Beneficial effects of the Rose water
Rose water is one of the most precious cosmetic products that exist on the market. What makes it unique is the fact that it is completely natural, perfectly safe and harmless to use for anybody and extremely effective at the same time. Rose water has very strong antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, which means it has a beneficial effect on all skin irritations and inflammations. It is one of the best products, which cure acne with great efficiency and without drying or damaging the skin, like other more aggressive products. Acne is usually caused by the extra sebum, produced in the skin, which becomes then trapped in the pores. Rose water cleans that extra sebum, disinfects and soothes the skin, thus removing all traces of acne and preventing from its re-appearance. It also has the unique property to regulate the balance of oils and moisture in the skin, which makes it suitable for both oily and dry skin. Rose water is extremely good for people with sensitive skin, because being 100% natural, pure and safe, it doesn't cause any allergic reactions, but just the opposite - calms down redness, eliminates spots and evens the complexion. And, of course, it also leaves a divine rose fragrance.
How is Rose water extracted?
Natural Rose water is a by-product from the production of Rose oil. Rose oil is extracted through steam distillation - tons and tons of rose petals from the oil-bearing Damask Rose are steamed with hot water, which evaporates and then condensates. The Rose oil is separated, by floating on the surface and what remains underneath is the Rose water. That is why Rose water is so pure - it is basically an infusion of rose petals with pure boiling water only. Rose oil and Rose water are produced in the very same process and they share many ingredients. Even though Rose oil is extracted, there is always some Rose oil left and present in the Rose water. Any Rose water contains between 0.025 and 0.10% Rose essential oil.
What are the components of the Rose water?
Rose oil has an extremely complex composition, which has not been entirely unriddled yet. For this reason Rose oil cannot be synthesised in any artificial way. More than 300 components are identified in the Rose oil, most of which are natural alcohols and aromatising ingredients. The same ingredients are also present in the Rose water, in smaller percentage. Two of the key components of Rose oil and Rose water are Citronellol and Geraniol. They are not artificially added, but are key and very important natural ingredients. They are responsible for the distinctive fragrance of Rose oil and Rose water. There is no real and natural Rose water without those two substances. It is also very important to clarify that Rose water contains many naturally occurring alcohols, which are also not added to it, but exist as an inseparable part of the Rose oil. These natural alcohols are not harmful for the skin - they are the ones, which give the typical Rose aroma and also they are responsible for the antibacterial effect of the Rose water. They are the ones, to which Rose water owes most of its beneficial properties. Natural Rose water, extracted from real flowers, without alcohol, Citronellol and Geraniol, does not exist.
Some Rose waters also contain a very tiny amount of Phenoxyethanol. This is a very safe and harmless preservative, approved for use in natural and organic cosmetics. It doesn't deteriorate the composition of the Rose water in any way. Phenoxyethanol only improves the properties of Rose water with time, because Rose waters, which don't contain any preservative have shorter expiry date and they have to be used within a shorter period of time, otherwise their positive effects gradually fade. The only purpose of the preservative is to prevent from developing of bacteria and fungi in the Rose water, which might be harmful for the skin.