The Benefits of Rose Water Toner for Your Skin

One of our favorite plant-based skin saviors hails from the beautiful rosebud, a Valentine's day staple and also a skin-loving ingredient. Rose plants can be preserved and extracted for skin care in a variety of ways, and can be used to produce both rose water and rose hydrosol, which are similar (but not quite the same) nourishing rose byproducts. The difference between rose hydrosol and rose water is subtle, and they can generally provide similar benefits: hydration, clarifying, and toning.

A Rose Hydrosol is the byproduct of a distillation process, whereby rose petals and plant fibers are packed together and treated with steam, which rises through the organic material, causing the plant cells to burst and release their compounds and oils. These compounds and oils are then diffused into the steam, which, when it cools, becomes a precious liquid made up of H20 and powerful (but delicate) rose compounds.

A Rose Water is made up of similar compounds, but isn’t created through a steam distillation process. Rather, it refers to H20 that’s been infused with rose petals, either through a manual distillation process, which takes time, or through adding rose essential oils to an H20 base. While hydrosols typically extract nutrients from the entire plant, a rose water will just use the petals from the plant, so can sometimes have a more potent rose aroma. It’s important to remember that rose water purchased at conventional beauty suppliers is sometimes treated with solvents and chemical processes, or otherwise adulterated with additives to help the oil and water mix. Our advice? Make your own!

Both products (when they are high quality and sans synthetic additives) should contain microscopic particles of rose essential oils as well as water-soluble plant compounds. These have a long list of skin benefits for those suffering from clinical dryness or age-related skin issues, and also acneic skin types. In other words, rose water can be beneficial for a wide range of skin needs. It’s often best delivered in the form of a toner, which remember are no longer the ultra drying formulas of years past, but rather come in a variety of hydrating and soothing versions. Today’s toners are water based products with small molecules of active add-ons (oils or natural acids), which can penetrate the skin quickly and give a hit of simultaneous hydration and exfoliation.

For more mature skin types, the high antioxidant content in rose water toners will protect skin cells against damage, encouraging healthy skin cell turnover for reduced pigmentation and boosted collagen levels. This means that rose water is super helpful for those combatting UV damage or compromised skin tissue due environmental factors or skin weakening over time. The reduced lipid levels and slower collagen production that occur in our skin as it ages can be effectively treated with the essential fatty acids present in rose water, which strengthen the skin’s lipid layer while plumping and firming for reduced fine lines.

For more blemish-prone skin types, rose water toner is also an effective antidote. A potent anti-inflammatory, applying rose water topically means soothed skin and reduced redness and inflammation. For those suffering from acne, rose water toner is super helpful when it comes to cleansing clogged pores, while still maintaining the integrity of the lipid barrier. And due to its antibacterial properties, a rose water toner can drastically reduce the size and severity of active blemishes, plus the natural astringent properties mean that it can clean pores, tighten capillaries and remove excess sebum.

So whether your suffering from acne, or looking for a smart way to tone mature skin, rose water can be an ultra beneficial everyday skin routine add-on. You can use an organic toner with rose water like Puristry’s Flower Water Toner, which combines rose and calendula hydrosols with exfoliating witch hazel and ultra soothing vegetable glycerin. It will leave your skin primed for the application of any following serums or moisturizers, and will bring your pores to a natural resting acidic state, with balanced oil production and PH levels.

You can also try making your own DIY Rose toner, which is a safe bet if you want to avoid purchasing a floral water with synthetic preservatives or lab derived artificial scents (which can compromise nutrient levels and irritate skin).

You’ll need: a packed cup of rose petals, a pot of boiling water, a mortar and pestle (for grinding herbs into a paste), and 2 cups of distilled water. To make, bring the water to a boil. While its boiling, bruise the rose petals with the mortar and pestle to release their natural oils and break up the plant cell structures. Add the torn and bruised petals to the boiling water, stir, then put a lid on the mixture.

Boil until the color has completely drained from the petals (and diffused into the water). Remove the pot from the heat, and wait until it has completely cooled. Strain the mixture, and store in a glass container away from the light. Dilute in a spray bottle with more H20 for a refreshing facial spray and light toner (or makeup setter!).

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