so red the rose

the bottom line

Beauty, blushing cheeks and romance: the sweetly-scented rose has many evocative associations - and that’s before we even start on how it can transform your skincare routine. Aside from being a source of love poetry, the alluring rose has a rich cultural history of beauty remedies dating back to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, who gave the name "rose" to this flower. The Romans used rose petals to perfume their baths, and the original girl boss, Cleopatra, notoriously used rose petals in her bath and on her bed for her lover Antony. In Ayurvedic medicine, the Shatapattri rose is used to balance the emotions and their effect on the heart, and fresh roses and rose oil are often used during meditation.

As you might expect, rosewater is made from just two natural ingredients - roses and water - with no chemicals added into the process. Rose petals and water are mixed before going through a traditional steam distillation method to produce a condensed rose essence.

Today, rosewater is known to have some serious beauty benefits. Importantly, this distilled essence boasts astringent, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties - making the rose a must have natural ingredient when it comes to toxin-free skincare. Here, our favorite rosewater beauty hacks.

first layer: fragranced toner

Ready for glowing, blush-scented skin? The astringent nature of rosewater makes it a wonderfully gentle toner. Anti-inflammatory properties naturally soothe acne prone skin. Just gently wipe your face with a soaked cotton pad after cleansing to remove any dirt or excess oil left behind. 

second layer: eye brightener

Waking up with puffy eyes is never a good look. Luckily, a little rosewater will make you look like you’ve had all the beauty sleep you need. Soak a couple of cotton pads in rosewater and lay over the eyes for a few minutes. The anti-inflammatory properties will help to reduce discoloration, puffiness, and dark circles for perky, rejuvenated peepers.

third layer: refreshing spritzer

Dry winter skin will love you for this. Fill a spray bottle with rosewater and spritz onto the face (eyes closed!) for invigorated, gorgeous-smelling skin. A little bottle of rosewater also makes the perfect primer to keep in your cosmetics bag - use to prep the skin before applying makeup and then use to freshen up your look throughout the day.

fourth layer: floral face mask

Want a calming face mask? Blend ¼ cup rolled oats, 1 tablespoon rose water and 1 tablespoon water together and apply to the skin. Leave for 10 minutes to soften, gently cleanse, and moisturize irritated skin. (Try not to eat it as you wash it off.)

fifth layer: shiny hair

Those little pink petals aren’t just pretty in your bath - rosewater will hydrate hair and leave you with suitably floral-scented tresses. Add a cup of rosewater to water when rinsing your hair after shampooing and conditioning for the ultimate DIY hair rinse.

sixth layer: calm shaving burn

No-one wants red, angry looking skin after shaving. For silky smooth pins, take advantage of rosewater’s anti-inflammatory properties and smooth over irritated skin to calm razor burn.

A little plug: The rose is an essential and beloved ingredient in anokha®’s lotus flower & rosewater toner for beautifully soft and nourished skin.

All this and more at www.anokhaskincare.com .

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xo

anokha®