Organic rosewater

Rose water, or rose hydrosol, is made by steeping rose petals in water, and it is generally a by-product of the production of rose essential oils (find out more about this in my article on essential oils). There are several varieties of rose that are used, but the most common is the damask rose. It is a very fragrant variety with a long tradition in Syria and Iran. 

Sustainability report 

Damask rose has been cultivated in Bulgaria for centuries, where a whole region is known as the Rose Valley. This long tradition attracts tourists to the area and makes an important contribution to Bulgaria’s economy. The roses are harvested by hand, though the current lack of workers has driven the development of some automation. Another current challenge is climate change which causes the roses to increasingly fall victim to diseases and pests.
Overall the production of roses is relatively sustainable compared to most other crop plants. 

The distillation process is energy intensive, since so many petals are needed to produce rose essential oil, which is the main product being produced with rose water being a by-product of this process (3500kg of petals are needed to make 1 litre of rose essential oil, whereas only around 4kg of petals are needed per litre of rose water). However as the rose water is a by-product it is arguable as to whether you should attribute those energy costs to the rose water production at all. The value of rose essential oil is extremely high, and therefore the sale of the rose water makes no significant difference to the overall value of the crop.

The rose water I have used in Face the Flowers is organically grown in Bulgaria by Aromalife. 

Is it good for the skin?

At the moment the scientific evidence for the benefits of rose water on the skin is limited. Nonetheless studies indicate that rose water may have moisturising, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. 

This image was produced using AI.