Rose: traditional uses, preparations and cautions

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Roses are not only for the vase. The petals, the buds and the hips have a long history in home herbalism as a gentle astringent and a fragrance that lifts the mood. This page tells you which part to pick, how to turn it into an infusion, a rose water, a syrup or an oil, and when to leave it alone.

What it is credited with

• Herbalists class rose petals as astringent and toning, thanks to their tannin content.
• In the herbals of the 19th century, rose petal was recommended as an invigorating drink and offered to people who felt tired and run down.
• Traditional herbalism used rose petal infusions as a gargle or mouth rinse for a rough, scratchy throat and for tender gums.
• Old astringent recipes, rose syrup among them, were given in the home tradition for loose bowels; the reputation rests on the tannins.
• Cold compresses of rose water have a long domestic reputation for refreshing tired, puffy eyelids and calming a warm, reddened face.
• Naturopathy credits rose macerated oil and rose water with being skin-friendly: used on dull, dry or weather-worn skin, and on minor superficial grazes once they are clean.
• Aromatherapy considers rose essential oil one of the great emotionally comforting fragrances, used in a diffuser for nervous tension, overwork and emotional overload.
• In the kitchen, petals and buds are valued simply as a flavouring — fragrant, faintly astringent, and pretty.

How to use it

Pick fully open, dry, unsprayed flowers in the morning once the dew has gone. Snip off the pale heel at the base of each petal: it is the bitter part.

Petal infusion, the everyday form

• A generous pinch of dried petals, or a small handful of fresh ones, in a large cup of just-boiled water.
• Cover and steep about ten minutes, then strain.
• Drunk between meals as a tonic drink, hot or cooled, over a week or two rather than indefinitely.
• Taste: floral and slightly drying. A little honey rounds it off.

Rose water for compresses

• Pour boiling water over a handful of petals, cover tightly, and leave until completely cold so the fragrance stays in.
• Strain into a clean bottle, keep in the fridge, use within three days.
• Soak a clean cloth or cotton pad, chill it, and lay it on closed eyelids for a few minutes. Never drip it into the eye itself.

Rose syrup

• Steep petals in boiling water as above, strain, then add sugar — roughly the same weight as the liquid — and simmer until syrupy.
• Bottle hot into sterilised bottles; refrigerate once opened.
• A spoonful in water, on yoghurt, or over fruit. This is the pleasant, traditional way to take rose.

Oil macerate and essential oil

• Macerate: fill a jar with dry petals, cover completely with a plant-based oil such as sunflower or sweet almond, stand on a warm windowsill for two to three weeks, shake daily, then strain.
• Use the macerate as a simple face or body oil, a few drops smoothed on damp skin.
• Essential oil is never used neat: a drop or two in a spoonful of plant oil for the skin, or a few drops in a diffuser or on a tissue to inhale.

In cooking

• Fresh petals and buds scattered through mixed salads, or folded into fruit pies.
• Jams, jellies, liqueurs, syrups and ice cream all take rose well.
• Hips, gathered after the first frosts of mid-autumn, are cooked and sieved for jelly.
• Only ever eat flowers from bushes that have had no treatment at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

The one thing to remember: pick untreated petals in the morning from late spring to midsummer, steep a pinch in a covered cup of just-boiled water for ten minutes, and keep the rest for syrup and compresses.

Which roses can I actually use?

Any scented, untreated rose will do, but the old varieties are best, above all Rosa gallica, the Rose of Provins, from which cultivated roses descend. Strongly perfumed petals make strongly perfumed preparations. Florist roses and recently sprayed garden bushes are out.

When do I harvest petals and hips?

Gather petals and unopened buds from late spring to midsummer, in the morning once the dew has dried and before the heat of the day. Hips are picked from early to mid-autumn, ideally after the first frosts, when they soften. Snip off the white heel of each petal, which tastes bitter.

Can I put rose water on my eyes?

Only on the outside, on closed lids, as a cold compress — that is the traditional use for tired, puffy eyelids. Home-made rose water is not sterile and must never be dripped into the eye. Anything painful or persistent goes to a health professional.

What does rose taste like in a cup?

Sweetly floral with a faintly drying, astringent finish from the tannins in the petals. Some people find it perfumed to the point of soapiness on its own, which is why the syrup is such a popular form. A little honey, or a mix with mint or lemon balm, softens it.

How long do dried petals keep?

Dried in the shade and stored in an airtight jar away from light, petals hold their fragrance for roughly a year. Once the scent has gone, so has the point of them. Home-made rose water is different: keep it in the fridge and use it within about three days.

This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.