By Keri Mckenzie

ROSEWATER – The Perfect addition to your Summer Skin Regime 

Rosewater dates back centuries to when the Romans dropped petals in the water and wine to further connect to Venus, the goddess of love.   

Cleopatra the Queen was one of the most beautiful women in history popularly known to bathe in rosewater with milk and honey, used to soften and purify her skin.  She used roses throughout her day ritualistically filling the aroma of rose around her.  History has even written that the key to her eternal beauty was the use of roses so much in her daily life.  

The plant components in Rosewater made from steeping rose petals is what gives the powerful herbal therapeutic agents for your skin, read below the benefits of including this into your skin care routine: 

• If you have irritated skin like acne, rosacea or eczema, rosewater eases and calms the skin with its anti-inflammatory properties. It has a cooling effect on the skin instantly which helps the skin feel nourished and calm – also perfect for the coming summer months if you happen to get sunburnt.
• It offers cell protection through roses high concentration of phenolic compounds, this helps with aging skin and protects the cells from free radical damage. These outside elements that stress the skin are what cause premature aging and damaged skin.
• Rosewater is widely known for its hydrating properties. Once spritzed over the face it absorbs fast leaving you instantly feeling refreshed, and it plumps the skin leaving it feel smooth and supple.
• Rosewater has astringent, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties this stimulates, tightens and firms up the skin.

There are so many rosewater products in the market and they all smell and feel so different. Why is that? What differentiates Rosewater is down what variety of rose was used, the geographic growing conditions and preparation. 

Preparation nowadays compared to historically has adapted and changed slightly to what people call rosewater. There are different methods of preparing rosewater such as distilling, simmering and using essential oils. That is why there is so much difference in quality and experience when testing different rosewater products, if you have tried one and have not liked it, I suggest to keep trying until you find one you LOVE because when you find the sweet-scented perfect rosewater - it is an experience.  

Many Rosewater products on the market are synthetic or artificial and they will not have the therapeutic benefits as discussed above. The way to always know what the product is to read the label for the ingredients. For rosewater, generally speaking the less ingredients on the label, the better.  

Rosewater not only gives you the health-giving benefits to the skin but also improves your mood through the therapeutic components in the plant, the ultimate product to have by your side coming into the summer!