Could rose skincare give you healthy, glowing skin?

By Liz Connor

Known for their delicate blooms and exquisite floral fragrance, roses have a long-standing history as the flower that best symbolises love and romance.

But the beauty of these plants extends far beyond showing a partner your affection on Valentine’s Day, as the oil and water extracted from the petals could also have some pretty potent benefits for your skin, too.

Whether in the form of a cleanser, moisturiser, facial spray or serum, rose is on the rise as a top beauty ingredient for 2021. When it comes to protecting your skin from the damage of winter weather, a dose of flower power might be just what the dermatologist ordered.

There’s a reason why cult brands like Sunday Riley, By Terry and Chantecaille infuse their products with rose. Experts say it’s renowned for its calming properties, and is thought to help soothe skin issues, like redness, rosacea and eczema.

“It’s basically a natural astringent”, says Ashley Wady, skin specialist and founder of Bossface. “Rose has antibacterial properties, which give it the ability to reduce redness and calm the skin.”

Thanks to its gentle nature too, rose’s antibacterial ingredients naturally combat spot-causing bacteria, without drying out or irritating the skin in the process.

“Rose has the ability to help maintain the skin’s pH balance and control excess oil, so it’s great for those who are prone to breakouts,” says Dr Ross Perry, medical director of Cosmedics skin clinics. He notes that rose-based cleansers can be particularly great at soothing redness and helping to prevent and treat the signs of ‘maskne’ – when you breakout around the jaw area from wearing a face mask.

Whereas trendy ingredients like retinol work to reverse wrinkles and skin damage, it’s thought that rose products can help keep them from appearing in the first place.

“Rose water in particular is packed full of antioxidants and vitamin C, which not only help combat the elements responsible for the visible signs of ageing but can also calm skin and help to strengthen our skin cells,” says Wady.

Thanks to its gentle, natural profile, Dr Perry says that rose is suitable for use on all skin types – even sensitive – because its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties support all kinds of skin issues.

Plus, the classic rose fragrance can be terrifically soothing to apply to the face, working as a type of DIY aromatherapy, which can help to lower the stress hormone cortisol after a long day.

If you’re new to rose products, Perry recommends mixing a small amount of rose water in your usual moisturising cream and applying it on your face for a refreshing feel, although there are also lots of rose-infused products on the market that can do the hard work for you.

Coming up roses: 4 top rose-infused beauty products

Aesop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment

A supremely hydrating oil containing rose petal, neroli blossom and violet leaf that leaves the face feeling soft and supple. Massage into skin three times weekly for best results.

Gene Beauty Organic White Rose Water Spray

Crafted by steam-distilling Bulgarian white roses, this refreshing face spritz is an on-the-go solution for stressed-out, tired or irritated skin.

Pixi Rose Tonic

A wallet-friendly toner that contains rose flower extract and helps to tone, balance pH, minimise redness and calm breakouts.

By Terry Baume De Rose Face Cream

This legendary beauty staple is packed with rose butter, rose flower essential wax and rosehip oil, helping to treat parched and dry winter skin.