Common Uses, Benefits and History of Rose Water

Rose water is a water made from roses, mainly used in perfume because of its sweet and pleasant smell. But rose water is used for its special properties in the medicinal field and widely used in traditional cooking. This special water also offers many benefits to our body because it has many of the powerful characteristics of the rose.

HOW WAS ROSE WATER USED IN THE PAST?

There’s a myth that Cleopatra washed her body and face with rose water. Using rose water was one of Cleopatra’s many beauty secrets. She regularly took extensive and luxurious baths with this special water.

In the tenth century, the use of rose petals became very popular in Persian cuisine. Rose petals made the food smell pleasant and gave the dishes a nice taste.

The tenth century Persian scientist Avicenna is known as the discoverer of Rose water. Soon rose water was also widely used in medieval Arabic cuisine. The many crusades brought rose water to the attention of Europe and made it a profitable source of trade for the Persians. Soon the use of roses and rose water spread all over Europe. Rose water was used to clean your hands before eating. Furthermore, rose water was used as a dish washing liquid to make dishes smell nice.

Scientists of the time described rose water as a potent and strengthening substance. In the past, doctors prescribed it to prevent fainting, protect the heart and strengthen organs.

WHAT MAKES ROSE WATER SPECIAL?

Rose petals release their vitamins and minerals into the water during distillation. Rose water contains vitamins A, B3, C, D, E and a lot of antioxidants. This ensures that Rose water can have an anti-inflammatory effect, making it suitable for impure skin, among other things.

In addition, Rose water stimulates the blood circulation of the skin so that it can positively affect dry, old and sensitive skin. In addition, Rose water has a firming effect on the pores and restores the pH value of the skin.

HOW IS ROSE WATER MADE?

Rose water is made from the petals of roses. The best roses to make rose water are: Rosa Damask rose, cabbage rose and French rose. Compared to other roses, these three roses have a very pleasant scent. In particular, the Bulgarian cabbage rose is widely used to make rose water.

Rose water is a hydrolate and is therefore made from rose petals. These leaves are steam distilled. Hydrolates are flower or herbal waters that are created as a kind of by-product due to the specific production process of essential oils. They contain water-soluble plant components that often give these hydrosols the scent of essential oil, but are not as strong. When the steam has finally cooled down to water, two products below remain.

CAN YOU MAKE ROSE WATER AT HOME?

It is also possible to make rose water at home. When making rose water you have to take into account which roses you use. One rose can smell slightly different than another. Add some rose petals in a pan with some water. Make sure all the leaves are just below the water. Bring the water to a boil, but make sure that the water does not evaporate. Stir the water with the leaves every now and then and place the lid on the pan so that the scents are not lost.

When the water is boiling, turn the heat to low and let the mixture bubble gently for two hours. Keep an eye on the pan from time to time. After two hours, pour the homemade rose water into a bottle. The easiest way to do this is by using a funnel. The funnel ensures that the leaves do not go along, so that you only have the water left.

IS THERE ALCOHOL IN ROSE WATER?

Rose water is made from roses. These roses, like some other flowers, naturally contain a small percentage of ethanol. Ethanol is the best known and most common alcohol. Pure or organic rose water actually only consists of roses, but since roses sometimes contain ethanol, it is possible that Rose Water contains a small amount of alcohol.

The amount of ethanol in rose water is therefore minimal, but if your skin cannot tolerate alcohol, it is better to avoid the product. If you are not sure whether you can use the product, it is wise to test a small amount on a piece of skin first. A convenient place to test products is on the inside of your elbow. Your skin is thin here, so you can quickly see if your skin reacts to certain products.

There are of course also chemical rose water on the market. That is why it is always important to check the ingredients before purchasing rose water. If you want to buy pure rose water there should only be one ingredient on the label.