as there is a big hype regarding rose water, especially here on youtube i thought i could on the one side take a look on some products and one the oder side test them. and aditionally - what makes my channel kind of unique - looking up the scientific data searching for studies which tested the effects and looked into the incis in detail. first of all, i researched the manufacturing process
rose water is a side-product of the production of rose oil and the rose oil production needs steam distillation steam distillation works with steeping the rose leaves which are getting swirled by water the steam catches up the steam-soluble particles and get condensated in the pipe afterwards so the liquids with its particles get collected. at the end there is the oil part at the surface which gets skimmed off
and down there 'sits' the water - the rose water which included the water-soluble particles. which kind of formulations are there? there is on the one hand 'rose oil' the corresponding 'rose water', and so called 'rose concentrate' the rose concentrate gets manufactured by steeping rose leaven in solution which gets removed afterwards so there is only concentrate left.
the whole process work with less temperature so it is more gentle for the leaves and the ingredients. 2009 a science team looked up where the differences between the formulations are especially in matters to the ingredients, to the anti-aging effect, and the antibacterial effect. the studies got published in the current biology magazine in 2009 a journaled specialized to these kind of topics.
the main ingredients in these three formulations are phenyethylalcohol, tocopherols (vit. e), geraniole and citronellole. briefly - geraniol and citronellol are both kind of parfumes, alcohols, used as scents in parfums or cleaning agents, if they should smell like lemon or flowers. geraniole by itself is not that allergenic, but in combination with oxygen, it gets highly allergenic with the abillity to trigger further allergies.
where as citronellol is highly irritating and harmful for the nature, which is shown by the danger signs on the packaging. in the framework of this study they looked up the effect on aging and on bacteria. the tocopheroles are claimed to have an anti-ageing-effect, known as radical interceptor, used in a lot of cosmetic products, since it should reduce the so called oxidative stress, which is amongst other responsible for skin aging.
that's why vitamine e (tocopheroles) are used in anti-aging products. additionally they looked up the antibacterial effects, which is affiliated with the alcoholic ingredients, because the antibacterial effect of alcohol is well known, so as the drying and irritating effect to the skin. the different ingredients are included in different quantity in the formulations. see the table. so there is no kind of anti-aging effect with the water, nevertheless it is claimed on the packaging. to show the antibacterial effects, they used as customary some kind of nutrient disc, on which different bacteria growed
after coating the 'bacteria-discs' with the different products, someone can 'read' the effect onto these bacteria. there was also a control group in which was used a product known to have no effect on bacteria to see if there is really no effect. finally we know that the antibacterial effect is the highest in the oil-formulation. followed by the concentrat with its light effect where as the water showed absolutely none.
so the claimed antibacterial effect is only a myth. so there is the question left - how useful is the rose water if there is no anti-aging effect and no effect onto bacteria? before looking by myself into these shattering data, i tested 5 different products by myself. it took me 1 to 2 month, some of the products i got sent by the company after asking explicit. first one is the 'spinnrad' rose water.
it is meant for the face. the company disclaimes on the package that is not ate able, which made me suspicious, because of the claim 'natural rose water', which is also suitable for sensitive skin. claims also to be refreshing and regenerating. terms like refreshing and regenerating are not provable and very subjective. so nothing to say against this. as ingredients there is not only rose water declared,
beside water they mention preservatives, rose water extract and citric acid, which is used as preservation. well, these different ingredients, especially citric acid and the preservatives may be the reason why we shouldn't eat it. in my opinion it smells typically like rose water moldy-flowery and nearly exact like the second tested product the 'rosense rose water' the maybe most hyped product here on youtube germany.
100ml in a glas bottle 2 € next one is the rosense rose water originated in turkey 100ml for 9€ smells sweet-moldy. it comes with this handy spray dispenser, which like we can see sprays okey, but only from a high distance, unless you want to spray it directly onto your face
without having big drops. the next product is the 'taoasis face tonic' - rose water this was, i have to highlight, my favourite one, because of the fine spray application. furthermore it is without propellant gas. nevertheless the container is pressurized and shouldn't be heaten up of course. a fine spray - perfect for using without anything directly onto the face. 'taoasis' says it is refreshing and stimulating, and it is organic from bulgaria
and contains only water and rose. price at the moment: 8 € for 50ml next one is the organic 'primavera' rose water which claims to be cooling and toning to the skin additionally it should harmonize your senses and promote your blood circulation. ingredients are water with alcohol (maybe for preservative-purpose) the scent is very sweet, for me too sweet, not the typically moldy scent
more artificially. of course only my subjective opinion. additionally the bottle has a spray head, which provides a pleasant application. 100ml for 10€ last one was the 'ikarov' rose water, which brings a outer packaging with it, supposed to held a package insert - which mine does not provide.
so you need to understand spanish to read the ingredients, which seem to be only distilled water and rose extract. no ingredients in german or english provided. only the effects are described in german, should act tonising, refreshing and calming to the skin, improves the blood circulation and corrects the moisture-balance of your skin. suitable for every skin type, especially for inflamed skin. they mention also, that a extraction/infusion with the rose waste helps with tired eyes, and dark circles under the eyes.
please be careful with rose water onto the eyes because often alcohol is added which can hurt your eyes and have a drying effect on them. as the main ingredients of all kind of rose water and extracts are different sorts of alcohol i wouldn't recommend rose water in the eye area at all. the scent tough is extremely unpleasant and smells after one week continuously usage that bad, that i can't use it anymore. for me it provokes kind of nausea. extremely unpleasant, extremely artificial, extremely sweet.
clearly my subjective opinion. there may be persons liking this sweet scent. 'whoa.' no, emetic. 7 € on amazon germany manufactured in ... bulgaria. ingredients shall be pure rose water. what can be said finally on rose water? for me, after testing it 2 months with focus on ingredients,
for me there was no antibacterial effect noticable, mentioning that this is hard to recognice, since i'm using other skin care products in my daily routine. furthermore no noticeable anti aging effect, as long as i can say something about it with my yet 'young' skin. why i'm still using it? i'm liking the taoasis rose water for its fine spray application the moldy but not that sweet scent, and the possibility to use it all over the face without a cotton pad. which makes it kind of eco-friendly.
also applicable as a setting spray after the make up and this moisturizing effect is the only reason for me to use it any longer. as always in life, there are people loving a product like rose water and see effects on their skin. and there are people which can't see the point of it. one further advantage compared to simple water can be the rose scent. someone who is loving the rose scent, someone who can start their day better with this scent
these are the people i recommend this kind of product without doubt. whereas using it against acne prone skin, or inflamed eye areas, i rather would disadvise rose water for this purpose. better consult a health consultant/expert like an dermatologist, which may provide products for you with scientific backround.