8 Ways You Can Use Rosewater In Your Health & Skin Routine

La vie en rosewater.

Rosewater is one of those truly multifaceted products that can be used in the kitchen to sweeten foods as well as in the bathroom and bedroom as a beauty and healing product. Best of all, the luxurious scent of this marvelous little water adds a bit of zest to your cooking without breaking the bank.

The homeopathic roots of rosewater date as far back as the ancient Egyptians. According to legend, Cleopatra would take milk baths with rose petals floating to keep her skin soft, smooth, and gloriously scented.

Rosewater is typically spritzed on the faces of women with sensitive skin or rosacea, due to its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. For those with acne, applying rosewater as a tonic reduces the amount of bacteria on the skin, so it makes an excellent all-natural toner for skin that has broken out due to excess oils.

Even for those of us who don't necessarily have problematic skin, rosewater is a gentle, fabulous pick-me-up. The scent awakens your senses better than coffee (well, that may be a stretch, but it does work). Rosewater enjoys a natural aromatherapy healing to elevate your senses. It is refreshing, inexpensive, and luxuriously scented, keeping skin soft and hydrated — which is important for all skin types at any age.

While some men may scoff at smelling like roses, let me point out that rosewater is an excellent aftershave. It stems from the very same reason that rosewater is good on sensitive skin: It helps to calm irritated skin.

And don't worry about smelling like a girl — the rose scent is light and generally dissipates from skin within the first 30 minutes.

The calming, luxurious effect that rosewater has on your skin can have the same effect on your other senses. After a long, busy day, a bath in hot water with a few drops of rosewater and any essential oil (my personal favorite is jasmine) relaxes even the most stressed out Type-A out there. Best of all, you go to sleep smelling like a bed of roses, with the added bonus of softer, brighter skin.

Try spritzing your sheets with a bit of rosewater to release the Aphrodite within.

Give your freshly laundered clothes a little goddess love. Spritz folded clothes with a few sprays of rosewater. Your family (and you!) will love it. It makes your entire wardrobe, closet, and drawers smell heavenly.

Simple pleasures like this go a long way in making one feel luxurious and pampered without spending a fortune.

In addition to using rosewater for beauty purposes, try adding a splash of rosewater in the kitchen for a refreshing twist on simple salads (see a couple of recipe ideas below).

Used as both an aperitif and as a digestive, this cucumber dish helps to cleanse the palate in between meals and bites.

Ingredients

Preparation

In a large bowl, shred cucumbers, sprinkle in sugar, and stir until fully dissolved. Add mint and rosewater. Place in fridge and allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving.

With the extreme heat in Greece, no one has a ravenous appetite, so watermelon and feta can be a simple summertime dinner. Add some fresh bread and a dash of rosewater for an island flair.

Ingredients

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine the above. Enjoy the compliments you will receive on this simple yet exotic salad.