Every skin’s coming up roses

How rose skin care benefits even sensitive skin

One of the most beautiful things about spring and summer is the sudden blooming of roses. From the wildest dog rose to beautifully cultivated English roses and rambling curling roses, they smell and look gorgeous. 

If you were anything like us, as a child you might have spent hours picking petals and crushing them into water to make ‘perfumes’. It seems a love of roses is ingrained in our psyche as humans.

But more than being lovely for the senses, rose is also a skin care powerhouse, able to tackle skin care challenges in a gentle, skin loving way.   

Organic skin care expert Abi Weeds of Odylique agrees and has shared this guide to the myriad benefits of rose in skincare. She explores:

• The history of rose in skin care
• Why the type and quality of rose in your skin care matters
• The benefits of rose in skin care
• The different types of rose skin care

The history of rose in skin care

For over 5,000 years, people have cherished ‘The Queen of Flowers’ for its skin friendly qualities. Ancient Egyptians boiled its petals for soothing salves while Persians were pioneers in inventing steam distillation.

In ancient Greece, roses were so essential there were huge field crops of them. Reportedly Cleopatra even wooed Mark Anthony with the scent of roses.

Roman women used to create rose poultices to hide the signs of ageing. By the middle ages they were crushed into cosmetics and powders.  In the 17th century, roses were so important, they used as legal tender in many parts of Europe.

Imagine handing over a bouquet of flowers, instead of a crisp £10 note!

The 20th Century dawned what many consider to be the ‘golden era’ of cosmetic formulation. This is when we started to understand more about the science behind the benefits of rose in skin care.

From oils to tonics, milks and moisturisers, rose is often the ingredient of choice in luxury beauty that is as effective as it is enjoyable.

We still distil rose essential oil the same way – so it’s super expensive, but we know that the benefits make it well worth it.

Why the type and quality of rose in your skincare matters

The most common type of rose used in skin care is the Damask rose. So rich in antimicrobial and anti-aging compounds, they are sometimes used to protect against bacteria like Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

This power makes rose perfect for healing, reducing inflammation and easing redness.

Rosa Centifolia, or cabbage rose is also used on account of its high vitamin and tannin content, making it ideal for ageing and toning.

The benefits of rose in skin care

Rose has so many benefits, we almost can’t list them (but we’re going to give it a go)!

Protecting against environmental damage

Studies have found that up to 80% of early ageing is not sun related, but pollution. The high percentage of antioxidants in roses helps to neutralise the damage from free radicals.  

Super-hydration

When suspended in oils, rose offers excellent emollient properties, which helps the skin to retain water in its cells. This means it remains hydrated. 

Mantle protection

The surface of your skin has an acid mantle – think of it like a protective layer – made of a careful balance of good bacteria.  Rose provides balance for even very reactive skins. 

Calming and soothing

All extracts of rose are soothing. Not just the oil and floral water, but also the rose hip (what’s left when the rose has flowered).  The natural oil created from rosehips is packed with fatty acids, antioxidants, and natural retinols.

All rose extracts are typically so gentle, they can be used on eczema prone skin and rosacea.

Pigmentation

If used regularly, rosehip oil has also been shown to help with areas of pigmentation like melasma and acne scarring.

Pro ageing

Skin requires collagen – the building blocks between our cells – to look plump and retain elasticity. 

As we age, we produce less collagen, and our skin starts to slacken.  We need vitamin A and C, which rose is rich in, to produce collagen. 

Acne and blemish reduction

Rose is antibacterial which is the first step in reducing the spread and severity of acne.  It is also soothing and pH balanced, so it stops the overproduction of oil for the skin.

The soothing nature reduces the redness and over time, the seeds can reduce scarring. Thanks to large amounts of Vitamin C.

The different types of rose skin care

There are many formulations with rose but some of the common ones are:

Tonics and waters

These can work in two ways. Firstly to balance the skin after cleansing, without being too acidic and stripping the acid mantle. Secondly, we advise you keep a tonic spritz in the fridge, especially in the summer for quick bursts of hydration throughout the day.

Shop Odylique’s full range. Plus, while stocks last, you can get a free 15 ml rose moisturiser with any two Odylique purchases.