There are many legends surrounding the beautiful rose. The Roman Emperor Nero is said to have delighted his guests in the bath by raining red roses on them. And Cleopatra seduced her lovers with the flower of all flowers by having them make carpets out of the flowers. As early as the Middle Ages, the so-called apothecary rose was cultivated in many monastery gardens as a medicinal plant to treat inflammation, skin diseases and menstrual cramps. It was only later that their beauty powers were discovered (e.g. the “Essentials” care line from Vichy**).
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Care products with wild rose oil are available both in natural cosmetics and in classic cosmetics, e.g. B. from Weleda, Lavera, Kneipp, Guhl
Roses can do (almost) everything
Roses are said to contain more than 400 ingredients such as smoothing geranium oil, antibacterial farnesol, malic and succinic acid, but by no means all of them have been researched to date. “Your cocktail of active ingredients is regenerating, moisture-binding, calming and balancing, but also stimulating,” explains Sabine Kübler, head of the Rose Museum in Bad Nauheim (rosenmuseum.com). And the petals are rich in precious waxes. In particular, the extracts of the “Black Rose”, which is actually deep red, are said to strengthen the skin ‘s defenses and protect it from free radicals so that it stays dewy for a long time (e.g. “Hydra Life” by Dior).
There are more than 30,000 species of roses, but just under ten that are suitable for the beauty industry – such as the 100-petal ‘Rose centifolia’ (e.g. in the ‘Rosewater’ series by Crabtree & Evelyn*) or the 30-petal Damask rose (e.g. in “Body Balm Rose” by Dr. Hauschka, in “Ligne Splendide” by Annick Goutal*). “The roses differ in their oil content. The Damask rose, which is grown in Bulgaria, Morocco or Turkey, contains a particularly large amount,” says Sabine Kübler. “To get one kilo of rose oil, you need 4,000 to 5,000 kilos of flowers. It’s correspondingly expensive: a kilo costs around 8,000 euros and more.” The blossoms are harvested before sunrise and distilled on the same day, ie heated with water. The steam loosens the scent molecules, the essential oil settles on the surface.
Do-it-yourself rose care
Rose water refreshes
When the oil is skimmed off after distillation, delicately scented rose water remains. Because of its refreshing effect, it is found in many facial tonics (e.g. “Jale – mystical rose water” from Taudrop***, “Rose water organic” from Primavera). Rose water is also available in pharmacies.
“A superstar of natural cosmetics”
Wild rose oil is an all-round genius, according to Sabine Kästner, natural cosmetics expert at Lavera.
How is pumpkin seed oil obtained?
From the rosehip, that’s the fruit. Only wild roses develop rose hips, which contain many seeds. The fruits are harvested by hand from the bushes. The oil is then extracted from the seeds by cold pressing. We then process it without adding any preservatives.
What makes wild rose oil so valuable for cosmetics?
Wild rose oil is one of the superstars of natural cosmetics. It is rich in cell-protecting radical scavengers and antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene and flavonoids. Due to the high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, it provides intensive care and can be easily absorbed by the skin . The rather fruity scent of the oil differs significantly from the scent of the rose blossom.
And for which skin type is wild rose oil particularly suitable?
For every skin type, but especially for dry and mature skin.
Facial steam bath with rose oil
Afterwards you will look super fresh! It boosts blood circulation and cleans the pores at the same time: Put 2 to 3 drops of essential rose oil in a bowl of hot water (please do not use on dilated capillaries!) and let the stimulating vapors work in for about five minutes under a towel.
Rose petal bath Immerse
yourself and escape to the south again. Mix 5 drops of rose petal essential oil with 3 to 4 tablespoons of sweet cream or honey and add to bath water. Scatter a few individual petals on top for a luxurious feel. Please note: rose oil should be 100 percent natural.
Rose water compresses
Make your eyes beautiful. Because they are calming and at the same time the regeneration kick after computer marathons. To do this, dip two cotton pads in rose water, squeeze out gently and place on closed eyelids for five minutes.
