When I was first starting to get into the world of rose water, I had no idea where to start and how to use rose water for oily skin! I have had mild adult acne and an oily T-zone for, well, most of my teenage years and adult life, how can rose water help?
Rose water usually contains very high concentrations of vitamins, specifically vitamin A, C, D, E and B3 which are vitamins frequently used in skincare formulas to help oily skin. Vitamin A prevents sun damage, vitamin C protects against stress and pollution, and you probably know vitamin D as the “sunshine vitamin” which gives us all a nice glow! Vitamin E is anti-oxidant and improves overall tightness of your skin, while vitamin B3 locks in the natural moisture in the skin. These natural vitamins found in rose water help improve oily skin and prevent breakouts. It’s also anti-bacterial which stops spots and acne getting infected and causing scarring.
For oily, acne-prone skin, you can use rose water in combination with glycerin, turmeric, witch hazel, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. This will improve the appearance of your scars, clear your face and keep acne from returning. For generally oily or combination skin, you can use rose water as your cleanser, toner and moisturiser! Use is as a cleanser with honey, use it as a toner standalone or with green tea and mint, and use it as a rich moisturiser combined with apricot and almond oil.
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If you have oily skin, you generally probably have quite a lot of free radicals in your skin, causing damage and pimples to appear. Free radicals can’t form if you use rose water, giving you smooth, breakout-free skin. Rose water is high in anti-oxidants which help fight the free radicals and prevent them from causing skin damage.
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Can Rose Water Heal Redness And Inflammation?
Rose water is also known to be very soothing. It has been used for centuries to treat sunburns, dark circles, eczema, redness and inflammation. Part of this is due to the fact of how alike skin pH and rose water pH are. This makes it a great treatment for any sort of irritation!
If you’re not struggling with acne anymore, but you have the leftover scars from teenage years, rose water is definitely for you! Phenolics and vitamin C work together to fade the scars over prolonged rose water use. They accomplish this by completely rejuvenating the skin and allowing it to strip away dead layers and rebuild scar tissue over time.
How does rose water help oily skin?
If you have oily skin, it generally means that either your T-zone or entire facial area secretes too much oil or sebum. Those who have oily skin usually have issues with enlarged pores, clogged pores or even acne. Rose water has astringent properties, which means that it tightens and cleans skin and pores.
The main issue with oily skin and commercial skincare is that the cleaners are toners which are supposed to help you regulate it actually do a bad job. Additionally, some commercial toners aimed towards oily skin generally strip the oil so aggressively that you’re actually left with incredibly dry skin, or even an allergic response.
Rose water is a great permanent substitute, as it is both intensely hydrating and controls oil production. Not only that, but it is very soothing and calms redness. This is sure to leave you with a healthy glow, instead of sending you to the dermatologist’s office!
Rose water works its magic on your skin by increasing the level of water in your skin, as opposed to the currently high level of oil. Not only does rose water tone your skin, but it actually gently lifts the dirt from the pores without rough exfoliation.
As roses and your skin like the same slightly acidic pH, you will find it a gentle fit to your skincare routine. This is straight in opposition to chemical cleaners and toners, which are usually slightly more basic, making it harder for your skin to respond positively.
Plus, if you have breakouts, rose water is anti-bacterial, making it more unlikely for any germs to stay on your face for long and contribute to pesky pimples!
Should I use homemade rose water or commercial rose water on my oily skin?
Commercial rose water is a better pick to use in your everyday skin routine because it will have been carefully checked for signs of impurities and most likely tested on human testers for any adverse reaction.
However you know that over here at A Prettier Petal we love a good DIY, especially during lockdown season, so we happily opt for homemade rose water. If you use organic roses for preparing your DIY rose water, you will get food-grade rose water. I definitely fully recommend it for cocktails, drinking, cooking or even a perfume! However, if you’re planning to incorporate it into your daily skin routine, do so carefully.
When choosing a great rose water brand, look for a product which is double or triple distilled, as this ensures the purity of the rose water and ensures you get and made with Bulgarian roses like this one. It has over 6000 reviews! and is certified organic. This rose water is actually a toning spray which makes it perfectly light for oily skin too! Click here to see it.
