There’s a very high chance that your beauty routine has become a little more sophisticated in the past year or so. From hyaluronic acid to AHAs, it seems we’ve all pimped our products with a high-tech composition or two. But could it be, in the midst of all these science-led solutions, that we’ve neglected one of nature’s most powerful complexion saviours?
We’re calling it, this year marks the return of the rose. “Rose is a perfect all-rounder for every skin type. It’s a hydrating and soothing ingredient, which appeals to our olfactory sense and blends beautifully with other oils as a booster for the skin” explains Amanda Bell, Global Makeup Artist for Pixi.
Used for millennia, it’s thought that the Ancient Egyptians would boil rose petals into a healing balm – it seems that this flower can offer so much more to a skincare product than its famously romantic scent, and today there is a formulation for every complexion concern.
Rose essential oil is perhaps the most well-known and luxurious derivative, and is generally distilled using steam from two types of flowers. The Damask rose is rich and heady, hailing from Bulgaria and Turkey, while the cabbage rose is the lighter, sweeter species, more lovingly referred to as the Moroccan rose. “It takes 7716 pounds of roses to create just 2.2 pounds of rose oil” explain Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg, founders of skincare brand Fresh, which explains the luxurious price point. Both possess impressive anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, meaning they’re ideal for treating rosacea and irritation.
Next up is rosewater, a bi-product of the oil distillation process which is prized for its skin-calming powers. “Rosewater is beneficial for all skin types and has been used since antiquity for its balancing, cooling and astringent properties.” explain Glazman and Roytberg. Look for rosewater in a toner, or in a facial mist to impact a dewy glow over makeup throughout the day.
Finally, if you like your products to pack a little more punch, rosehip is the one for you. This is the essential oil distilled from the fruit that is left behind after the rose has bloomed. It’s a source of endless fatty acids and vitamins including Vitamin A, which you may know as retinol. Combining this with a serious dose of Vitamin C (more than a week’s worth of oranges) it’ll work on pigmentation and fine lines simultaneously. When investing in a rosehip product look for brands that use a cold-pressing process, because, just like in your morning juice, this keeps all those hard-working nutrients alive.
Click through for our pick of the latest rose products to fall in love with...
Alpha-H Liquid Gold Rose
In the realms of game-changing skincare products, Alpha-H’s cult Liquid Gold ranks high. When the original treatment/serum formula launched almost 20 years ago, it revolutionised the way we approached exfoliation with its powerful 5% concentration of glycolic acid and low-PH delivery system.
Now while there’s no denying our long-standing love for this powerhouse product, sometimes our skin just needs something a little softer. Enter Liquid Gold Rose: the new limited-edition remix, which uses Damask rosewater alongside extracts of orchid and sacred lotus to hydrate the skin and soften the hardcore effects. It makes a great introduction to the world of Alpha-H - especially for those with dry or sensitive skin. They call it a ‘leave-on liquid peel’ – we call it better skin in a bottle.
Alpha-H Liquid Gold Rose, £37.50, launching exclusively at QVC in May, then nationwide from July.
Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist
Jurlique’s Rosewater Balancing Mist is another product you can happily slap a ‘cult hero’ label on, and each year it arrives in a special, limited-edition new guise. 2017’s Intense Deluxe Edition is formulated on the brand’s own biodynamic farm, situated high in Australia’s Adelaide Hills, using a blend of several rose extracts and waters.
This special edition comes housed inside equally pretty packaging, designed by Australian artist Belynda Henry. The painterly box is her interpretation of the famed Jurlique farm, depicting the wide open space, native gum trees and blooming roses.
Use it as a soothing toner day and night, or showcase the weighty bottle on your desk, spritzing to see you through those lengthy hump days.
Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist Intense Deluxe Edition, £45, available at Jurlique
La Belle Lune Organic Skin
New Brit beauty brand La Belle Lune has caused quite a stir with its mystical debut product, Organic Skin. This powerful potion contains Bulgarian rose oil as well as rosehip, alongside a host of nourishing botanical extracts – think milk thistle, sweet almond and chia. It ticks just about every ethical box – organic, vegan, sustainable – doesn’t cost more than your rent, and even comes in a gothic miron-glass bottle that’ll look bewitching on your bedside table. We hear cult status calling.
La Belle Lune Organic Skin, £46, available at Content
Kypris Beauty Elixir
The eye-watering price of Kypris’s Beauty Elixir 1 is down to the truly magical contents inside. Each of these fairy-tale glass bottles contains the pure essential oil of 1000 hand-picked Bulgarian roses, steam-distilled in small batches. If that doesn’t sound dreamy enough, it also contains collagen-boosting Vitamins C and E, rosehip and wild-crafted prickly pear seed oil, which boasts 150% more vitamins than argan oil. Forget skilful layering, just 2 tiny drops of this elixir is all you need for seriously radiant skin.
Kypris Beauty Elixir 1: 1000 Roses, £189, available at Selfridges
Pixi Rose Oil Blend
Natural beauty brand Pixi is loved for its gentle skincare products that soothe and renew. One of the best, the Rose Blend Oil contains potent rosehip as well as calming Damask rose oil alongside comforting sweet almond and jojoba. It’s dense enough to be used for an evening facial massage, but equally ideal for blending into a day cream for longer-lasting hydration.
Pixi Rose Oil Blend, £20.28, available at QVC
Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner
Fresh skincare is renowned for its beautiful Rose collection (if you don’t know the Rose Petal mask, get to know now) and this month sees the arrival or a very special new launch. The Deep Hydration Facial Toner is a serious contender when it comes to deep moisturisation, claiming to increase hydration levels by 46% for up to six hours. Unlike traditional water-based toners, this rich gel formulation contains real Moroccan rose petals floating within a solution of rose water, oils and an innovative new rose fruit extract to balance the skin. Combine all of this with a hit of hyaluronic acid, and you’ve got yourself a formula for enviably plump skin.
Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner, £35, available at Fresh
Su-Man
You’ve probably heard of facialist Su-Man - her legendary signature facial has been hailed ‘the natural alternative to Botox.’ Part of her equally lauded skincare range, the Rehydrating Toning Essence is a clever gel-to-water formula, designed to connect the stages of cleansing and moisturising.
Here, replenishing rose-petal essence is combined with antioxidant green tea to protect from environmental aggressors, plus a hit of moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid. Unlike the collection’s other products, there’s no rosehip in this one, as the focus is purely on hydration - and trust us, it delivers.
Su-Man Rehydrating Toning Essence, £37, available at Su-Man
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