Roses brighten and soothe the skin in addition to being beautiful and fragrant. They offer several health benefits, contributing to their popularity in skin care.
People have admired roses for centuries, and they have always been considered a symbol of romance. Think of Cleopatra, who, according to legend, used rose petals to create an enchanting atmosphere to seduce Marc Antony.
Known as the “Queen of Flowers,” roses are one of the oldest medicinal plants, with fossil records dating back 35 million years, like fern. Roses have along history of usefor therapeutic benefits. In ancient Egypt, they boiled roses and used them in balms and scented oils.
In addition, roses are edible and easy to implement in your diet. I love to make rose jam or rose cordial to add a floral touch to cookies or to please my friend with a beautiful gift.
Today, however, we want to discover the numerous benefits of roses for our skin and how we can maximize their potential for our skin and hair.
Table of Contents
- What is it about roses?
- What Roses are best to use in a skincare routine?
- Beautiful Benefits of roses for skin
- Soothe skin irritation.
- Ease acne
- Antioxidant
- Reduce skin redness
- Anti-aging properties to reduce wrinkles
- Hydrate and moisturize the skin
- Heals cuts, scars, and burns
- Gentle Astringent
- Soothing Fragrance
- Sebum Production Regulation
- PH balancer
- Rose Product you can make at home.
- Does including roses or rosehips in your diet help your skin conditions?
What is it about roses?
Roses are flowering plants belonging to the genus Rosa within the Rosaceae family. If you find it difficult to identify them, you can refer to a list of plants that resemble roses.
Beyond their enchanting rose petals and buds, their true potential lies in the small fruits appearing on the rose plants in autumn after the petals have fallen. These small, berry-like fruits, known as rose hips, are a natural source of retinol. Loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids, rose hips offer a variety of benefits for the skin, aiding in hydration, reducing inflammation, and promoting youthful, healthy skin.
Unlike rose essential oilderived from rose petals, rose hip seed oil is actually derived from rosehips.
What Roses are best to use in a skincare routine?
There are a wide variety of rose plants. However, the best for skincare is Damask Rose, in Latin Rosa Damascena. It contains antimicrobial and anti-aging compounds effective even against bacteria like Staphylococcus or Escherichia coli, thus ideal for wound healing(1)Rosa damascena contains vitamin C, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects(2)
Another common cosmetic variety is Rosa centifolia, known as the cabbage rose. Packed with vitamin C and tannins, this rose is antioxidant and helps prevent aging.
Lastly, Rosa Gallica has been shown to reduce inflammation and wrinkles.
I like using wild roses (Rosa Canina) with excellent acne-prone skin properties.
When foraging, choose roses that are free of chemicals and pesticides.
Avoid selecting roses from flower shops, as many are treated with chemicals to prolong their shelf life. Opt for roses from your garden or other gardens where you can be confident that no harsh chemicals have been used.
While the color is unimportant, selecting fragrant flowers with a scent you like is necessary.
Beautiful Benefits of roses for skin
Soothe skin irritation.
Roses contain natural compounds with anti-inflammatory properties. This means they can help people with sensitive skin to calm and soothe irritated skin, caused by conditions like acne or other skin issues. In addition, it may help soothe the inflammation associated with eczema.
Ease acne
The petals of roses have antibacterial properties that can help combat acne-causing bacteria. This can contribute to preventing new breakouts and supporting the healing process of existing ones. In addition, roses have astringent properties, tightening pores and controlling excess oil production. This is particularly beneficial in managing acne by reducing the risk of clogged pores and promoting a clearer complexion.
The high levels of antioxidants and fatty acids in rose essential oil and rose hip seed oil can also help maintain a proper balance of skin moisture, which is essential to effectively fight acne!
Antioxidant
Roses are rich in antioxidants (flavonoids, polyphenols and vitamins) that protect the skin from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals can contribute to skin aging and inflammation. Antioxidants in roses provide anti-aging benefits to the skin by neutralizing these free radicals and helping reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
Luckily, rose essential oil and rose hip oil contain high levels of antioxidants with skin benefits that keep us looking younger and promote glowing skin.
Reduce skin redness
Thanks to the polyphenols and flavonoids with anti-inflammatory properties, roses can reduce skin redness. Using rose water, rose extract, or rose oil in skincare routines can help alleviate redness by reducing inflammation and promoting a more even skin tone.
