Rose Water - The Wonderful Elixir of Beauty

Rose water is a generic term used to describe all the different types of water extracted from the rose flower according to different methods. This is also used to describe the result of mixing together distilled water with rose oil. Rose water is said to have been in existence as far back as the 10th Century in the Persia, in the Middle East, when it was discovered and refined by a Persian scientist by the name of Avicenna. There Onwards, rose water has been used as an ingredient in both Middle Eastern cuisine as well as traditional beauty therapies. The latter can still be found today. For example, in the beautiful, rugged mountains of Al Jabal Al Akhdar, a holiday resort of Oman, there is rose water treatment that is indigenous to the area. This treatment uses rose oil or water, to sooth and relax the body and revitalise one's complexion. The therapy is so popular that Oman luxury resorts the likes of the Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort are offering it at their plush spas.

There are over 7000 types of roses in the world, however there are only a few roses that bear oil which can be used to make rose water. Out of these, the special Bulgarian Rosa Damascena Rose is said to be the best when it comes to producing high quality rose water. Organically grown in the beautiful 'Rose Valley' of Bulgaria, the Rosa Damascena has been cultivated for more than 330 years. The fine quality of this special rose is said to be owing to the ideal climate and soil of the Bulgarian Rose Valley as well as the perfect amount of sunlight, temperatures and rain the valley receives.

The most astonishing fact about production of this type of rose water is that it takes 60,000 Bulgarian Rosa Damascena Rose blossoms to make a single ounce of pure quality rose oil. Because of this, it's referred to as the 'Liquid Gold of Bulgaria', and one ounce of the rose oil is said to be more expensive than one ounce of gold!

So many! Rose water is said to contain Vitamins A,B, C, and E as well as antiseptic healing and anti-inflammatory properties which offers a variety of benefits that help in battling eczema, bug bites and maintaining good skin.

The Rosa Damascene meanwhile is a species belonging to the rosaceae plant that contains anthocyanins and flavanoids that are referred to as the 'KIng of antioxidants". Because of this, rose water is high in antioxidants.

Unless you don't mind spending more than a few bucks in buying the 'Liquid Gold of Bulgaria', rose water can be bought at your local supermarket or chemist at a much cheaper price and lower quality. However, the low quality doesn't mean that it's lacking any health and beauty benefits. The Vitamins A and C in Rose water can help your skin achieve a healthy glow. Buy a rose water mist to spray on your neck and face when you need a quick refreshing up. After an everyday ritual of cleansing, you can tone your skin by using rose water. Feel like a panda with those under eye circles? Dab a cotton swab with rose water and massage it to the area under your eyes. Repeat regularly and this will get rid of redness and swelling in the area as well as dark circles!