The ancient Egyptians used rose petals to make heady scents. It is said that Cleopatra soaked the sails of Marco Antonio's ship with rose-water so that the scent could announce his return from battle. Roses have always been a symbol of beauty, their petals wrapped one in the other fascinate who stops to observe them and their scent relaxes and calms anxiety, as observed by scientific studies (Barati et al, Nephrourol Mon., 2016). So, let's try to let ourselves be inebriated by the power of the rose, giving us a special cuddle, a scrub based on coconut oil and rose!
Rose scrub
Now is the season of roses, which are showing off on the balconies and in the gardens. Collect fresh rosebuds, remove the petals and clean them with a damp cloth. Dry the petals and place them in a glass jar. In another pot heat the coconut oil in a double boiler, the quantity of oil depends on how many rose petals you have collected since the oil should cover them. When the oil is liquefied, pour it into the jar with the roses. Cover the jar with a gauze and place it in the double boiler. Cook on low heat for 3-4 hours. After this time, remove from the double boiler and filter with a strainer. To obtain the desired fragrance you can repeat the process. The rose infused coconut oil is ready. This oil can be used pure to soften the lips, as a cream on chapped skin areas or as a make-up remover. Alternatively, you can prepare a fantastic rose scrub! Dry some rose petals, or you can buy them already dried, blend them quickly. In a bowl mix 5 tablespoons of sugar, preferably wholecane sugar, and 5 tablespoons of dried rose petals, then add 3 tablespoons of rose infused coconut oil and complete with 2 tablespoons of jojoba or sunflower oil. Stir, if the consistency seems to be too oily, add sugar, this depends on your personal taste. Apply the scrub on a wet face with slow circular movements, then you can remove the petals with a tissue, so as not to pour them into the sink, then rinse thoroughly. You can also use this scrub on the body while you are taking a shower.
Rose scrub, properties, here's what science says
In addition to the relaxing action seen in the introduction, rose petal extracts have shown an interesting anti-inflammatory action, useful in case of skin irritation and redness, even induced by the sun. Moreover, rose extracts are antioxidant, able to counteract aging processes (Lee et al, Food Sci Nutr, 2018). Brown cane sugar naturally contains glycolic acid, a substance used to fight acne, wrinkles but also dark spots on the skin (Tang et al, Molecules, 2018). Finally, coconut oil works by hydrating the skin and soothing irritation and inflammation (Varma et al, J Tradit Complement Med., 2019).
