The importance of collagen-boosting products and the recent knowledge that retinol is vital for youthful radiant skin is all over our TV screens and social media at the moment. This started me thinking about the power and attraction of roses and how they came to be so wonderful for our skin health.
To make one drop of precious rose essential oil it needs nearly 1,000 petals – around 100 rose blooms – so it's not surprising that it's one of the most expensive oils you can buy. Organic rose essential oil costs around £7,000 per kilo at the moment.
Interestingly, rose essential oil has been used in traditional medicine and beauty rituals for centuries. In ancient times, Cleopatra is said to have used rose oil to keep her skin looking young and radiant.
Several clinical studies continue to show that rose oil can also effectively alleviate symptoms related to depression; rose oil has been shown to be connected to the synthesis of dopamine, the chemical that may have the effect of lowering symptoms of depression. During this research, rose products were used on the faces of participants and then any effects on levels of anxiety were measured. Some results showed that blood pressure and heart rate decreased quite significantly.
Besides being filled with antioxidants, rose oils, creams and waters are also packed with vitamin A and C. These vitamins can smooth the appearance of wrinkles, boost collagen and reduce the look of age spots, which can really help maturing skin. While rose essential oil and rose water are both derived from rose petals, rosehip seed oil is from the small rosehip fruits that appear on the rose plants and are a natural source of retinol.
Rose oil is also anti-viral, anti-oxidant (getting rid of all those free radicals), anti-inflammatory, (good for rosacea), antiseptic and considered an aphrodisiac (who could resist their beautiful fragrance?).
Our Rose Collection is a range of beautifully scented products from face gels to rosehip oil, perfect for freshening up your skincare routine.
Photo by Clay LeConey on Unsplash