Angela is the author of Power of Hormones
Who doesn’t love the scent of a gorgeous rose in bloom? Soft, sweet, heavenly and oh-so-relaxing. The smell alone really does put you in a better mood.
Did you know that roses are more than just a treat for the senses especially when they come in the form of an essential oil?
These days, rose oil is generally used to boost emotional health, and also the health of your skin. But through the ages, it has been used for aiding the digestive system, balancing hormones, boosting immunity, supporting heart health and so much more.
Want to know more? Well, it’s all coming up roses, so I am going to tell you all about this amazing oil.
What is Rose Oil?
Well first things first, I guess that I should let you know what rose oil actually is!
The name pretty much says it all, rose oil is the essential oil extracted from the petals of roses. It is extracted in two ways, either by steam or by carbon dioxide extraction.
The rose is one of the most recognisable and culturally significant flowers in the world. It also has one of the most popular scents, potentially even the most popular scent in perfumery.
Because the extraction process is so labour intensive, and the yield of oil from each flower is quite low, this gorgeous oil commands a premium price.
How Do I Use Rose Oil?
There is no one way to use rose oil, you can take a number of approaches to get the goodness into your body.
- Apply a few drops directly to your face or neck
- Apply a drop directly onto skin imperfections
- Use it in a diffuser so that friends and family get the energy benefits
- Massage it over your heart to enjoy the aroma all day
- Inhale the scent from your cupped hands
- Massage a diluted drop onto the reflex points in your feet
- Mix it with your favourite beauty products, or create your own natural blends
- Make your own rose-infused bath salts
- If you don’t want to apply it to your skin and don’t have a diffuser handy, you can put a few drops on your pillow or even a handkerchief to keep in your pocket.
What Are The Benefits of Rose Oil?
Roses are commonly associated with love and beauty, they are one of the most recognised flowers in the world. But aside from their beautiful appearance and heavenly smell, they also have numerous health benefits. Yes, that’s right… I did say health benefits.
Let’s have a look at them now:
Increased Energy – Ever felt a little rush of energy when you sniffed a rose? That wasn’t a coincidence, rose oil can boost your energy levels.
Combats Depression – Rose oil is known to lift your mood by boosting your self-esteem and mental strength. Which can be great in combatting the effects of depression and anxiety. It is a natural anti-depressant, so can bring a healthy dose of positivity to your life.
Anti-Inflammatory – Rose oil can help reduce fever and inflammation due to its natural anti-inflammatory properties. This can also reduce the chance for related medical conditions like gout, arthritis, and rheumatism.
Wound Treatment – I can think of no sweeter smelling way to treat a wound than with rose oil! Applying rose oil to a wound can stop them from developing infections and prevent them from turning septic.
Antiviral Shield – Not only are roses pretty, but they are fierce and strong too. They provide your body with an anti-viral shield that protects you against many viral infections. Viruses can be awful, they are persistent and very hard to vaccinate against. So instead of trying to immunise yourself against each individual virus out there, use a blanket antiviral protection like rose oil.
Aphrodisiac – There is a reason that the rose is known as the flower of love and romance.
Tightens Everything Up! – You will find rose oil as a common ingredient in many beauty products. That is due to its astringent powers – it causes your blood cells to contract. That means:
– Stronger gums, so less risk of tooth loss
– Stronger hair roots, so a lush, full, healthy head of hair
– Tones and lifts your skin for fewer wrinkles
– Reduces the appearance of scars, boils, acne, and stretch marks
– Firmer body muscles, but especially the abdominal ones that leave you with a mummy tummy!
– Contraction of the blood vessels prevents the flow of blood to wounds, therefore less blood loss
– Relief from certain forms of diarrhea
Fights Bacteria – Say goodbye to both internal and external bacteria when you use rose oil. It can treat diarrhea, typhoid, food poisoning, or other bacterial diseases.
It also fights bacterial infections found in the colon, urinary tract, intestines, and stomach. Not just an internal warrior, it also fights infections on the skin, ears, eyes, and wounds.
Purifies Your Blood – Rose oil naturally helps to remove toxins in your blood. That means less chance of boils, skin diseases, ulcers, rashes, and much more serious conditions caused by free radicals – cancer and heart disease.
Menstruation Relief – Ugh, period pains are the worst! But with the gentle power of rose oil, you could have relief for that pain. Easing cramps, nausea, and fatigue on a monthly basis, you can also benefit long-term with a reduction in all pain associated with menstruation and post-menopausal syndrome.
Liver Health – If you enjoy a glass of wine or two (or three, or four…) then you will be pleased to hear that rose oil supports the health of your liver. It keeps it functioning as it should and strengthens it against infection, ulcers, acids and excess bile.
Laxative – Never has there been a more pleasant smell associated with going to the toilet! Using rose oil as a laxative will make the bathroom smell nicer than it would have otherwise. But all jokes aside, rose oil is an effective and natural laxative that prevents a buildup of toxins in the body.
Aids Digestion and Stomach Health – Rose Oil can help with the digestion of your food. When your stomach is digesting as it should then you will have less chance of developing ulcers, less episodes of reflux and heartburn, relief for irritable bowel syndrome and bloating, less excessive gas, as well as reduced chances for constipation and diarrhea.
Uterine Health – Ladies have a lot of chances for concern in the uterine area, but rose oil helps with them all. It combats discharge, tumors, irregular cycles and can even delay the onset of menopause by preserving your uterus. Because it can help to regulate your cycle, it can also remove the nasty side effects of menstruation – mood swings, bloating, overeating, cramping, excessive bleeding and hormone imbalances.
Rose Oil and Pregnancy
It is recommended to avoid using rose oil excessively when pregnant. This is because it is unknown how many of the effects are carried through to the fetus during pregnancy. When used in excess, it could cause miscarriage. So please go easy on the roses during these precious months.
A Cautionary Tale
As you know, essential oils are really powerful, both in what they achieve and their concentration. As Spidey says, ‘With great power, comes great responsibility’, so it is important that you exercise caution and use them as they should be intended.
Did you know that it takes 1000 (yes I did just say 1000) pounds of roses to make a single pound of rose oil?
So as you can see, it is a pretty powerful substance that you don’t want to overuse. Always keep safety in mind when you are dealing with essential oils.
But unfortunately, not all oils are created equal. Many options on the market are heavily diluted with oil, or even alcohol and contain a mere 5% of the actual rose oil.
There is a distinct lack of industry standards and regulations when it comes to essential oils. Just because the bottle says natural or pure, it does not mean that what is in the bottle is therapeutic grade oil.
Many drugstore options lack quality and can even contain contaminants. To create a true rose oil, many standards have to be met. Those standards can be hard to achieve so that is why there are many inferior products on the market.
Luckily we can recommend the best kind of rose oil from Bedtime Oils. And the best part is that you can receive a bottle of it completely free here. All you have to do is pay shipping.