Rose has been used in beauty rituals for millennia. The Egyptians used to boil down whole roses to create an unctuous balm, heralded for its healing properties, while the Romans formulated rose poultices as an early ‘anti-wrinkle’ remedy. Meanwhile, in medieval times rosewater was added to lead powder to whiten the skin, as was the custom at the time. Fast forward to the present day and it has remained a favourite in the beauty and skincare ingredients lists, with rose oil proven to aid hydration and skin regeneration. Whether you like to spritz it, bathe in it or slather it on, we present our edit of the nine best rose beauty products.


By Terry

Baume De Rose Lip Balm, £40
Baume De Rose Lip Care

We know, £40 for a lip balm. But hear us out. The multi-purpose balm from By Terry has a cult following for a reason; the butter texture feels creamy without a hint of grease and nourishes for hours without the need to keep re-applying. Ticking all the lip balm holy grail criteria in one formula, it has rose flower wax and nourishing shea butter fortified with vitamin E to soothe even the most chapped of lips. It’s the best we’ve found.


Elemis

Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm, £44
ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm

Elemis’ perennially popular Pro-Collagen cleansing balm is also available in a rose edition, with even more skin rejuvenating properties. The balm has a magic three-phase texture, melting from a butter to an oil on contact, and effectively removing make-up without stripping the skin. It then transforms to a milk when water is applied, leaving skin softened and without a trace of grease thanks to the Damascena rose oil and nourishing shea butter and sweet almond oil.


Tom Ford

Rose Prick, £218 (50ml Eau de Parfum)
Rose Prick

Inspired by Tom’s private rose garden and filled with a collection of rare breed specimens from Turkey and Bulgaria, Rose Prick balances the delicate beauty of the rose and the ferocity of the thorn. With top notes of feisty Sichuan pepper, heart notes of a trio of roses, and a lingering base note of tonka bean and patchouli, it’s a rose scent, but not like you’ve ever smelt before.


Aesop

Rose Scalp and Hair Masque, £25
Rose Hair & Scalp Moisturising Masque

If your lockdown locks are looking a little frazzled, Aesop’s calming rose scalp and hair masque is an intense treatment that will not only tend to your tresses but calm a stressed-out scalp too. A mix of floral and woody notes with rose petal and lavender stem extract, simply comb through wet hair, breathe deep and let the masque restore your hair to its former glory.


Le Labo

Rose 31, £57 (15ml Eau de Parfum)
Rose Beauty Products Le Labo Rose Parfum Spray

Rose 31 from New York based fragrance lab Le Labo is based around the unparalleled scent of the Grasse rose. Perhaps the most unadulterated of rose scents, it is paired with warm, spicy and woody notes from cumin, cedar and amber to give a dark, more carnal edge.


Balance Me

Rose Otto Face Oil, £32
ROSE OTTO FACE OIL

Balance Me’s Rose Otto Face Oil is suitable for even the most sensitive of skins. The hero ingredients include ultra-hydrating squalene (derived from olives, it helps boost cell regeneration); rosehip oil (rich in vitamin A which is great for scarring), as well as the star of the show: Rose Otto, known for its anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing properties. Warm a couple of drops between your palms and inhale deeply, before massaging into skin and watching all that goodness soak in.


REN

Rose Otto Bath Oil, £32
Moroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil

Sinking into a tub laced with REN’s Rose Otto Bath Oil is a decadent, all-sensory experience. It washes away a fraught mind as much as it cleanses the skin, with Moroccan Rose Otto oil to soothe, geranium oil to hydrate and sesame oil to nourish. Emerge softer, calmer and heaven-scented. A bathing olfactory dream.


Herbivore

Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Face Mist, £14
Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Face Mist

Don’t have a face mist as part of your skincare regime? You should – especially this Rose Hibiscus one from Herbivore. Great for applying after cleansing, it can help boost the hydrating properties of a hyaluronic acid serum and really lock-in moisture with quenching coconut and rose waters. Keep it on your desk to spritz and revitalise skin that is dehydrated thanks to air conditioning or central heating. It also doubles as a brilliant make-up finishing spray to give a dewy, hydrated look.


Neal’s Yard

Wild Rose Hand Cream, £10
Wild Rose Hand Cream

Neal’s Yard Wild Rose range of skincare includes this brilliant nightstand staple hand cream. Thick enough to penetrate and give a real moisture boost without being overly greasy, it is packed with antioxidant-rich, organic wild rosehip oil and scented with geranium and patchouli essential oils.

By Lydia Mansi
June 2020

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