When choosing the best rose water products for oily skin, check the ingredients list. You should see the product contain rosa damascena flower aqua and/or rosa damascena oil. If you see any additives, fillers or artificial scents and oils, look for a better, fully organic product.
How to patch-test rose water
Make sure to patch-test any rose water to make sure it will not irritate your skin. It shouldn’t, but better safe than sorry. Rub a small bit of rose water on the back of your hand, on your forearm and on your neck. Repeat this for two days and if you see no irritation, your rose water is good to use for skincare!
Facial skin tends to be much more sensitive than skin anywhere else on our body. Patch-testing helps you know whether a product is right for your facial skin. While your homemade rose water might be great to use for anything else, the tap water you used to make it by simmering might just be too hard or contain some contaminants your skin won’t like. The great thing is that even if your facial skin reacts badly to your homemade rose water, you can still use it as a body wash or moisturiser, as the skin of your body is much more resilient.
Best Rose Water Recipes For Acne
If you have oily skin, there is a good chance acne or blackheads are one of your main concerns. Acne are not only for teenagers – this pesky affliction is tied to sebum production, and might continue late into adulthood! Thankfully, there are a few AMAZING ways to use rose water to soothe and get rid of acne.
Rose water and vegetable glycerin
Mix equal parts rose water and vegetable glycerin and apply with a cotton pad onto areas afflicted by acne. Glycerin will nourish your skin, while rose water will cleanse it and tighten the pores. Use as a toner at the end of your skincare routine.
Rose water and apple cider vinegar
Mix together 5 ml of apple cider vinegar (raw and organic) with 30 ml of rose water. Stir well and use a cotton pad to spread on your face as a toner. Both rose water and apple cider vinegar have similar, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties. You can use this mixture daily at the end of your skincare routine, however it is also okay to use it once a week if you’re not a fan of the apple cider vinegar scent.
Rose water and lemon juice
Mix one tablespoon of rose water and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Apply ONLY to areas afflicted with oiliness and acne. Leave on for 5 to 10 minutes and then rinse thoroughly with water.
You should use this mixture once a week as a mask. The citric acid in lemon will lighten acne scars and prevent them returning. Rose water, in turn, soothes and moisturises the skin.
Rose water and turmeric
Combine about 5 cm ground turmeric with rose water. Add rose water slowly into turmeric, constantly mixing, to make a thick paste which you can easily spread. Apply the paste straight onto the breakout area and leave on for 30 minutes. Rinse your face with cold water, pat it dry, and finish off with rose water toner.
The combination of rose water and turmeric should dry out the breakout area and soothe the redness, helping any pimples subside fast! Be careful not to apply it to the entire face, just the pimples.
Rose water and witch hazel
My favourite combination for any breakout! Combine equal parts witch hazel and equal parts rose water and apply with a cotton pad as a toner. Not only is this toner fantastic for all skin types, but you can easily apply it twice a day with no irritation or dryness. Additionally, it makes any breakout reduce in only a day or two.
Rose water skin routine for oily, non-acne-prone skin
If you’re battling oily skin, but don’t want to go for commercial products, you can use natural ingredients combined with homemade or store-bought rose water to create your own, personal skincare line!
If you’re new to skincare and didn’t decide on a routine yet, know that you generally need to follow three steps: cleanse, tone and moisturise. You can always advance the routine with serums and exfoliants once you got the basics down!
How to use rose water as a cleanser for oily skin
For a natural gentle organic cleanser, I suggest using honey with rose water. You can make your own honey rose water face wash which will avoid removing oil aggressively, which will in turn lead to your skin overproducing sebum and making your face oilier. This is a common problem with pharmaceutical and chemical face washes!
DIY Honey & Rose Water Cleanser Recipe
Ingredients
- 120 ml organic honey
- 240 ml rose water
- 1.5 teaspoon of jojoba oil
- 1 teaspoon of rose hip oil
- 1 teaspoon of avocado oil
- 5 to 10 drops of tea tree oil (less if you have combination skin, more if you have acne prone skin or acne scars)
Preparation
Mix up the concoction well and keep it in a glass jar in your fridge. When you want to use it, simply apply a coin-sized amount of the cleanser on your face. Rub over the entire surface of your face with circular motions and rinse well with cold water.
