Flowers instantly lift us, don’t they? Especially roses. Turns out, it is not just good for mood and heart but also for your skin, hair, and overall health. This versatile ingredient is mild, does not have side effects, and suits all skin types. It’s like that one friend who can chill with any class group. Let’s dig further and understand how you can use Rose water in your routine!

What is Rose Water and how does it benefit your skin?

Rose water is an age-old ingredient that is known to soothe and heal the skin. It has been our ancestor’s favorite due to its simplicity and effectiveness. It is prepared by distilling rose petals with steam to leave a refreshing juice that can be consumed, applied on the skin and even hair. Rose water has Antioxidants, Polyphenols, and Flavonoids. The science behind Rose water and its benefits are long known. Let’s have a look at some of its key benefits -

1. Acts as a classic toner

Rose water has long been praised to tighten our skin and minimise the appearance of pores. It does so by reinforcing the ideal pH of our skin. Skin’s pH is often neglected and compromised due to using certain high concentrations of ingredients. So spraying your face with rose water after a stressful day will instantly give life to your skin.

2. Hydrates and reduces redness

Rose water is calming and does its job pretty instantly. Someone with an acne-prone skin type may understand how difficult it is to deal with redness since it makes the acne so prominent. The best bet for this is to spray rose water frequently and eventually you will see that patch of skin settling down from inflammation that acne has caused. The amazing part is it does this without invading the skin’s composition or drying the skin. Read more about the skincare routine that acne-prone skin types can adopt!

3. Unclog pores and prevent ageing

Even though they’re mild in action, they can still shake up heavy dirt that has clogged your pores. In fact, they can even prevent ageing since they’re pretty hydrating to your skin. Your skin ages faster if your skin barrier is damaged and lacks moisture. Rose water deals with both these issues. It is rich in Antioxidants that fight free radicals to protect your skin barrier and it also hydrates your skin to keep it nourished. Now we know why roses are irreplaceable!

4. Wound healing

Given that it hydrates and soothes your skin, Rose water makes for a great pick for when you have a wound. It could be anything from paper cuts to knife cuts or acne wounds. Due to inflammation, your skin sends signals to send melanin for protection from further harmful factors. This leads to brown spots while the wound is healing. Due to Rose water, you can control inflammation and reduce the brown spot. 

5. Balances natural oil production

When you have inflammation and the hydration level of your skin under control, your skin will produce just enough oil to maintain your skin barrier. Due to inflammation, which occurs when you’re in a hot or humid environment, suffering acne, working out, etc, your skin will produce extra oil to maintain the skin barrier but this leads to harming our skin instead since the skin’s microflora is disturbed. In the chilly regions, your skin may either not be able to draw moisture and stay hydrated or end up producing excess oil, depending on your skin type. Either way, one generous spray of rose water can help you avoid these situations since it very well balances the oil production. 

What must you look for in a Rose Water spray?

With increasing popularity, you may find various brands making Rose water and so it might be tricky for you to pick one. You must always read the label to ensure that you’re buying natural rose water and that it does not contain any artificial fragrance, colour, preservatives, etc. Just the botanical extracts and distilled water. 

The real Rose water is made by crushing the petals and boiling them in distilled water. You can do this at home as well but you need to make sure that you’re storing it in a sanitised spray-capped bottle to keep it away from contamination. Also, the type of Rose and the soil that it has grown in make a difference. Hence, we recommend sticking to a handful of brands. You may find a few of them on our platform since we’re pretty particular about clean beauty.

Sublime recommends Just Herbs Steam Distilled Rose Water Facial Mist. Rumors have it that they take about 200 kgs of rose petals to extract 1 ml of Rose oil which is also a part of this mist. They nailed perfection!

What are the ways you can use Rose Water?

Rose water is a multi-purpose ingredient that can be used for your face, body, and hair. You can integrate it as a face toner or mix it in a face mask or hair mask. Here are some fun ways to use Rose water for hair and skin-

1. Rose water with Honey

Honey is a natural humectant, anti-bacterial, and also helps in brightening the skin. Rose water has anti-bacterial, antiseptic, and soothing properties. A face mask or hair mask with just these two ingredients is great to cleanse and plump your skin. Keep it for 20-30 minutes and wash with lukewarm water.

A fuss-free alternative is Just Herbs Petal soft Anti-Tan Rose Face Pack that not just has Honey and Rose extracts but also Ocimum Sanctum that is known to lighten spots. 

2. Rose water with Sandalwood

Just like Rose water, Sandalwood has soothing and anti-bacterial properties too. However, Sandalwood also brightens your skin by proving helpful to eliminate tan. You can use it as a scrub by adding sugar and your preferred essential oil to this. 

A fuss-free alternative is Roots & Herbs Sugar Face Scrub which has Rose, Red Sandalwood, Argan oil, Sugar, Lodhra, and Nagarmotha that together work on your skin to remove tan and brighten dark spots. You can use this all over your body. This is definitely worth picking up after a vacation!

3. Rose water with Dahi and Banana

This is just as beneficial as yummy it sounds. Banana and dahi are known to nourish your scalp and reinstate the microflora balance whereas Rose water is known to soothe your scalp. You can use this mix as a de-tan solution for your body as well.

4. Rose water with Coffee

Let me warn you that this will smell like a break from the routine and it does exactly just that to your eyes. Not just your eyes, but for your face, body, and hair as well. But that is given for all Rose water DIY since it can be used anywhere and everywhere. Coffee helps depuff your under eyes and rose water soothes the skin which is very essential since the skin near your eyes and lips is thinner than usual.

A fuss-free alternative is Juicy Chemistry Organic Damask Rose & Coffee Eye Cream. This smells like heaven since it has Fig oil, Grapeseed, Camellia, Chia along with Coffee and Damask Rose.

Which skin and hair type can use Rose Water?

Rose water suits all skin and hair types. If you have oily skin and scalp then it will help you balance oil production and keep away the pathogenic organisms that can infect your skin and scalp to land you with a dirty scalp, acne, irritation, and inflammation. 

For those with dry skin and scalp type, you need hydration to repair your skin and scalp barrier to prevent early signs of ageing, hair loss, and dull hair. Rose water is also handy for those with oily scalps. It helps keep your hair grease free and delay your hair wash days. Overproduction of oil is due to inflammation which can be avoided with the help of Rose water. It balances oil on the scalp to give you a healthy scalp. We often focus on strengthening hair and not on scalp but now you know better that happy hair is only through happy scalp.

Sublime recommends Sova Jatamansi Root & Indian Rose Shampoo that has Beetroot, Indian Rose (Hibiscus), Bhringraj, Jatamansi to cleanse your scalp and strengthen your hair. Nothing works like these herbs on hair!

Those with combination skin types majorly face issues with balancing the natural oil production evenly on the skin. To them, soothing ingredients like Rose water largely helps to moisturise and calm your skin and scalp. 

Sublime recommends Rustic Art Organic Rose Bergamot Skin Cream - Face & Body. Along with Rose water, it also has Sunflower, Almond, Jojoba, and Coconut oil to nourish your skin. This can be used on your face too and it leaves with such a dewy effect. Say hello to glow!

Summary

Rose water is a soothing and moisturising ingredient that helps to maintain the skin barrier and fights with free radicals to avoid signs of early ageing. It also has anti-bacterial, antiseptic properties which makes it a perfect choice for even the sensitive and acne-prone skin type. Rose water can be used to strengthen your hair as well and hence this makes it a perfect choice to be in your skin and hair care routine. 

-Divya Salvi