I’ve been a fan of roses and their intoxicating aromas for as long as I can remember. And while it’s not all that often that I have actual roses in my life (and what a shame that is), I tend to work some form of them into my daily routine: dabbing rose essential oil on my wrists in lieu of perfume, or enjoying rose hips in my tea. But it is my latest use of the prolific flower that has me really obsessed: spritzing my face with rose water.
The idea to use this all-natural concoction (a by-product of rose hip oil made from steam distillation of fresh rose petals) on my face came to me from none other than Obsessive Beauty founder and all around beauty maven Christa Martin. Christa graciously accompanied me, a reluctant make-up wearer, on a recent search for a new face powder. I settled for a mineral powder—which looks great and gets the job done, except for one small thing: I can’t stand feeling like I’m wearing makeup, and the heavy minerals leave me with a distinct awareness of just that. Before the sales lady could persuade me to buy an expensive bottle of “hydrating spray” (nothing more than expensive water, it turns out), Christa plucked one of her useful beauty tips from her arsenal, suggesting I invest in some rose water instead.
At just a few bucks for a bottle (purchased at New Leaf’s Bloom), rose water was the perfect fix for my makeup misgiving: a few spritzes of rose water helps dissolve the chunky minerals, lightening the feel and giving me a nice, mellow glow. But the beauty of this stuff doesn’t stop there. It’s the perfect, invigorating facial pick-me-up, 
and I now carry the bottle in my purse and use it as an instant refresher whenever I’m feeling “blah” or like my makeup has worn off.
There are tons of great products that utilize rose derivatives, but rose water is cheap and has many of the same effects. It’s naturally hydrating and nourishing, and is a timeless remedy for acne, oily skin, and a slew of other skin problems. It works great as a cleanser and toner—rubbed gently on clean skin with a cotton ball, or as an aftershave for irritated legs and underarms. It’s also a great, lightweight hair product, useful for calming frizz. The list goes on. Oh, and did I mention it smells heavenly?
Stop by the nearest health food store for your own bottle of rose water, and thank Obsessive Beauty later
