Looking for the best DIY rose water recipe? Rose water has been revered for thousands of years! The usage of rose water can, in fact, be traced all the way to Queen Cleopatra. Rose water has multiple benefits, from being a refreshing facial spritz to its use in massage oil, tea, and even for cooking with.
And the best news is you don’t need to pay for expensive rose water brands – you can easily make rose water at home. The best DIY rose water recipe involves simply adding 5-6 fresh roses in full bloom to distilled water. Damask roses are best for the highest-quality rose water, but you can use almost any type of rose. If you want to use rose water on your skin though, make sure the roses are organic to avoid irritating pesticides and chemicals.
I got addicted to the idea of making rose water while living in the Mediterranean, because their big, full roses bloom for most of the year and I really wanted to find some use for them!
Table of Contents
What Do I Need To Make Rose Water At Home?
- distilled water – either store-bought, or distilled tap water
- a small bowl
- a coffee mug
- a saucepan
- a pan lid – larger than the saucepan, preferably transparent and without a hole in it
- ice – minimum 5 cups, but the more, the better
- suction device or paper towels
- 5 to 6 roses in full bloom
- wire mesh strainer
- dark container or a spray bottle
- glycerin
What Kind Of Roses Are Best For Making Rose Water?
Use fresh roses
When you are making rose water, use fresh rose petals as a best bet for both color and scent. Dried rose petals might not give the best end result. Fresh rose petals tend to hold their scent for longer, and stay fresh throughout making the rose water.
Dried rose petals are more fragile, so for best results for your rose water you’re going to want to make sure you’re using fresh roses.
Use Organic Roses
Considering this is a product you will be either drinking or otherwise using on your body, as always, make sure your roses are grown organically.
Whether you grow them under your own watchful eye in your front yard or buy them is less important, but keep away from decorative roses found at the florist’s shop.
These rose flowers are meant to be purely ornamental, and while they do smell and look lovely, they might be treated with various chemicals and pesticides, which will do more harm than good in the long run.
What Type Of Rose Is Best For Rose Water?
There are no rules on what kind of roses are best! However, many perfumers and holistic experts swear by using Damask roses in rose water. Damask roses are mostly grown in the area of the world-famous Rose Valley in Bulgaria, and research conducted by the University of California, Irvine, found that Damask roses have potent anti-aging properties.
So if your rose water is intended for use on your skin, these are most likely to be the best roses you can use.
They have been shown many times over to promote mental health and lower stress levels, and are renowned for their fragrance and sweet taste, making them a step or few better for usability than roses raised for decoration.
Bulgaria is well-known for its long tradition of rose production, especially in its world-famous Rose Valley. Located just south of the Balkan Mountains, the Valley covers just under 1900 square kilometers with roses of the highest quality. Bulgarian rosarians raise hundreds of thousands of roses in the Valley yearly, yielding rose oil that is so rich in essential oils, vitamins, and nutrients that it is often nicknamed “liquid gold”.
Therefore – if you can get Damask roses for your rose water, you might end up with beautiful quality rose water.
If not, any organic rose will do, as long as you can verify its upbringing and exclude the possibility of florists treating the plant with pesticides and inorganic fertilizers.
Preparing rose petals
- Harvest petals off of 5 or so organically-sourced roses. The best way to do this is to grasp lightly at the base and pull the petals in a soft, upwards motion. Be sure not to include leaves, stem, or stamen as they leave a bitter taste and aren’t meant to be used in rose water, which should be made out of rose petals strictly.
- Spread the rose petals apart into a wire mesh strainer and run under a stream of water to remove dirt, debris, bugs, and any other residue from their time in the garden.
Making distilled water
Whether you choose to use store-bought distilled water or make your own, the end product will be equally as good. Make sure not to use tap water, however, as chlorine and fluoride might be pre-added, both of which you might want to avoid using on your skin and body.
- Fill a clean saucepan with your desired amount of tap water.
- Place a floating, heat-resistant bowl onto the tap water.
- Place a transparent, hole-less pan lid upside down onto the saucepan, with the handle aimed for the center of the bowl.
- Turn the heat up onto a high setting and allow water to reach the boiling stage.
- Put a 1/2 cup of ice cubes onto the upside-down pan lid. As the water melts, use a suction device or paper towels to carefully remove it. Keep adding ice cubes as they melt.
- You will notice condensation forming on the upside-down pan lid. You will also see that the condensation is sliding towards the center as the water boils. The floating bowl in the middle will catch all the distilled water.
- When there is no more condensation, turn off the heat. Allow all of the tools and elements used to cool down. Extract the floating bowl with distilled water inside and set aside.
Making the rose water
- Into a clean saucepan, place a coffee mug in the center.
- Place fresh, rinsed rose petals around the coffee mug in the desired quantity.
- Pour distilled water over the rose petals. Make sure that the amount of distilled water you pour in barely covers the petals. Adding more water than necessary or adding water first is bad, as it makes it easier for you to accidentally and unintentionally dilute the rose water.
