Is Rose Oil Good for Your Skin?

Next to diamonds, roses are a girls best friend! Not only are they stunningly beautiful, available in a variety that matches every personality, and delightful in aroma - they also hold the key to healthy, happy skin! That is good news for anyone enduring the harsh effects of Winter in Canada.

WHAT IS ROSE OIL

Rose Absolute (rose essential oil) is extracted from the fresh blossoms of the prickly shrub Rosa damascena (also known as Damask Rose).

Rose Absolute differs from other commonly used Essential Oils due to its extraction process. Typically, an Essential Oil is extracted via steam-distillation or cold-pressing, while an Absolute is the product of solvent extraction. This process first yields a waxy substance, from which the absolute is extracted using a food-grade solvent like Hexane. The solvent is subsequently removed through a gentle heating process leaving behind the highly concentrated and viscous liquid known as an absolute.

In skincare, Rose Absolute provides a protective and astringent effect that leads to clearer, softer, and less irritated skin. It is often used in anti-aging applications and is reputed to address ailments associated with mature skin, such as dryness, dullness, age spots, fine lines, and wrinkles. Rose Absolute may provide additional soothing and anti-scarring benefits to the skin, helping to decrease irritation, inflammation, and pigmentation.

Here are three ways (backed by science) that Rose essential oil is amazing for your skin! 

PROTECTS YOUR SKIN

Rose essential oil helps maintain a healthy balance of Keratinocytes. "Keratinocytes are the gatekeepers that keep your skin protected from heat, UV radiation, water loss, pathogenic bacteria, and parasites." - Organic Facts

Skin problems such as Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis are also a result of an imbalance in this area. Applying topical creams or body butters that contain rose essential oil can help calm the area and relieve symptoms. While lotions and creams are readily available, a natural body butter will provide a more even distribution of the essential oil, as it is superior in the way it hydrates and creates a barrier for your skin. 

RICH IN ANTIOXIDANTS

"The presence of antioxidants has been shown to be linked to a lower frequency of ROS-induced photoaging." - NLM 

To put that in terms we can understand, antioxidants help protect the skin from the damage of certain elements in our environment, like UV rays. Antioxidants help your skin by increasing hydration, supporting collagen and elastin production, stimulating healing, and soothing irritations. 

Drawing a warm bath with epsom salts, infused with rose essential oil, is an excellent way to envelop your skin with antioxidants. Light some candles and practice deep breathing to maximize your experience. 

FIGHTS SIGNS OF AGEING

Stress begets bad skin. When we are under mental stress our bodies higher amounts of stress hormones which lead to oily, acne-prone skin. In addition, "Psychological stress can also disrupt the epidermal barrier — the top of layer of the skin that locks in moisture and protects us from harmful microbes — and prolong its repair..." - Harvard Health. 

As an alternative to your skin care, filling your home with the light, sweet smell of rose essential oils helps lower your stress levels and fight depression. Lower stress levels mean better hydration for your skin, as the body is able to better care for itself. Try using a rose oil blend in your diffuser, lighting a rose scented candle, or using a room spray infused with rose essential oils. 

CHOOSING QUALITY PRODUCTS

It is incredibly important to choose products that are transparent in the quality of ingredients they use. Many "natural" or "organic" products use fragrances in place of essential oils. The issue behind that choice, is that a fragrance is a modified version or blend of essential oils that more often than not contain synthetic properties. 

Even the term "unscented" can be deceiving. "Unscented generally means the product contains a chemical that covers up the smell of other ingredients so that you cannot smell them. Unscented products can irritate excessively dry skin. To avoid this, use fragrance-free products." - AAD 

Warning signs that the product in hand may be compromising quality are:

• Burning or tingling on lips from the fragrance.
• Burning or red skin after topical application.
• Nausea from the fragrance.
• Overpowering scent that turns over time. 
• The use of "Fragrance" in the ingredients. 

Look for products that list only essential oils or essential oil blends. Choose a scent that is pleasing to you, but that doesn't overpower your senses. 

Make sure that any topical products contain carrier oils or natural butters. Not only will they help dilute the essential oils in a safe way, they add to the hydration and care of your skin. 

Get excited about the natural healthful properties of essential oils! Introducing the healing powers of nature into your daily routine is something you will never regret!

THE PAMPERED FEMME PROMISE

In short, we provide you with the best, unadulterated natural products possible. One of the reasons we release our products one category at a time is because we want to know how they hold up over time, through shipping, and so on. They don't go onto our site until they have passed our ridiculously high standards.

We don't opt for marketing gimmicks, or inflated pricing, and keep the accessibility of our products in mind when selecting ingredients and packaging.

Our products are handmade in small batch quantities right here in Montreal, Quebec. Supporting local businesses is important to us and we do our best to support our fellow passion-istas in our day-to-day transactions!

If you have any topics that you wish to know our stance on, just ask! We promise to do what we can to honour our bodies, the planet, and society as a whole. 

So, what are you waiting for? Get pampered!