Rose Water Benefits and Recipe

Roses provide many internal and external health benefits. Most parts of a rose can be used medicinally, including its petals, fruit (rose hips), and seeds. Rosewater is a healthy drink to relax with and a great alternative to wine. Blend dry rose petals, chamomile, and lavender to make a calming bedtime tea.

Rose water is a delicious addition to lemonade, coffee, or tea.

Rose water is easy to brew and can improve your body and mood when taken internally. Drinking rose water provides vitamins A, C, and E. Rose water is especially delicious brewed with a cinnamon stick. My mother used to brew her coffee with rose water and it’s now my favorite way to drink coffee.

HEALTH BENEFITS
DrinKing rose water results in the following internal Benefits:

• Calming and mildly sedative
• Reduces anxiety, stress, and depression
• Eases PMS symptoms; cramps and mood swings
• Relieves headaches
• Eases menopause symptoms 
• Strengthens immune system
• Increases circulation 
• Eases digestive discomfort 
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antibacterial 
• Antiseptic 
• Fever reducing

Applying rose water on your skin provides the following beauty benefits:

• Balances oily skin
• Heals acne, rosacea, and eczema
• Tones and refreshes skin
• Smooths dry skin and puffy eyes
• Soothes burns, sunburns, bug bites, irritation and inflammation

HOW TO MAKE ROSE WATER
You can brew your rose water from fresh or dry petals. I often freeze my rose petals in the height of
rose season for later use. Below, are three ways to make rosewater.

1. Cover and simmer 1 cup of loosely packed rose petals  and 1 cinnamon stick in 4 cups of water for 15 to 20 minutes and strain.

2. Steep rose petals in a French press with hot water for an hour.

3. Make rose hydrosol and collect the leftover rosewater.
Rose water will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

TIPS

• Use organic roses from a trusted garden if possible.
• Store-bought roses often contain preservatives and pesticides.
• When harvesting roses, bees, ladybugs, pincher bugs, and spiders often appear. 
• Bring a large bowl of water with you to the garden, dip each rose face down in the water, and shake off critters before bringing the roses inside. Finally, water your rose bushes with the same water.