How To Make Rose Water

I’m so happy to have my roses blooming for the second time this year. When they bloomed the first time I knew I wanted to harvest them and make rose water but of course I never got around to it. When I noticed buds again I was determined to set aside the time to make a batch.

Little did I know how easy it was to make and takes almost no time or effort. I picked 4 large fully open blooms, and two blooms that had started to wither; so 6 flowers in all. That’s all I had so that’s what I used.

HERE’S HOW I MAKE ROSE WATER:
• My roses are organic; no pesticides are used and that is what you’ll need to make Rose Water.
• I cut each bloom from the plant, brought them into the house, and pulled each petal off adding it to a small sauce pan.
• Cover the flowers with distilled water. This measurement depends on how many petals you have. I needed about 1.5 Cups of water.
• Bring to a boil, turn heat down to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Turn off the stove and strain the water off the petals; using cheesecloth or a mesh strainer.
• Bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

My purpose for making Rose Water was to use on my face. I added mine to a small spray bottle and keep it in the bathroom. I spray my freshly washed, dry, face with it morning and night. I’ve also quit using any moisturizer. The Rose Water seems to do the trick and keep my face moisturized. I’m hoping it helps the sun damage, dark areas, on my face too with use over time.

I got to thinking if it’s moisturizing my face maybe it would work on my hair too. So I’ve also started spritzing my dry hair with the Rose Water and it feels fabulous. My hair is long now, I wash it about every five days, don’t use a hairdryer or flat iron so my hair is in the best shape it’s ever been in. But anyone who is 50 or over knows how hair tends to dry out as we age.

I’m going to keep using this batch into winter and hopefully it will take the place of all the expensive moisturizers and conditioners I use. If you make and use Rose Water tell me how you use it. And yes I know there are several different ways to make Rose Water, many are more detailed and take longer but I was going for a quick method that I could use right away. If you do it differently I’d like to hear what works for you.