IDescription
Damask rose, distilled to water. Winter days are short and full, and the pause is the first thing to go. This is for that pause: misted above the head and left to fall, three breaths, then back to whatever was waiting. On the face, after the balm, it is traditionally used to tone and soothe; in the room, a small, honeyed pause.
IIComposition
| Plant (part) | % | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Rosa damascena (flower hydrosol) | 100% | Soothing toner; aromatic |
IIIThe Plant
Rosa damascena
Damask rose: the rose of rose water
WHERE IT LIVES
An ancient hybrid rose, named for Damascus and long grown across Persia and Syria. Today the great rose fields are in Bulgaria’s Valley of Roses, in Ta’if in Arabia and in Iran.
THE HARVEST
The flowers are picked by hand in the early morning in late spring, before the sun lifts the scent, and distilled the same day.
FOLKLORE & TRADITIONAL USE
Persian physicians refined the distillation of rose water around a thousand years ago, and it has scented food, faces and ceremonies from Isfahan to Istanbul ever since. Rose water was a fixture of the English still-room and the Victorian dressing table.
EVIDENCE NOTE
A meta-analysis of 28 trials found rose aromatherapy improved mood and sleep, and another found a large fall in anxiety, though with high variation between studies and mostly in hospital settings. Those trials used rose oil, not the water. Skin-cooling and hydrating claims for rose water are popular but unsourced, so none is made here.
On Distillation
Rose water is the oldest of the distilled waters. It takes a great weight of petals to produce a little rose oil, and the fragrant water that remains has been valued in its own right for longer than the oil has.
IVUse & Safety
APPLY
Mist over the face and neck after your balm, eyes closed, to tone and soothe, or above your head and into the room whenever the day needs a pause.
CAUTIONS
For external and aromatic use only. Keep out of the eyes. Do not spray onto a baby; mist the room or linens instead. Contains naturally occurring fragrance allergens, including geraniol and citronellol.
STORAGE
Keep cool and away from light, ideally in the fridge. Discard if cloudy or off-smelling.
Apothecary’s Summary
Soft, honeyed and unmistakably rose. A water for the face and for any moment in the short winter days when three slow breaths are worth more than they seem.
References
Meta-analysis of Rosa damascena aromatherapy on mood and sleep, 28 RCTs. PubMed Central PMC12623198.
Meta-analysis of rose aromatherapy and state anxiety. PubMed 34405933.