How to Make Homemade Rosewater
Easy DIY Instructions for This Cooling Natural Floral Skin Spray
The use of rosewater dates back to Victorian times when it was mixed with glycerin for use as a skin softening treatment. It is still used today in many beauty products from toners to soaps to lotions to sea salts.
Spray cool rosewater on your face at the end of a long day to moisturize your skin and revitalize your spirits. Adding a few drops of jasmine essential oil to the rosewater makes a very alluring body spray.
Foolproof instructions for making rosewater:
If possible, it is always best to make rosewater from freshly picked, organically grown roses from a personal garden. With the right care, rose bushes are a hardy, fruitful plant.
However, lacking time or yard space, it is recommended to ask a local florist for a call when they receive a fresh shipment. Organicially grown roses are also available for delivery via the internet. Thoroughly rinse in cool water any rose petals that are not organically grown to remove any pesticides.
Alternatively, rose hips or rose otto essential oil (attar of roses) can be used in place of rose petals as they also make a high quality rosewater product. Rose hips can be slightly bruised using a mortar and pestle.
If using rose otto essential oil, just add about four drops of the essential oil to eight ounces of spring water and refrigerate.
Roses have three, outer, protective petals. These petals are normally removed when the roses are being used for a bouquet – the roses open more fully without the outer petals. However, these petals are thick and contain a lot of essence. If you get your roses from a florist, make sure they do not remove these petals prior to selling you the roses.
Assemble the supplies:
- Depending on the size of the roses used, between three and five roses (or about five rose hips).
- Two cups of spring or distilled water
- Heat-resistant glass bowl and cover. A glass bowl with an indentation on one side for pouring is the easiest to use.
- Wide-mouthed glass jar
- Cheesecloth, cotton gauze or kitchen strainer.
Then do the following:
- Pluck the roses to gather one packed cup of rose petals.
- Put the roses petals (or rose hips) in a heat resistant glass bowl and cover with two cups of boiling water.
- Cover the bowl with a plate or cover to a pot. Let the rose mixture sit for about 20 to 30 minutes.
- After 20 to 30 minutes has elapsed, pour the water into the wide-mouth glass jar using either the cheesecloth or kitchen strainer to collect the rose petals.
- Discard the rose petals.
- After the rosewater has cooled, add one tablespoon of alcohol, such as vodka, to the water as a preservative – shake to mix. Your rosewater will keep for about four weeks – longer if you store it in a refrigerator.
- If you prefer to not add the alcohol as a preservative, your rosewater will keep for about seven to ten days.
Mix the rosewater with glycerin in a 50/50 mix and put the rosewater in a pretty bottle for a gift.
It can be stored in a plastic spray bottle for a refreshing mist. This is a wonderful way to keep skin hydrated while flying. However, just be sure that the spray bottle used is less than 3 ounces if this product is packed in a carry on bag.
CAUTION: Rosewater should not be ingested. It is an external skin care product only.
Sources:
- Dodt, Colleen K. The Essentail Oils Book. Storey Books, 1996
- David Potterton, Editor. Culpepper's Color Herbal. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 2002
rose hips in mortar and pestle
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organically grown red roses
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