We all know that roses are beautiful flowers, with an amazing aroma often used in perfume. But, did you know that roses are sought after ingredients in skin care too? After trying out my first experiment with making calendula oil, I was curious what other herbs can be infused into oil. Rosemary can, St. Johnswort too, and, it turns out, rose as well.
And while my packets of rose buds grab attention, people often aren't sure what to do with them. So, I decided to create a short tutorial on how to make rose infused oil. And while I was at it I decided to make a blog-version for Hive too!
It really is so easy. All you need is: dried roses (or rose petals), the oil of your choice, and a clean glass jar with an equally clean lid. Whenever we are adding anything to oil it is really important that there is no extra humidity. That is why making sure the roses are totally dry is so important and also why I emphasize using a clean, dry jar and lid.
So, with my clean, dry jar I filled it to just about halfway with my fragrant rose petals. Not packed in just loosely halfway filling the jar. I collect the rose petals myself, from the forest around where I live. That way I can be sure they at they have never been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides. I also harvest plenty of extra to sell online to other people who live to make herbal skincare or use these petals for tea. And I am sure that wherever you live you can find an organic source for rose petals or buds. You do not want to use roses that have come from a bouquet because they are almost assuredly NOT organically grown and the chemicals they use to grow ornamental roses will not be good to put on your skin.
I usually use coconut of almond oil in my herbal oils. This time I used almond and simply poured it over the dried herbs until it was nearly full, leaving just a bit of room at the top because the dried herbs will soak up the oil and expand.
This jar will steep for a month to 6 weeks in a dark corner of my herbal apothecary before I strain it out and separate the herbal mater from the infused oil. I am hoping that the oil will take on the rose-y tint of the darkest roses and will certainly take up some of the medicinal qualities of roses. Roses are very calming for the skin, helping soothe irritation from rashes and heal pimples and scar marks. You can certainly make this oil into a salve by adding beeswax but, be careful not to heat the oil too much. I tend to keep this oil in a small dropper bottle in the bathroom to use directly on my face, neck, hands, and arms after a shower. Kind of like a massage oil. It only takes a few minutes to apply and leaves me feeling calm and cared for. I really recommend it!