Rose

It may seem cliche that we chose rose for February and maybe it is. But we just love roses. The scent, the colorful flowers, the thorny warning system, what’s not to love?

Growing up, rose was far from my favorite flower. I only knew of it as the one flower that got all the attention. It was the one used in showy bouquets or a single rose was a somewhat dramatic display of affection. The older I have gotten though, the more roses have grown on me.

One of my first experiences in appreciating roses is when I rented a house with old rose bushes that grew in the front and on the side of the house. They were a bit unkempt and would snag my clothes when I would open the front gate if I wasn’t paying close enough attention to them. At first they seemed a little needy, always grabbing me and demanding that I notice them. But then spring came and the roses bloomed. They were beautiful golden roses.

The plant was filled with happy yellow flowers that reach all the way to the roof. Now I have always had trouble harvesting flowers. I’m the type of person who gets so excited to plant new herbs and then I just love them so much I can never cut off their beautiful flowers.

But the roses taught me that the more I gathered the more seemed to bloom. I started gathering the roses that were clearly on their last leg and slowly I realized that the rose seemed to flourish when I attended to it. The more attention and love I gave to that plant, the more roses kept showing up.

I began making massive amounts of rose water with all the petals I gathered. I had very problematic skin at the time and was looking for anything to calm my breakouts. I found rose water to be soothing and refreshing, but also expensive. So I ventured into making it and it turned out to be a lot of fun. I still have some stashed away.

Rose Water

To make rose water, gather rose petals and put them in a deep pot with enough water to submerge them. Place a small glass bowl upside down in the pot. Balance another glass bowl on top to collect the droplets that form on the lid. Cover the pot with a lid and turn your stove to low. As the roses heat in the water their amazing properties infuse. Then the heat rises the little droplets to the lid of the pan where they will drip into the bowl.

Transfer your rose water to a glass spray bottle and spritz your face freely.

Properties

Rose is very soothing to the skin and contains antioxidants for skin protection. It is anti-inflammatory and may help with reducing the appearance of wrinkles. It has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Rose is also a very uplifting scent so it can help when you are having a difficult time.

We include rose in our Royal Bee Facial Serum and Queen Bee Face Butter for these amazing properties. The sweet soothing scent is a wonderful way to start the day and to drift into sweet dreams at the end of the day.

Rose does seem to be one of those polarizing scents. Some people love it while others really don’t care for it much at all. I have really grown to love rose. Every time I pass a rose bush I just have to stop and smell the roses.