Making Rose Cream for Aging Skin

Making Rose Cream for Aging Skin

I recently lost a lot of weight.  Besides the saggy skin, the biggest disappointment is the wrinkled skin on my face.  The plump fat in my face stretched out the wrinkles pretty good, so it was a shock to see them in the mirror.  I had to do something fast!

I was not going to run out and spend $100 on some fancy face cream though.  For one thing, you don’t know exactly what’s in it, or if it will work (most often not).  And another, I know that roses are so good for the skin and have been traditionally used in skin creams.  They contain all kinds of nutrients and vitamins like A,B-3, D, and E…not to mention vitamin C (rose hips also contain very high amounts of vitamin C, so that’s why they are good to add to immune-supporting recipes). 

My first step was to dry rose petals this summer.  I use only the old fashioned, scented roses.  Modern roses have been bred for beauty and the scent left by the wayside.  The old-fashioned scented ones are the ones you want.  I picked the petals when they were dry on a sunny day and spread them out on newspapers until they were completely dry and crumbly.  You can store them then in glass jars until ready to use.  If you don’t have access to the type of rose petals you need, you can always purchase them pre-dried.  See below for the link.

Fill a quart jar with 1 cup of dried rose petals and 1 cup of a good quality oil.  You can use olive, almond or jojoba is always good for skin.  Seal and shake the jar once or twice a day.  Thoroughly remove petals after two to three weeks, using a cheese cloth or coffee filter to strain out all of the plant parts from the oil.  The remaining oil is the rose infused oil.  I like to add about 25 drops of rose absolute essential oil if you want to splurge or rose geranium essential oil.  Either of these essential oils enhance your product and give you the sweet rose aroma you are looking for. 

Now on to turning it into a silky cream.  You will need 1/4 to 1/3 cup beeswax, and 1 cup rose-infused oil with essential oils added.  Use a pan you set aside for melting beeswax in and slowly melt the beeswax until it is just melted, warm but not hot.  Slowly whip it into your oil and it should turn creamy. Pour into a glass jar (jelly jars work well). For harder cream use a bit more beeswax, and for a softer version use a bit less. You will have to experiment to find just the right consistency for you.    It should keep well for several months.