Sehn Garden

thesehnsuchtproject
Jan 26, 2015
3 min read

How To Make Rose Oil & Rose Water

by Misty Gersley

If you think you have to go to a specialty store to procure rose oil or rose water, you are mistaken.* Both substances are easy to make at home, and can add dimension to your gardening and or foraging work.

Meagan Francis, a rose expert and regular contributor to HGTV (Home and Garden Television) tells us how to capture the intoxicating aroma of roses via two reliable and surprisingly easy methods.

First steps: Choose roses that are free of chemicals or pesticides, especially if you'll be using the oil or water in a food product. Pick the roses in the morning, after the morning dew has evaporated, and gently wash to remove any bugs or dirt.

To make rose oil:*

Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan, then remove from heat.
Pour a cup or so of oil in a glass jar. Look for an oil that doesn't have much natural odor to avoid competing with the roses. Jojoba and grapeseed oil are good choices, but olive oil (opt for the lighter kind) will work in a pinch.
Crush, shred or "bruise" a cup of rose petals and place in the oil. Swirl the jar around to coat the petals, but don't shake.
Cover the jar and place into the hot water. Warming the oil will help release the scent from the rose petals. When the water cools, you can move the jar to a warm area like a sunny windowsill.
Leave the jar alone in the warm area for at least 24 hours.
Strain the oil through a cheesecloth, pressing the petals to extract as much oil as you can.
If you want a stronger-smelling oil, you can repeat steps 1-6 with fresh petals. You may need to repeat the process 5 or 6 times to get the desired level of scent.
Pour clear oil into a dark bottle with a lid (dark glass will help block out sunlight and keep the oil more stable).

*Note from Misty: This is not the same as rose essential oil, the extraction of which requires advanced processing techniques/ methods and large quantities of raw product to produce very small amounts of product. These highly volatile oils are best purchased from a reputable manufacturer.

I personally recommend DoTerra Products (http://www.doterra.com/us/)

Making Rose Water is a simpler process, but will yield less robust results. To make rose water the easy way, simply pour boiling water over rose petals (about one part rose petals to two parts water) and strain when cool.

Rose water is an effective astringent that reduces swelling of capillaries beneath the skin.
Rose petal tea is efficient in cleansing the gall bladder and liver, and it helps improve bile secretion. Rose petals are dried and crushed to make tea.
Rose tea also helps in alleviating mild sore throats and bronchial infections. The tea cools the body and reduces fever-related rashes.
Rose petals are an important ingredient in eye washes as well, as it is antiseptic in nature.
Rose water benefits include nourishing the scalp and improving hair growth. It is medicinally used as an antibacterial, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory product. It is also used to treat dry scaly skin, dermatitis, and eczema.
Rose essential oil is used along with carrier oils such as almond or grape fruit to treat various illnesses like hemorrhage, liver problems, nausea, fatigue, ulcers, asthma, dehydration, and bacterial infections of the stomach, colon, and urinary tract.
Rose leaves are used in preparing rose water from the Persian variety. Rose water prepared from rose leaves brings relief from constipation, clears blood, and soothes the mind. In addition, it is used on the treatment of measles and chicken pox.