been used in cooking. It was added to dishes to add flavor. To experiment in the kitchen, it's best to purchase this delicious ingredient from Asian spice stores or make your own rose water from rose petals. The aromatic liquid will add a delicate aroma to coffee and chocolate; it can be added to Turkish delight or ice cream, combined with cardamom. The main thing is to know when to stop so that the dessert does not smell like strong perfume.

Mechanism of action

The benefit of rose water lies in the ability to use it to influence the basic biological processes occurring in the skin:

• fill dermal cells with moisture, increasing turgor and helping to revitalize internal biochemical reactions;
• inhibit the reproduction and growth of microorganisms that enter the skin from the air or are carried by the bloodstream from diseased organs;
• enhance the regenerative processes of the facial skin, which constantly occur in it and lead to tissue renewal;
• nourish the skin with natural rose oils, vitamins B, A and E;
• saturate with microelements and antioxidants;
• accelerate the detoxification process, compensating for the harmful effects of toxins and other harmful factors.

This powerful potential of the plant is explained by its natural composition. Interestingly, such properties persist even after the plant withers.

Advice

When wiping the skin with rose water, movements with the tampon should be carried out along cosmetic lines, without injuring or disturbing its natural structure.

How to make rose water at home

The drug can be found in cosmetic stores, pharmacies, and oriental spice departments, but by preparing a miracle remedy with your own hands, you can not worry and be sure that the product does not contain alcohol, preservatives or other chemical additives. Preparation does not require special skills or equipment.

Features of choosing flowers for decoction

Roses from flower shops are not suitable for creating a natural hydrosol, since they are almost always treated with chemicals for long-term storage. It is better to pick petals from flowers collected in your own garden or from friends. The most fragrant varieties of tea roses are suitable for preparation. Plants must be grown without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.

It is recommended to collect rose petals early in the morning in dry weather directly on the day of preparing the hydrosol. You can use wild plants: Crimean or Bulgarian rose, rose hips. In this case, collect flowers away from the road, those that have not absorbed dust and toxic exhaust from cars. All petals must be carefully sorted, discarding damaged ones.

Cooking recipes

To prepare flower water, you need to place flower petals on the bottom of a large saucepan in several layers and add boiled water. After this, you can do it in two ways:

1. Place an empty glass bowl inside so that its edges are located a few centimeters above the level of the boiling liquid, cover the pan with an inverted lid. Heat over low heat. Once boiling, fill the upside down lid with ice. Boil the petals for an hour. If necessary, you can periodically add water and ice. The steam will condense on the cold surface of the inverted lid, flowing directly into the bowl. This will be the finished hydrolate.
2. Cover the pan with a lid and heat over low heat until the petals lose color. This may take half an hour or more. When the flowers become transparent, squeeze them and strain the resulting liquid.

The liquid prepared according to these recipes must be poured into a sterile glass container, tightly closed and stored in a cool place. Keep in mind that it is necessary to pour the hydrosol before it has cooled down. Natural rose water for the face at home can be stored for more than a year, perfectly preserving the color, taste, aroma and all its beneficial properties.

Perfumery

The aroma of rose is a powerful natural aphrodisiac. It can easily replace perfume, even if complex multi-component formulations cause allergies.

• Add five drops of jasmine to a quarter glass of rose water for a light and refreshing perfume. Store them in a dark glass with a tight-fitting lid and enjoy the aroma every day!
• To prepare a fragrant spray, you need to pour rose water into a spray bottle. This spray can be used not only to moisturize the skin, it saves sunburned skin, perfectly disinfects, preventing the occurrence of infections and irritations. It can be used to disinfect areas where pets sleep. It can also be used to eliminate unpleasant odors from carpets.

How to buy real rose water

To buy a high-quality natural product, pay attention to the composition, which should only contain the word “hydrolate” or “distillate” of rose. If it says “water” and essential oils” it is not a real product. There will be little benefit from it, since oil compounds do not dissolve in water. There should be no alcohol, preservatives or other chemical additives. Flower water is a natural product that cannot be stored for long. If the label indicates that the shelf life is much more than a year, you should refuse to purchase.

What is the price

Prices for floral waters from different manufacturers can vary greatly. On store shelves you can see bottles of different sizes. If you use the product only for the face, a 100-200 ml bottle will be enough for you. For body care, it makes sense to purchase larger containers.