In the second act of the classic and ever-popular Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the daughter of Capulet is frustrated with her situation…
“That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet” she says to herself in scene 2. She has a good point. When you catch a whiff of a fresh spring rose in May…. I mean, wow. It really doesn’t matter what it’s called, does it? At that moment, you don’t care about anything else. All you care about is the amazing scent. The feelings it evokes within me are nothing less than magical. It has a smell which takes me back so many years. It is amazing, what certain scents can do to your psyche.
What Is Rose Essential Oil? Where Does It Come From?
The ancient civilizations of Greek and Rome used roses to decorate their homes and temples, and they were also used in other occasions and ceremonies. Amazingly, there are over 250 different kinds of roses. Among those, there are two which are most commonly used in the creation of the rose’s essential oil. These are Rosa damascena and Rosa centifolia, which are native to parts of Northern Africa, India, Europe, and the Middle East. Nowadays, roses of all kinds are being cultivated all over the world, but this large-scale cultivation process only really took off about 300 years ago. It was China that really introduced the rose to Westerners.
The most common way to distill essential oil from roses is by steam distillation. Many other oils are produced by using this method, but there is a difference between rose distillation and others. In the case of rose oil, the plant’s petals are combined with water, and they are heated in order to produce a vapor which forms the extract. This method of combination yields two different substances: rose oil and rose water. Rose water refers to the water that is left behind after the steaming process has completed.
By the way, rose essential oil and rose water are not to be confused with rose absolute, which is an extract of the rose’s flower petals. These are different substances, although rose absolute does have many health benefits, too.
Rose Essential Oil Benefits For Skin And Acne
Rose essential oil contains vitamins A,B,C,E and K. They also have high potassium content, as well as iron, both of which are important for keeping skin healthy and smooth. You can use rose oil as a topical treatment, right on the surface of your skin. Alternatively, you can decide to add a drop to your cup of tea, which will also help your complexion.
Rose oil is also considered a strong antibacterial agent, which has the potential to heal wounds and scars quickly. This oil also has a high antioxidant count, which will help to rid your skin of any toxins that are around it. The effects on your skin’s natural qualities are vast, and while it is not a cure for anything, it can certainly help your body do what your body does best. It helps it heal and revive quicker.
Acne, blemishes, and other kinds of spots are a pain in our collective butts. Men, women, teenagers… we all dislike this condition. It makes us feel uncomfortable sometimes, but rose oil can also help with this kind of situation.
After cleaning your skin with water and drying it, apply some oil to a cotton swab and use it to remove any excess oil or dirt. These two are usually the culprits behind many cases of acne. The pores become clogged, and the accumulation of grime causes pimples to pop up. This can also help if you have blemishes caused by recurring bouts of acne.
This oil can also help with inflammation on the skin’s surface. The soothing power of roses helps to reduce redness and swelling which form around cuts, pimples, or wounds. This is a solution which can be used by people with all kinds of different skin types, and there are no known side effects!
Rose Essential Oil Benefits For Hair
The high counts of nutrients and vitamins treat our skin, and the same can also be said with regards to the scalp and hair. Rose essential oil can help to strengthen hair follicles from the inside out. Using it on a regular basis will make hairs stronger, thicker, and fuller over time.
Hairs are subject to the whims of their respective follicles. If the follicle is strong, the hair coming out of it will also be strong. There is potassium in the oil of roses, which helps blood circulation to reach all areas of the scalp. This, in turn, helps to increase the amount of nourishment the hairs receive. Well-maintained hair, on the molecular level, translates into healthy growth and prevents hair loss.
In order to take full advantage of the rose oil’s powerful attributes, you need to make sure your head and hair receive the proper attention. As I see it, nothing can beat a hot oil treatment. It has the potential to moisturize your scalp like nothing else and it unclogs pores and rejuvenates the hair. For this treatment, you’ll need:
7-8 drops of rose essential oil (or 10 drops of rose water), two tablespoons of a carrier oil like jojoba
, olive or coconut oil. Add the carrier oil to a pan and bring the pan up to a reasonable heat; it should be warm, but not too hot, since you don’t want anything to burn.
Once the oil is heated, add the essential oils and stir so that they blend well. Remove the pan from the fire and allow it to cool. After all, the oil needs to be warm, not scalding hot. Use your fingertips to get some oil, then rub it into your scalp slowly and work your way to the bottom of your hair. Using circular motions massage it into the scalp lightly. Don’t be aggressive with yourself and your body.
Let the oil sink into your head. Wrap your hair in a towel for about 30 minutes, up to an hour. If you have the ability, use this time to meditate and feel the oil do its thing. Once the time has passed, rinse your hair with warm water and use a natural shampoo and conditioner to finish the job.
Rose Essential Oil Scent Described
Rose oil and rose water do NOT necessarily end up smelling like the roses from whence they came. Instead, they could have this very leafy-green kind of quality, which – while not unpleasant – is not reminiscent of roses at all. Actually, this is true to a lot of essential oils. Many times, the scent of an oil does not immediately relate to the plant which yielded it.
With roses, there is a very clear distinction between the absolute extract and the essential oil. The extract is much more floral and rosy, while the essential oil has an earthy, spicy kind of smell to it. In fact, rose oil has been considered something of an aphrodisiac because of its arousing aroma.
How To Make Your Own DIY Rose Oil
Rose Essential oil is produced by means of steam distillation, as previously mentioned. Since we don’t all have the ways and means of getting that done, there is an alternative version which makes use of the infusion process. This is not technically an essential oil, but there is a great deal of the rose’s essence in there, for sure. You’ll need:
- Ideally, freshly picked roses.
- Carrier oil such as light olive or jojoba.
- Glass jar & lid.
- Cheesecloths.
- A frying pan.
How to do it:
Add a few inches of water to the pan and bring it to a boil. Once it has boiled, remove it from the fire.
Pour your carrier oil (about a cup) into a glass jar, and add the same amount of crushed rose petals to the jar. Swirl the jar around, but don’t shake roughly. Make sure the petals are coated in oil.
Cover the jar tightly and place it in the frying pan. The warm oil is what releases the scent from the petals. Once the water in the pan has cooled down, move the jar to a warm area, such as a sunlit balcony or windowsill.
Let the jar sit in the sunny area for 24 hours, at least. Strain the oil through a cloth, and make sure to squeeze the petals in order to release as much oil as you can.
Pour the strained oil into a dark glass vial or bottle. Whichever it is, make sure that it remains cool and is protected from sunlight. Enjoy your oil!
19 Surprising Benefits of Rose Essential Oil https://t.co/TrDMip53nC
— Gina Busch (@cgbusch) July 3, 2017
Conclusion
Rose oil blends very well with Clary Sage, Jasmine, Lavender, Lemon and several others. You can use it in bath water, in hair care products, and just on the skin. As always, remember that essential oils are very concentrated and potent. If you plan on treating some kind of illness or condition, consult your physician before hand. Pregnant and nursing women, as well as young children, should probably avoid using this oil. But each case is different, so it’s your call. Everything really is coming up roses, isn’t it?