Anti-aging properties to reduce wrinkles
In addition, roses containVitamins A and C,that are crucial in producing collagen. It’s a foundational protein that maintains the skin’s firmness and suppleness. Collagen levels decline significantly as we age, leading to sagging, wrinkles, and diminished volume. Vitamin C strengthens skin cells and collagen production, producing a rejuvenated and youthful complexion.
Vitamin C also contributes to enhanced skin brightness and tone, helps reduce the visibility of pores, and aids in fading acne scarring. Many people have successfully addressed hyperpigmentation and sun spots by incorporating rose hip seed oil into their skincare routines.
Rose water is often found in beauty products aimed to reduce wrinkles. That’s because it may actually haveanti-aging effects. In addition to soothing irritated skin. It appears in toner to tone the skin.
Hydrate and moisturize the skin
While roses are great for all skin types, but work wonders for dry skin, thanks to their exceptional moisturizing properties that alleviate itchiness.
Rose water, derived from roses, is a popular ingredient in skincare. It helps to maintain the skin’s natural hydration and prevent excessive dryness that can exacerbate skin issues. Well-hydrated skin tends to be more resilient and less prone to redness.
Additionally, rose-infused creams and oils, such as rose hip seed oil, are applied topically to lock in moisture, nourish the skin, and promote a healthy, well-hydrated complexion. Incorporating these rose-based products into your skincare routine helps support the skin’s natural moisture balance, leaving it feeling soft, supple, and revitalized.
Heals cuts, scars, and burns
Roses possess remarkable healing properties, offering a natural remedy for cuts, scars, and burns. Ss the soothing and anti-inflammatory attributes of rose extracts contribute to the skin’s repair process, promoting faster healing and minimizing the appearance of scars.
Rose water has antiseptic and antibacterial properties that help wounds heal faster. These properties can help clean and fight off infection of cuts and burns. They can also help cuts, burns, and even scars heal faster.(3)
Gentle Astringent
Roses have a gentle astringent effect, which means they can help tighten pores and control excess oil production. This benefits people with oily or acne-prone skin, as it can reduce the risk of clogged pores and breakouts.
Soothing Fragrance
The natural fragrance of roses has a calming effect on the mind and body.
Roses, among others, containCitronellol,an effective mosquito repellant, and Citral, which has a strong antimicrobial effect.Citronellyl Acetateis responsible for the pleasant flavor and aroma of roses and that is why roses are used in many skin and beauty products and aromatherapy or as potpourri.
Using rose essential oil to create a pleasant and relaxing experience. It helps to reduce stress, which indirectly benefits the skin.
Sebum Production Regulation
Roses are a natural solution for people with oily skin. They balance sebum production promoting clear and matte complexion.
Being deeply hydrating, roses increase water content rather than the level of oils. Their astringent properties help to lift dirt and oil from skin and maintain natural ph balance.
PH balancer
Keeping your skin’s pH in balance is crucial for its health. The skin has a natural defense called the “acid mantle,” which protects against infections and environmental factors. If the skin becomes too acidic or alkaline, its ability to protect itself decreases.
Pollution, toxins, and sun exposure can disrupt the skin’s pH balance. Rose water, with a pH similar to human skin, is an excellent choice for hydration and anti-inflammatory benefits without upsetting the skin’s pH. It can be easily applied before makeup or other skincare products for quick and convenient use.
Rose Product you can make at home.
You can do wonders with fragrant rose petals. Through a slow maceration process of rose petals in oil, you can make nourishingrose oilthat promotes skin regeneration, soothes irritation, and serves as an excellent moisturizer. Transform this rose oil into homemadesoap, lotion,creamorlip balm for personalized skincare products.
Makerose waterandrose water hydrosolto keep your skin revitalized, youthful, and glowing. It has a very calming effect, lowers blood pressure, reduces depression and improves your mood.
Use Rose water as an effective makeup remover, ensuring thorough removal without any residue. Blend rose water with jojoba oil for a reliable makeup-cleansing solution. Alternatively, create afacial tonerto balance your skin’s pH and enhance its appearance.
Moreover, rose water can be used as a hair rinse or added to baths with petals for a soothing experience recommended for relaxation after a stressful day. Elevate your bath by incorporating bath bombs alongside rose water, and you’ll feel rejuvenated.
Does including roses or rosehips in your diet help your skin conditions?
Including roses or rosehips in your diet may offer potential benefits for certain skin conditions due to their rich content of vitamins, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids. To incorporate roses or rosehips into your diet, you can try rosehip tea, add dried rose petals to recipes, or use rosehip oil as a supplement.
