DIY Rose Water

I love roses not only for their beauty or their fragrance, but for their medicine. That’s right, the seemingly delicate rose is one of the most powerful herbs especially when it comes to the skin as some of you already know from my recommendation of using rose water spray.

Rose water is a great gentle toner for the skin. It can also be applied as a makeup remover or spray wherever there is dry skin. Apply around the eyes to help sooth and prevent or reduce eye puffiness. A swipe of rose vinegar can pull heat from sunburn; a smear of rose jam can bring a sense of well-being to anyone who eats it. Rose infused honey is a joy to add to teas and gluten-free pastries.

Rose is unique in that it’s great at what it does, no matter the application.

Used for thousands of years as a youthful skin tonic, rose water boasts some amazing benefits.

Rose water is good for:

• Tightening pores
• Smoothing fine lines and wrinkles
• Balancing the skin’s PH
• Slowing the aging process
• Freshens the complexion
• Calming the senses

It is very important to make sure you source high quality roses. I strictly get my dried rose petals from Mountainroseherbs.com as their quality is second to none. The fragrance is strong and the color pay off in beauty recipes is often a rich ruby hue. Their roses are not treated with chemicals and are harvested at just the right time for the highest potency.

Fresh petals are of course a delight when you can find them; just make sure they are not sprayed with pesticides. Harvest the fresh roses in the morning when they are most fragrant and make rose water as soon as you can for best results. I particularly love wild roses when I’m lucky enough to come across them or that one time a year when they grow in my garden.

Making rose water is super simple. It only takes minutes to make a beautiful tonic for the skin that can be used as much as you desire.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• Distilled water
• Dried red rose petals
• A funnel
• A glass bowl
• A nut milk bag
• A spray bottle

Loving Preparation- How to Make Rose Water:

• In a small clean pot, bring the distilled water to a boil (I measured a little more water than would fit in my 4oz glass spray bottle)
• Next, add in a handful of dried rose petals (you can use fresh but make sure they are fragrant and not sprayed with chemicals)
• Cover the pot and gently simmer the rose petals until they lose their color
• Turn off the heat and let the rose water cool completely
• Once cool, strain the rose water in the nut milk bag in the glass bowl
• Pour the strained rose water into a spritzer bottle. A glass bottle is best.
• Use daily and often! Will keep for 7 days at room temperature or up to a month in the fridge.