Rose Petals

Description
A small, erect, prickly shrub with unequal, large, hooked prickles and many bristles, leaves compound, alternate, leaflets usually five, rachis not prickly, flowers usually pink, very fragrant, very double on long slender pedicels, calyx tube globose, ovoid, the mouth contracted, lobes 4-5 imbricate, petals many, stames many, inserted on the mouth of the calyx tube, carpels many in the bottom of the calyx tube, style subterminal, free stigma thickened, ovules solitary, pendulous, fruit a fleshy his enclosing bony achenes, seeds small, pendulous.

Chemical Constituents
Essential oil, Querctin, Kaempferol and cyaniding from whole plant, cyaniding 3, 5- diglucoside from petalsm. Detection of citronell, nerol, geraniol and phenylethanol in essential oil. Flowers contain a bitter principle, tannin matter, fatty oil and organic acids. Hips contain the pigments lycopene. ? -and y-carotenes, rubixanthin, zeaxanthin, xanthophylla and taranthin.

Cosmetic Use
Rose is good for most skin types and is used in a wide range of cosmetics. Rosewater is a natural cosmetic made from Rose oil, Alcohol, and distilled water. Used to make cold creams and lotions and other cosmetic uses. may be used in potpourri as a pleasant cent. Mix with vegetable glycerine for moisturizing use. Mostly perfumery, also in toilet preparations, lozenges and toothpaste. Homes uses in butter, syrup, jams and honey. Rose water is used in desserts, pastries and cakes.

Medical
Internal - asthma, high blood pressure, bronchitis, slow circulation, diarrhea, dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), cough, fever, fluid retention, Indigestion, insomnia, palpitation, stress, urinary tract infections.

External
abrasions, boils, burns, fragile capillaries, post natal depression, dermatitis, eczema headache, insomnia, poor memory, rashes, sores, oral thrush, tinea.

Rose Water
Rose Water is the by product of producing rose essential oil. It has skin softening, toning, soothing and healing properties. Was used during Victorian times to soothe the skin. Rose water is nature's finest beauty tonic. It is perfect after a facial or cleansing. If you rinse your hair in rose water, it gives it a natural shine by closing the cuticle.

Rose oil
Genuine distilled rose oil is extremely valuable, requiring approximately 4000kg of flowers to produce 1kg of oil. It is considered superior to the cheaper solvent-extracted rose "absolute" but is often adulterated with cheaper oils such as Palmarosa or synthetic components such as geraniol and citronellol. Our rose oil is steam distilled and guaranteed free of any solvents and adulterants. This product can be used for a variety of products and markets: Medicinal, Cosmetic and Fragrance.

To make a mouthwash from rose petals, pour 1/4 pint white wine vinegar over 1/2 pint freshly picked, scented rose petals and mash together for five minutes. Cover and leave in a warm place for two days, then strain and dilute 1 tablespoon with 7 fl oz water.

Rose Cold Creams
4 Tbsp olive oil, highly perfumed rose petals, 1 Tbsp purified beeswax, rain or soft water. Place the olive oil in a double boiler and heat slowly until it becomes very warm. Immerse as many rose petals in the olive oil as can be packed in firmly. Cover and leave for several days. When the oil has absorbed the perfume from the petals, strain it and keep on one side until needed. To make the cold cream, heat the beeswax slowly in a pan until it is reduced to a liquid, then blend in the perfumed oil. Remove from the heat and stir until the mixture cools. Add the soft water, a few drops at a time, until the cream reaches the consistency that you most prefer. Pot and label.

Hand Lotion
3 Tbsp rosewater, 3 Tbsp glycerine, 3 Tbsp alcohol, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp orange juice, 1 Tbsp cider vinegar. Mix all the ingredients together. Bottle, shake well and label.

Rose-root Water
Place 1 lb of root in a saucepan with a lid and add 1 pint of water. Simmer over a low flame for 1 hour (with the lid on), then strain into bottles when cool and keep under refrigeration.

Blends With
most floral essential oils, frequently with jasmine, also blends with anise, geranium, ginger, bergamot, black pepper, chamomile, fennel neroli, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver and ylang ylang.

Medicinal Uses
The roots are astringent and vulnerary and are useful in intestinal ulcers, rickets, haemorrhages and diarrhoea. Them leaves are useful in treating wounds, ophthalmia, hepatopathy and haemorrhoids. The flowers are bitter, astringent, sweet, cooling emollient aromatic, cardiotonic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, digestive, carminative, aphrodisiac, depurative, febrifuge, intellect promoting styptic. Rejuvenating and tonic. They are useful in vitiated conditions of vata and pitta, inflammations, cough, asthma, bronchitis, wounds, ulcers, halitosis, amentia, dyspepsia, flatulence, colic, skin diseases, hyperhidrosis, cardiac debility, fever and general weakness. The rose water is cooling, fragrant, emollient and ophthalmic, and is good for hyperhidrosis, halitosis and ophthalmopathy. The 'rose Otto' is antibacterial and is useful in the treatment of biliary calculus.