More than just a romantic gesture, the base scent of your summer perfume, and the shade name of your favourite lipstick, rose is a powerful skincare ingredient in its own right. In fact, it’s one of the oldest tricks in the book – it’s been used since Roman times to soothe, clear, and hydrate skin. Here’s everything you need to know…
Uses & Benefits
Benefit: Prevents acne
Skin’s pH balance is slightly acidic and sits between 4.5 and 6.2 – the acidity helps to prevent the growth of the bacteria that can lead to acne. However, even just washing your face with water can disrupt this balance and push skin towards the alkaline end of the scale. Because the pH of rosewater is 5.5 (which is practically what your skin’s should be!), it’s an excellent way to restore balance to your skin and keep acne at bay.
Use for: Toning
Traditional skincare practice calls for cleansing, toning, and moisturising, but in recent years, toning has taken a bit of a backseat. The thing is, it’s actually a really valuable step and will help to remove residual dirt and oil while preparing skin to absorb the ingredients in your serum and moisturiser. Rosewater makes a great toner because it helps to break down anything lingering on the surface of the skin and isn’t as harsh as other toning ingredients like witch hazel and tea tree.
Benefit: Reduces puffiness and inflammation
Rosewater has anti-inflammatory properties which means it helps to calm any kind of angry redness caused by the likes of irritation, sunburn, eczema, and acne, but it also works miracles when it comes to reducing under-eye puffiness. Soak cotton pads in rosewater and gently press them over your eyes for a few minutes, then wash your eyes with cold water.
Use for: Refreshing skin and setting makeup
Whether you’re on a long-haul flight or suffering through a stuffy day at the office, a quick spritz of rosewater provides instant refreshment without disturbing your makeup. In fact, rosewater actually does a surprisingly good job of setting makeup and restoring a smooth texture and glow if your makeup tends to turn cakey as the day goes on. Top tip: Store your rosewater in the fridge for an ultra-refreshing hit.
Beauty Editor's Pick
Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe Herbs and Rosewater
I’ve been through multiple bottles of this over the past few years, due to the fact I spray it at literally every opportunity (seriously, I’ve even got my boyfriend hooked on the stuff). It’s excellent for prepping skin for makeup, setting makeup, soothing irritation, and refreshing skin in the midst of long-haul flights (it even makes for a refreshing hangover cure).
