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| what a rose can say? |
Greek mythology is full of stories about our beloved rose, love stories, stories of mystery and passion; legends or reality? it doesn’t matter. All have said and written to honour the majesty of the king of flowers. Not unfairly.
The rose of Venus which became also a symbol for rebel movements, is grown in Greece since the Bronze Age, while in China and Persia exist at least for five thousands years. Reports about rose we can find in Herodotus, in Theophrastus and Pliny, while “paved streets with rose petals” can be found in the history of Romans, Egyptians and Persians.
Rose is an ornamental plant and deciduous, it belongs to the family of Rosaceae and more than 100 species of it, are worldwide known. Rose is an excellent ingredient for pastry making, we drink it in our tea and we use it as a cosmetic substance because it provides countless antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It presents high levels of vitamin C, which makes it a strong antioxidant, detoxifies and restores our natural glow!
The rose oil is ideal for massage, it is a strong anti-aging and emollient agent, which cools and soothes the damaged skin. To be more specific, I’ve already written about rose hip oil, here.
The rose essential oil (I love the Rosa damask because it has the finest essence of all) has aphrodisiac, anti-wrinkle, soothing and anti-inflammatory properties and it is a nice agent to waork against depression. It is widely used to treat constipation, asthma, headache and stomachache, while soothes gynaecological disorders and skin problems.
We can enjoy the freshness of the rose, as a floral water (rose water) also in confectionery and cosmetology.
how to make rose infused oil:
Rose oil is a rich aromatic oil and everybody can make it, as Dioskourides writes, by baptizing rose petals in vegetable oil. It can be used in creams and soaps but also by itself only. It reconstructs and hydrates the skin thoroughly, combats premature aging while leaves the skin soft and silky.
If we don’t have fresh roses, we can use dried buds of rose. Sterilise your tools and your containers, this job needs definitely sterilization. For the rose oil we’ ll need:
- 100 g | 3.5 oz vegetable oil such as grapeseed oil
- fresh petals from one rose or a measuring cup (250 ml) dried roses
- 1 g| 0.04 oz vitamin E
- 2 drops rosa Damascena essential oil
Wash with water the fresh petals and let them dry; be careful not to destroy them. You follow the same procedure with the dried roses.
Put the oil and the petals in bain marie with low heat for two hours. Turn off the heat and let the oil to cool down.
Drain the oil with a coffee filter and put it in a sterilised dark bottle. Add the vitamin E and two drops of rosa Damascena essential oil and your rose oil is ready.
recipes with rose
Stella Crown©
