Roses are Red – A Dozen Rose Uses
Rose petals, Rose essential oil, Rose hydrosol, it’s all about Roses! Whether it’s a single stem, a dozen stems, or a potted miniature, the Rose is the classic symbol of Love. In each section below you’ll find simple ways to infuse your life with the Rose.
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In this Post:
The Roses in Aromatherapy
In Aromatherapy, the aroma of the Rose (Rosa spp) is considered heart-centered. It provides comfort, promoting self-love, and connection. Breathing in the aroma soothes tension, transferring the beauty of the Roses to heart and soul.
The aroma of the Rose is incredibly complex, created by hundreds of different molecules, some with a concentration as low as 0.009 parts per billion! This makes it an aroma that’s impossible to imitate.
Just a Drop Will Do!
Dozens of flowers are needed to create a single drop of this powerfully complex precious essential oil or absolute. [Other precious floral essential oils are Neroli (Citrus aurantium) and Jasmine (Jasminum grandiflorum).]
❤️Relax with Rose: Combine a drop of Rose absolute and a drop of Bergamot essential oil (Citrus bergamia) on a passive diffuser or tissue and place on your bedside table. The combined aroma is relaxing and soothing, and provides self care with every inhale.
❤️Rose Roller: Add a drop of Rose absolute to a 10ml roller bottle and top with Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) for a beautifully soothing, supportive Aromatherapy roll-on.
❤️Rose-n-Frank Cream: Stir a drop of Rose absolute and 2 drops Frankincense essential oil (Boswellia carteri) into 1 ounce of unscented cream for a divine centering hand and body cream.
❤️Love is in the Air: Use Rose Hydrosol as a simple linen refresher or air spray to “set the mood.”
The Roses in Skin Care
The Ancient Egyptians infused oil with rose petals, which they then used to make cosmetics, balms, cleansers, and medicine. It’s said that Cleopatra, who in her time was considered the epitome of beauty, bathed regularly in water infused with roses.
❤️Rose Hydrosol is one of the top “floral waters” in skin care. It tonifies and balances the skin, providing hydration and reducing irritation. It’s a useful setting agent for make-up. And because it’s gentle on even sensitive skin, it’s one of my favorites to use as a soothing mist at any time of day.
❤️Rose Hydrosol for Hair & Scalp: Mist your hair with Rose hydrosol for a refreshing, cooling aroma, and to enhance shine and reduce frizz. As wonderful as Rose hydrosol is on skin, it is fabulous on the scalp, too! Mist the roots of your hair with Rose hydrosol, massage gently into the scalp using circular motions. This hydrates and helps balance the skin of the scalp—great for both dry and oily scalp and hair!
❤️Rose for Body: A drop of Rose absolute takes an ounce of neutral after-bath body serum from ordinary to extraordinary! It combines with the warmth of the skin to provide a soft enveloping Rose fragrance.
❤️Rose for Face: With a light skin-feel yet rich in skin-nourishing fatty acids, Rosehip seed oil—cold-pressed from the very tiny seeds found in rosehips—is a lovely addition to DIY facial serums for all skin types. You can even add a drop of Rose absolute to 1-2 ounces of Rosehip seed facial serum to benefit from the skin-nourishing, as well as aromatherapeutic, properties of the Rose.
❤️Powdered Rose Scrubs: I also often use powdered Rose petals in my body sugar scrubs and facial cleansers. Combine with gentle-on-skin pink Kaolin clay for a cleansing scrub that can be used even on sensitive skin. And for an amazing blend of fragrances, try adding a drop or two of Vanilla botanical extract to a body scrub!
Spotlight: Rose Water vs Rose Hydrosol
Many people mistakenly think that Rose water and Rose hydrosol are synonymous.
❤️Rose Water is basically a tea made by steeping the petals in hot water until they lose their color. This Rose water tea makes a lovely addition to an aromatic bath. It can also be made at the end of a long day in the sun, chilled, and then misted on the skin to help cool a sunburn. Rose water should be used immediately or, if refrigerated, within a couple of days.
❤️Rose Hydrosol is the “rose water” used in skin care an aromatherapy. Hydrosol is a product of distillation. To make Rose Hydrosol the roses are placed in a large still along with water. The water is then heated; the steam travels through the roses and then through a cooling coil. As the steam cools, it condenses producing the liquid distillate, or hydrosol. A very small amount of essential oil (“Rose Otto”) floats on the surface of the hydrosol. The essential oil is drawn off and the remaining liquid is the hydrosol we use in skin care and in aromatherapy. Rose hydrosol generally has a shelf-life of one to two years, depending on storage conditions.