- Gently and slightly lift off the coffee mug. You want some water to go under, so that the coffee mug is not directly touching the heating element, which can cause it to break.
- Put a heat-resistant bowl on top of the coffee mug.
- Place a transparent, hole-less pan lid upside-down onto the saucepan, with the handle aimed for the center of the bowl.
- Turn the heat to a medium-high setting. Allow for the mixture to simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, ideally until rose petals fully drain their color.
- Consistently add about 1/2 cup of ice cubes onto the upside-down lid. As they are melting, keep removing the melted water and adding ice cubes.
- After about 40 minutes, remove from heat. Allow both the water in the bowl and in the saucepan to cool.
You will have noticed that you have two different sorts of rose water.
In the small bowl on top of the coffee mug, you will have a small amount of very pure, twice-distilled, and potent rose water.
This rose water, once sufficiently cooled, should be transferred to a dark container or a spray bottle and be used as a fragrance or makeup setter. In ideal conditions, it can have a shelf-life of up to one year. For added long-lasting effects, you can add 10 drops of glycerin for every 50 mL of the potent rose water.
In the saucepan, along with colorless rose petals, there will be regular rose water that is less pure. It still retains all of the benefits of rose water and is much more suited for drinking, incorporating in meals, or as a face wash.
Pure rose water is colorless, while rose petals give a certain, usually red pigment to regular rose water. As such, it also has a great use in coloring drinks and foods. Strain the remaining rose petals with a wire mesh strainer and store in a dark and cold place.
Benefits of rose water
This list is endless. Truly. I’m not joking. It’s endless.
First off, rose water is absolutely fantastically soothing. It is anti-inflammatory, and as such, it soothes skin redness, gets rid of your acne problems, dermatitis and eczema quickly.
It is a fabulous and gentle cleanser, efficiently removing oil, clearing impurities and dirt accumulated in clogged pores on your skin. In fact, skincare enthusiasts love rose water for its abilities to control excess oil and maintain skin pH balance. This is why many dermatologists recommend rose water as a tonic or a face wash.
Furthermore, rose water can help you fight the good fight against dry and frizzy hair. Combine equal parts glycerin & rosewater and apply it to your scalp with the help of cotton pads. Massage this nourishing mixture in for about 10 to 15 minutes. Afterward, leave it in to do its magic for about 30 minutes and wash out with gentle shampoo. As a frizzy-haired girl, I promise – it’s transformative, without greasing your hair to make it look straighter.
Rose water will help even out and soothe mild scalp inflammation and help you get rid of dandruff, as well. After shampooing and conditioning your hair, you can also rinse your hair in rose water for added scent to your lovely locks.
To add to this, this excellent tonic is absolutely refreshing. It’s incredibly easy to apply by simply spritzing your face. Don’t worry if you use makeup heavily or frequently – it is, in fact, shown to aid in setting it and keeping it long-lasting for longer.
Besides, rose mist will leave your skin radiant, fresh, hydrated, moisturized, and simply – revitalized. Use it daily, and you will notice apparent changes after a week has passed.
One of the best properties of roses is that they’re filled to the brim with anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are known to keep us looking young and fresh, strengthening skin cells and regenerating skin tissue, removing fine lines and wrinkles.
Believe it or not, frequent rose water application can also aid in healing scars, cuts, and wounds of any kind. This is due to anti-bacterial properties found in rose petals.
If your issues are as simple as some redness, astringent properties of roses take care of that, too. It will tone your skin, clear out your pores, and tighten capillaries. Get ready for a natural, glowing look and say goodbye to puffiness and blotchiness! If your days in front of the computer screen are long, dip some cotton pads in rose water and leave on your eyes to quickly revitalize the puffiness and dryness of your strained eyes.
However, you don’t necessarily have to use rose water as a beauty product. You can, quite simply, just drink it! Add rose nectar for increased sweetness or combine with other fruits and vegetables for an additional energy boost.
You can add rose water to cereal, tea, desserts, alcoholic drinks, salads, or even ice-cream. Among other amazing properties, rose water also helps constipation and digestion troubles, as well as with colds, flu, and sore throat.
Lastly, therapists most commonly use rose aroma in aromatherapy – for a perfect reason. Rose scent is a powerful mood enhancer, alleviating depression, anxiety, and even allergies. It aids relaxation and well-being, has a calming and balancing effect on the mind.
If you don’t believe me, try it for yourself – draw a bath, add rose water and some rose petals. Prepare to be very relaxed and high in spirits when you finally decide to exit! For added effect and a deep and invigorating sleep, add to sheets and pillowcases.
I hope I have convinced you to give rose water a try and reap wonderful health and beauty benefits! If you want to know more about how to raise big healthy rose blooms for rose water, rose tea, or other DIY rose projects, make sure to check out this article right here!
