Jack of all trades or myth: is rose water good for the skin?

Article last edited on December 12, 2023

Today we're taking a look at rose water : a flower hydrosol that's pretty trendy right now. Wherever rose water is mentioned, great effects or even healing are promised. It is said that rose water moisturizes the skin, can soothe the skin, has an anti-inflammatory effect and reduces redness. Rose water is said to be suitable for sensitive skin or rosacea , among other things. And there are many more good things promised that rose water can do.

You probably know it: some trends are complete nonsense. However, there is something good about some trends.

A hydrolate is created from rose petals through distillation. The result is a rose hydrosol, which is also known as rose water. It smells pleasantly of roses - if you like the scent of roses. The INCI name of rose water that you can find on products is Rosa Damascena Flower Water .

Rose water is water containing natural fragrances from the rose blossom. It contains a fragrant alcohol that occurs naturally in rose hydrosol. If you want to know exactly: 2-phenylethanol . The INCI name for 2-phenylethanol is Phenethyl Alcohol . However, phenethyl alcohol does not need to be specified separately in rose water because it is a natural ingredient. Some cosmetic brands therefore claim that their rose water does not contain alcohol or fragrances.

This alcohol also makes rose water smell so lovely like roses. That's why it is said that rose water does not contain any preservatives. No wonder: the drying alcohol takes care of that.

The fragrance can irritate your skin and trigger contact allergies. When fragrances break down in contact with light and air, it can actually irritate your skin and cause it to produce more oil. This is anything but nice, especially for sensitive skin that is prone to inflammation and pimples. Tip: Do not confuse rose water with wild rose oil . This is the oil from the seeds or pulp of the rose hip. It is also called rosehip oil or rosehip oil .

But does rose water perhaps also have a positive effect on the skin? Here you can find out what rose water is good for - and what it isn't.

And if you're currently using rose water to hydrate your skin, this might be a bit disappointing for you. Unfortunately, pure rose water does not contain any real moisturizers. It only contains small amounts of sugar, which may provide a little moisture. Water cannot be retained in the skin without additional moisturizers. On the contrary: water can even dry out your skin.

And unfortunately, the fragrant alcohol in rose water also belongs to the group of drying alcohols. So if you put rose water on your skin, you would be depriving your skin of even more moisture instead of giving it some.

There are many good moisturizers that really help:

And what about redness? Can rose water alleviate this, as it is so often advertised? Rose water and rosacea - it sounds like they belong together. If you are prone to redness or have rosacea, it would be great if rose water could reduce the redness. Unfortunately, scented water is not able to do this. The opposite will be the case: if you react directly to the fragrances, it can cause redness. If the rose water is for spraying, it could also irritate your respiratory tract. Allergy sufferers and asthmatics in particular should always be careful with scented sprays. How to find the right skin care for rosacea.

Rose water is said to be able to regulate pH. We can only answer this with a clear yes. Our skin has a slightly acidic pH value of 5.5 on average. This protective acid mantle can shift if basic/alkaline products with a pH value above 7 are applied to the skin. Soaps in particular are problematic for the skin. If the acid mantle has been displaced, the skin will be less protected for some time.

In the past, toners made from rose water were used to adjust the pH value back to its original direction. The pH of rose water does not correspond to the pH of the skin. It is scented water and therefore has a neutral pH value of 7, like normal tap water. Since in the past there were only soaps available for facial cleansing that were always very alkaline , the rose water with its neutral pH value was able to mitigate the irritating effect of the soaps a little. Water would have done just as well. However, that probably wouldn't have sold that well.

Today, however, water or rose water is no longer the ideal solution for adjusting the pH value. There are now mild, skin-friendly cleansers and syndets that are adjusted to the pH value of the skin. Fortunately, we no longer have to attack our skin with soaps . Now if you were to put rose water on your skin, the effect would be exactly the wrong way around. The pH value would shift upwards towards 7. And if you still want to regulate your pH value back, for example after a shower or because you have washed your face with soap, then there are now more suitable products to restore the pH value of your skin to its natural state bring.

Facial toner or toner with a pH between 5-6 and moisturizers such as hyaluronic acid or natural glycerin are much more suitable and milder for your skin. Unfortunately, caution is advised here too, as the pH value of many toners and facial toners is not adjusted. Natural toners also often contain rose water, other flower hydrosols or fragrances.

Rose water is also said to have an astringent effect, meaning that it can shrink pores and thus contribute to a more even complexion. Oh well. There's actually something to it here: alcohol can actually give the visual impression that pores are tightening. However, this effect is short-lived. So have we found a positive effect of rose water after all? Looks like this. But why does this effect occur at all? The skin contracts to protect itself from the harmful stimulus. This creates the impression of smaller pores. So nothing for healthy skin. Of course there are differences in the quality of rose water. There is organic rose water and conventional rose water. Then there are differences in production: “Real” rose water, which was obtained by distillation from the real natural rose, and rose water, which consists of water and added rose fragrance, 2-phenylethanol.

For many ingredients , it makes a difference whether they are organic or not. Whether rose water is organic or not, it contains fragrances and alcohol and therefore unfortunately has all of the negative properties listed above on our skin.

The fact remains: Rose water is a water or organic hydrosol that simply smells nice and unfortunately won't give your skin what it needs. So be skeptical if skin care smells too floral. Don't irritate your skin with such scented products. Soothe it and moisturize your skin with a suitable moisturizer that suits your skin type. This means your skin always gets exactly what it needs.

You can look for low-irritant hydrolates such as cucumber water , rice water , green tea , black tea , white tea or aloe vera . As a rule of thumb, you can assume that hydrosols made from flowers are usually not that suitable. Either you use products without plant hydrosols, such as thermal water. This can feel pleasant on the skin and also provides a little moisture. Or you can look for a skin care product that contains targeted soothing and moisturizing ingredients.