❤️Rose Hydrosol often used in baking to provide a delicate rose aroma to cookies, pastries, and delicacies, like Turkish Delight.
💚PRO TIP: Use a coffee grinder to powder your organic herbs. Get one just for your herbs, though, or your coffee will taste like herbs and your herbs will smell like coffee! Once ground, pour the herbs through a very fine mesh sieve to remove any remaining bits.
The Roses in Herbal Tea
If you are familiar with my tea blends, you may have noticed that every blend contains Rose petals. To me, Rose petals act as the heart in a tea blend.
You’ll find Rose petals for tea in both red and pink varieties. I love the pop of color they provide. To me the colors and textures of the dried herbs in a blend enhance the experience of drinking herbal tea.
Rose petals provide a sweet aroma and a delicate flavor that belie their gentle strength. Like the essential oil, Rose petals in tea provide heart-centered support—we can all use a little of that, right?
❤️Tea for Two: 2-3 tablespoons of Rose petals steeped in 16 ounces of hot water until the petals are pale (about 10-12 minutes), produces a delicately floral, slightly herbaceous, tea with a soft golden pink hue. Sweetened with just a touch of ❤️Herbal Honey, and this is a lovely tea for two.
❤️Rose Tub Tea: Rose petals also make an amazing herbal tea for a bath or foot soak! They can either be added directly to the water or put in a reusable muslin/cotton draw-string bag.
The Rose in Legend
One legend has it that the first Rose came into being at the birth of Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love. It was a pure White Rose.
In another tale, Adonis, Aphrodite’s lover, was mortally wounded by a boar. In one version of the story, as Aphrodite rushed to Adonis’ side, she pricked her feet on the thorns of a White Rose bush, her blood staining petals red. In another version, as she cradled Adonis’ body in her arms Aphrodite wept. Her tears mixed with his blood, and wherever they fell to the earth, a bush covered in Red Roses sprang forth.
In either case, the symbol of Eternal Love was born. Love, like the aroma of the Rose, is complex, precious like the petals, and like the thorns, sometimes painful.
❤️Make every day an Annual Day of Love. Cherish every precious moment you have with all who you love and who love you. Be grateful for the Roses despite their Thorns.
Mom’s Recommended Suppliers
Rose essential oil and Rose absolute, Rose hydrosol, Rose petals, Rose powder, and more, my Love Makes the World Go Around list on Amazon has all of the ingredients and tools necessary to make everything in this blog post!
Preferred Suppliers of Rose Absolute & Rose Otto
- Rose Absolute/Otto (Rosa damascena / R. centifolia):
- Aromatics International, Absolute, organic
- Plant Therapy, Absolute, sustainable (Direct and Amazon)
- Aromatics International, Otto, organic
- Plant Therapy, Otto, sustainable (Direct and Amazon).
Preferred Suppliers of Rose Hydrosol, Rosehip Seed Oil, & Rose Petal Powder
- Rose Hydrosol (Rosa damascena):
- Plant Therapy, sustainable (Direct and Amazon)
- Aromatics International, organic.
- Rosehip seed oil (Rosa spp):
- Powdered Rose Petals (Rosa spp):
- Anima Mundi Apothecary (on Amazon).
Preferred Suppliers of Organic Rose Petals & Rose Hips
- Rose Petals (Rosa spp):
- TooGood Botanics, organic (on Amazon)
- Starwest Botanicals, organic (on Amazon).
- Rose Hips (Rosa spp):
- Elanen naturals, organic (on Amazon)
- FGOrganics, organic (on Amazon).
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is for educational purposes only.
All recipes provided are for personal use and are not designed for re-sale or large-scale manufacturing.
Please consult your doctor, naturopath, herbal practitioner, or other qualified health professional for medical advice and before starting any herbal regimen, particularly if you are pregnant or nursing, have any existing medical conditions, or are taking any medications.
Chris P | Writer, Certified Aromatherapist, Natural Skin Care Formulator
Chris (“Mom”) enjoys formulating bespoke aromatherapy, skin care, and herbal products to support her family, pets, friends, and clients. She also loves experimenting with recipes in the kitchen. An avid reader, writer, and lifetime learner, Chris enthusiastically explores research rabbit holes and then writes about her discoveries.💚 (Learn more >>)
