By Shahnaz Husain
In India, the Rose is one of the best-known plant products and has been prized for its beauty, fragrance and healing properties. History and legends tell us how Mughal Empresses added rose petals and oil to their baths and perfumes. In fact, oil of rose is actually said to have been discovered by the Mughal Empress Noorjahan.
Rose water is one of the most powerful natural skin tonics. It not only tones the skin, but improves blood circulation to the skin surface. It is said to contain Vitamins A, C, D. E and B3. It suits all skin types, including sensitive skin and even acne conditions. Due to its cooling effect, it is ideal for Indian summers as a skin freshener.
If you wish to make rose water at home, take an enamel or steel vessel and put rose petals in it. For one cup of firmly packed rose petals, pour 2 cups hot (boiling) water over them. Cover and let the petals steep in the water till the liquid becomes cool. Strain the water and squeeze out liquid from the petals. Keep the rose water in an airtight jar in the fridge.
To tone the skin, chill rose water in a bowl. Using cotton wool, wipe the skin with it. Then pat the skin briskly.
To relieve dryness, add 2 to 3 drops of glycerin to one tablespoon of rose water and apply on the face. It moisturises the skin, without making it oily.
Add a little rose water to sandalwood paste and apply on pimples, acne or boils, to soothe and cure. It helps to reduce inflammation. Rose water can also be added to face packs and scrubs. . It mixes well with most other ingredients used in home-made packs, like honey, yogurt, oats, multani mitti, sandalwood paste and so on. Mix multani mitti with rose water into a paste and apply on the face to reduce oiliness and make the skin clear and bright.
Rose has such a gentle action that it can be used to rejuvenate the area around the eyes. Cotton wool pads, soaked in rose water, can be used over the eyes, like eye pads, to remove fatigue and brighten the eyes. It also helps to reduce puffiness.
Rose petals can be added to bath water, or even to warm or cool water for soaking the feet. In fact, spa treatments make used of rose petals, adding them to warm water for foot spa.
About Shahnaz Husain
Shahnaz Husain, pioneer of the Ayurvedic beauty movement, heads the Shahnaz Husain Group, with a global network of franchise ventures and 375 Ayurvedic formulations. A Case Study at Harvard for Brand Creation, she is now a Harvard Subject for “Emerging Markets” She was honored with the Padma Shri Award and is the first woman in 105 years to receive the World’s Greatest Woman Entrepreneur Award from Success, the U.S. business magazine. Indeed, Shahnaz Husain is a leading international beauty icon.’
