In recent years I've started to develop eczema on my forearms (fun). The main trigger for me is the cold, and I always notice it more in winter. It doesn't cause me an itchiness or irritability, but it is noticeable and something I can get slightly insecure about. After reading about the properties of rose, especially its benefits in skincare, I decided to try making my own rose oil to see if it would have any effect. I can honestly say it's had an amazing effect!
Now before I continue I really have declare that I am not a registered medical professional in any way whatsoever. I strongly recommend that you do your own research, speak with a doctor, and always patch test (just on a small amount of skin) when making your own lotions and potions.
Rose water is often used a skin toner as it is reputed to reduce redness and even skin tone and is touted to be one of the best remedies for reducing scar and skin blemishes as well as acting as an anti-inflammatory. A natural antibacterial with astringent properties, rose is great for people with sensitive skin.
Making rose oil is easy if you have the right ingredients, and the time. Follow this simple method to create your own batch of rose infused oil. It uses the double boiler method which you may be familiar with, but just in case I have outlined the instructions below:
Now before I continue I really have declare that I am not a registered medical professional in any way whatsoever. I strongly recommend that you do your own research, speak with a doctor, and always patch test (just on a small amount of skin) when making your own lotions and potions.
Rose water is often used a skin toner as it is reputed to reduce redness and even skin tone and is touted to be one of the best remedies for reducing scar and skin blemishes as well as acting as an anti-inflammatory. A natural antibacterial with astringent properties, rose is great for people with sensitive skin.
Making rose oil is easy if you have the right ingredients, and the time. Follow this simple method to create your own batch of rose infused oil. It uses the double boiler method which you may be familiar with, but just in case I have outlined the instructions below:
You Will Need:
Method:
1. Place the dried rose petals in the metal or glass bowl, and cover with oil. You should put in just enough oil that the rose petals are covered, not so much that they are swimming in it.
2. Place water in the saucepan and heat over the hob until it is simmering. You don't need much - enough that the water won't evaporate right away but not so much that the bottom of the bowl will touch the water when you place it in the saucepan.
3. Place the bowl in the saucepan. As mentioned above, the bottom of the bowl must not touch the water - the idea is to heat the oil and rose petals with the heat from the water. If the bowl fits inside the saucepan then you need a bigger bowl or smaller saucepan.
4. Leave it for a minimum of one hour, maximum two. Check on it regularly; you might have to refill the water in the bottom of the saucepan because if the water evaporates completely then you will ruin your pan (you will soon realize if that has happened from the burning smell it produces, trust me on that one). Remember that the bowl will be hot so always make sure that you are using gloves or something heatproof to cover your hands when handling it.
5. Once the necessary time has passed, turn off the hob. Wait for the oil to to cool down before doing anything with it.
6. Once it is cool, pour the oil through the cheesecloth or whatever you are using to strain it, into the glass bottle (so that the rose petals are separated; these can just be disposed of once this has been done).
I usually apply the oil using a cotton pad to the afflicted area when it is needed (you only need a small amount - a little bit goes a long way!) and it really helps to reduce the dryness and the redness, to the point where it is almost unnoticeable unless you are looking for it.
One thing I have noticed about the oil is it can cause spots in areas where you may be prone to them (for me it is my back), so avoid using it on these areas. In these instances you would be better off with rose water.
To make rose water you simply place the rose petals directly in a saucepan and add enough water to cover them and put it the hob to simmer over a medium heat for roughly 30 minutes. Again, remember to keep checking it and top up the water if necessary before waiting for it to cool and then straining it into a bottle.
- Dried Rose Petals
- Olive Oil
- Access to a Hob
- Saucepan
- Metal or Glass Bowl
- Water
- Glass Jar
- Something to strain the oil through; cheesecloth will work, or I have some disposable tea-bags I use
Method:
1. Place the dried rose petals in the metal or glass bowl, and cover with oil. You should put in just enough oil that the rose petals are covered, not so much that they are swimming in it.
2. Place water in the saucepan and heat over the hob until it is simmering. You don't need much - enough that the water won't evaporate right away but not so much that the bottom of the bowl will touch the water when you place it in the saucepan.
3. Place the bowl in the saucepan. As mentioned above, the bottom of the bowl must not touch the water - the idea is to heat the oil and rose petals with the heat from the water. If the bowl fits inside the saucepan then you need a bigger bowl or smaller saucepan.
4. Leave it for a minimum of one hour, maximum two. Check on it regularly; you might have to refill the water in the bottom of the saucepan because if the water evaporates completely then you will ruin your pan (you will soon realize if that has happened from the burning smell it produces, trust me on that one). Remember that the bowl will be hot so always make sure that you are using gloves or something heatproof to cover your hands when handling it.
5. Once the necessary time has passed, turn off the hob. Wait for the oil to to cool down before doing anything with it.
6. Once it is cool, pour the oil through the cheesecloth or whatever you are using to strain it, into the glass bottle (so that the rose petals are separated; these can just be disposed of once this has been done).
I usually apply the oil using a cotton pad to the afflicted area when it is needed (you only need a small amount - a little bit goes a long way!) and it really helps to reduce the dryness and the redness, to the point where it is almost unnoticeable unless you are looking for it.
One thing I have noticed about the oil is it can cause spots in areas where you may be prone to them (for me it is my back), so avoid using it on these areas. In these instances you would be better off with rose water.
To make rose water you simply place the rose petals directly in a saucepan and add enough water to cover them and put it the hob to simmer over a medium heat for roughly 30 minutes. Again, remember to keep checking it and top up the water if necessary before waiting for it to cool and then straining it into a bottle.