How to use rose water as a toner for oily skin
Using a toner is a step you can’t miss in your skincare routine, and rose water happens to be absolutely made for this! If you have oily skin, you’ve probably heard all about how toner is the most important part of keeping sebum at bay. However, what they don’t tell you is that most commercial drugstore toners contain a bunch of alcohol in them. The alcohol does remove the oil from your face, but leaves it dry, itchy and uncomfortably tight.
Green tea, rose water and mint toner is my favourite natural product for tightening pores without tightening your skin. In fact, your skin will be delightfully soft and glow naturally!
DIY Green Tea, Rose Water and Mint Toner Recipe For Oily Skin
Ingredients
- 250 ml green tea
- 250 ml rose water
- 5 to 6 big leaves of fresh mint
Preparation
Prepare green tea and let cool to room temperature. Grind fresh mint to a fine mesh. When the green tea cools, combine it with rose water and mint. Stir well and shake well. Once incorporated, strain out the mixture with a cheesecloth until there is no more mint residue. Keep in your fridge and chill well before first use!
How to use rose water as a moisturiser for oily skin
While some nay-sayers might say oily skin produces enough of its own moisture, the truth is you do need a moisturiser. The oil your face makes is not enough, and not the kind of moisture it needs. In fact, good moisturiser serves to level out water and oil in your skin. Rose water is both hydrating and controls oil, making it a great choice for levelling out your pH!
For light moisture effect, you can simply mist your face with pure rose water (a spritz or two will do!). For a night cream or a winter cream, I fully recommend this wonderful recipe for a rose petal facial cream!!!
DIY Rose Petal Night Cream Moisturiser
Ingredients
- 60 ml of rose water
- 2 tablespoons of organic beeswax pellets
- 60 ml of distilled water
- 65 ml of almond oil
- 60 ml of apricot oil
- 5 to 10 drops of rose essential oil (more or less depending on how intense you like your fragrance!)
Preparation
- Add distilled water and beeswax to a pot and melt together over a low flame.
- Transfer melted beeswax to a large pot and whisk it by hand.
- As you whisk, add apricot oil, almond oil, and finally, rose water. Incorporate each element well before adding the next one. You will see your mixture thickening slowly. This means you’re doing it right!
- Once you have whisked your mixture into a creamy consistency, put in in the fridge for about an hour to cool down. After an hour, bring it out and add rose essential oil. Mix the oil in gently with a spatula and transfer to a glass jar container. Keep in the fridge as long as you’re using it.
How to use rose water as a face mask for oily skin
Thought you can’t use rose water as a face mask? Ha! Rose water is a beauty chameleon, and the wonderful properties can be used in a multitude of ways. You just gotta be creative!
When you have oily skin, you really have to be careful with face masks. Most clay masks which are supposed to be geared towards oily skin will actually break you out. Many give me terrible rashes! To avoid this, make an aloe vera rose water mask. This way, you can reap the benefits of the calming properties of aloe vera, while getting the best out of natural clay.
DIY Aloe Vera Rose Water Face Mask Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of aloe vera gel
- 1 tablespoon of fuller’s earth natural clay
- rose water (as necessary)
Preparation
- Mix aloe vera gel and fuller’s earth clay in a mixing bowl.
- Add a bit of rose water and mix. Add in bit by bit and mix until you have a paste which is not watery and runny.
- Apply the paste over the entirety of your face and leave on for 20 to 30 minutes. Finally, rinse well with water and follow up with moisturiser.
I hope you will enjoy your own, custom, rose-inspired skincare line! It’s so easy to use rose water for oily skin. Besides, creating your own natural products, packaging them and giving them as gifts is a fantastic idea to brighten up your friends’ day. Do you have a favorite recipe for a rose-based cleanser, toner or moisturizer which you swear works wonders? Please let me know, I’m always looking for more goodies to try!
