I have recently begun using rose water in rotation with witch hazel as a facial toner. Rose water is a distillation of damask rose petals. It smells wonderful - not like all those awful synthetic rose fragrances. That's because it's the real thing, baby.
According to www.wisegeek.com, rose water is an anti-bacterial and has antiseptic properties. In ancient Rome, people bathed in it and it is still used in many countries today as a hand wash. Www.answers.com also says that rose water can be directly sprayed to the face as a natural fragrance and moisturizer, especially in the winter. It is also used in India as drops to clear the eyes. Because of this, I always try to let a little of the spritz get into my eyes when I use it. In addition, www.alcanz.com, says that rose water has been used for thousands of years as a natural toner and astringent because it balances and restores skin's PH levels and tightens pores.
I tend to naturally have larger pores. I have noticed a definite reduction in pore size since I have begun adding rose water as a toner as part of my skin care routine. Plus, it seems to really soften my skin. Now, I don't think that using rose water is absolutely necessary to include as part of skin care. As a matter of fact, I solely used witch hazel with great results for nearly two decades. But, since I have access to the rose water now, I have noticed additional benefits since using it.
One word of caution if you should want to use rose water as a toner - make sure you buy pure rose water. The first time I picked it up was at the grocery store in the ethnic food isle, as it is also widely used in cooking. When I got home I realized that the rose water I bought used rose fragrance instead of being a pure distillate. So, now I buy mine at Whole Foods. It is a little more expensive than witch hazel, but still much less costly than other toners. I pay $5.95 for a 4 oz. bottle, which lasts several months. It is even less expensive to buy a larger bottle, but it's not always available.
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Have you ever heard of using rose water in facial care? Would you ever consider using it?
I am so glad I stumled across your site:)
ReplyDeleteWe travel so much that having any type of simple natural routine sometimes is frustrating:) This is helpingn me to refocus and keep it cheap and healthy which is HUGE!!!
Blessings!
Dear Miss Pam,
DeleteMy name is Liina and i am write to you because i try to email you but it does nott work?
Please excuse me for my english, it is not my strong point.
Your site has been huge impact on my life. I used to be so embarressing of my oily skin, dry flaky skin surrounding my nose, and my acne. I use everything from expensive proactiv wash to cheap cvs acne wash. nothing work and i waste money and get so angry and sad!
So then my sister Julie says to go to your site which she found and try some of your helping hints. i try out witch hazel and olive oil and in less then week, my acne is almost being gone! i am miracled! i am so happy that i cry because i am being bullied at my school for my having acne and now it is gone! i am thanking you over and again, so much i would name my baby your name if i had one, thank you so much!
One thing i am asking you, about this rose water? i look at food market store and find rose water in smallish bottle in baking isle. but ingredients say 1% rose water and 50% alcohol. and warning says for food only, to avoid contact with hands and face. that sounds not safe? am i finding wrong rose water? where else am i to finding this right rose water?
Hi Liina!
DeleteThank you so much for sharing your story with me! It has touched me more than I could ever tell you! Please email me at pureyankabilly@gmail.com. I'm sorry that you weren't able to reach me by email. Use the pureyankabilly address this time. I would really love to talk with you more. And, I have something for you if it would be alright with you.
Hugs,
Pam
Journey,
ReplyDeleteYou've totally made my day!
Pam
I must say, this stuff works fantastically! I know this will sound weird, but I feel like a real rose, y'know how you see the gardeners at gardens spraying the roses and other flowers with spray bottles every so often. and afterwards, they look so refreshed and glowing? well, that is me right now.
DeleteI got a bottle of rose water toner from our local whole foods and now keep it in my purse to 'every so often' refresh my face.
it smells delightful, too, not all fake like those 'rose-scented' lotions and other moisturizers do.
thanks a bunch for this! will definitely be checking out more of your site!
oh, btw, do you have any tips or advice for dry, chapped lips? mine are the absolute worst in the transition from winter to spring. they peel and then they hurt whenever i drink something hot or really cold. maybe some kind of exfoliating scrub or lip gloss?
Hi Kendra!
DeleteI'm so glad that the rose water is working so well for you! I hate the smell of synthetic roses, but the natural smell of roses is glorious! The smell of real rose water like you're now using instantly calms me. I love how it smells. :0)
As far as lips go, I sell a lip balm on my Etsy shop that is the best thing I've ever used. I was a DCT fan for decades, but I like this stuff even better. I'm really wanting to stay away from petroleum based products, which aren't good for you and DCT like most lip products are petroleum based. What I really like about my lip balm is that it stays on your lips without being sticky. I also put tea tree oil in it for it's healing properties. If you're interested, leave me a message telling me you'd like the luscious lip balm. I don't have it loaded on the site yet, but do have it made. I think it would suit your needs better. There is a tab at the top of my blog that says Pure Yankabilly - it's a direct link to my shop. If you're not interested in that and don't care about using petroleum - then I'd try DCT.
Have a great weekend!
A quick tip for Kendra
DeleteI too have had a bad rash of dry, flaky, peeling lips that have been quite painful. One of my co-workers suggested that I try an olive oil/honey/sugar scrub on my lips. I tried it and it works wonderfully. My lips feel nice and smooth without wasting all that money on scented lip glosses that never seemed to work for me. And everything needed to make it is found in your home. I thought you'd like this too Pam since every one of these recipes uses some type of olive oil. Here's the one I'm using now:
Take approximately 2 tablespoons of plain table sugar in a small bowl. Add honey, one teaspoon at a time, until it reaches a nice, thick, sticky, consistency. Add a few drops of Olive Oil and blend well.
At the sink, get a bit of the mixture, and start gently rubbing it on your clean lips (remove any lipstick, gloss, or balms first). Go gently! Make sure you lightly scrub all lip surfaces and the corners. Do not scrub using a toothbrush as the bristles will be too harsh for sensitive, chapped lips and will further irritate them.
Great tip, Cassie! Thanks for sharing!
DeleteI love rosewater toner and have been making my own for a while. Like your blog hope you will stop by my site at www.CompleteSkinCareTherapy.com
ReplyDeleteHi Carol ~
DeleteThank you! I'm so glad you like this lil' ol' blog of mine. :-) I will definitely stop by your site. Thanks for letting me know about it!
You can find less expensive rose water in some Mediterranean food stores, you just need to read the ingredients. I always have food-grade rose water around (the actual distillate, not the water + fragrance type) to add to my baklawa.
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret! Unfortunately, I live in a pretty rural area with no access to Mediterranean food stores. I'm sure they would be a wonderful place to buy rose water, though. The only kind I have found at our grocery stores is the kind with added fragrance, not real rosewater. Thank you for sharing this, though, as I'm sure many people would have access to Mediterranean markets. I must say I think I would love to find one as we're big fans of Mediterranean food here!
DeleteCan I just add some more water to the store bought rose water? Do I need to refrigerate?
DeleteI have never refrigerated mine. If you add water to the rose water you will dilute it. I suppose you could do that if you thought it were too strong. I never intend to dilute mine simply for the sake of dilution. I do mix it with some witch hazel so that I reap the benefits of both products.
Delete
ReplyDeleteThank you. I just wanted to know where to ship it since I know now to keep producing it
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