Excuse the Puns & Roses, but we couldn’t help ourselves, they are far too perfect to not be a part of our long and everlasting love affair with all things rose. Roses in our skincare are the roses we buy for ourselves. No waiting on husbands, boyfriends or lovers to treat us a couple times a year; roses are now part of our daily routine as they were fully intended to be. But unlike Gertrude Stein’s memorable quote, “A rose is a rose is a rose”, not all rose products are created equally. After months of testing and lots of research, we’ve put together a curated list of some of our favourites to help navigate the ingredients, categories and products with greater knowledge and ease.

Rosewater Spray

One of our all time favourites and a staple in our medicine cabinets is none other than Mario Badescu’s Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater. There are many incredible rosewater sprays on the market, but few are as effective and as budget friendly as this gem. There are a few ingredients that make this product truly special. The aloe will act as a natural humectant binding to water molecules and hydrating your skin, while the thyme has both anti bacterial and anti inflammatory properties. Little known tip: thyme is just as effective, if not more so, at killing the bacteria responsible for unwanted blemishes than the traditionally prescribed benzoyl peroxide. However, the star of the show here is definitely Rose Canina Extract, otherwise known as the Dog Rose or Wild Rose. It will help to soothe inflammation and redness as well as stimulate collagen and promote cell regeneration. While rich in linoleic and linolenic acid it will help keep skin moisturized and prevent clogged pores. As a source of Vitamin C it will be a great anti oxidant and will help to brighten any hyperpigmentation. Sometimes a quick spritz is all you need, but when your skin is super irritated, inflamed or dry, a soaked cotton pad will do wonders.

The veritable lineup of rose ingredients in this Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Gel mask has just about a full garden in tow. Extracts and oils are used from the Cabbage Rose, White Rose, Damask Rose, Dog Rose, Desert Rose (disclaimer: not really a rose) and the Myrrh Leaf all beautifully blended into a very luscious and luxurious mask. However it’s gel like consistency and fragrant bouquet of roses is more likely to remind you of Turkish Delight than your back garden. While not recommended for digestion we definitely recommend consumption – topically that is. The Damask Rose is used for its flower oil and its leaf cell extract making this mask anti aging, anti inflammatory and an anti oxidant. When our skin is feeling a bit blah, and we cant figure out exactly what it needs this is our go to, it has it all, and does it all, and we can’t get enough.

Pai BioRegenerate Rosehip oil, is the the English Rose of the bunch, that is it hails from the shores of her royal majesty. Pai is a wonderful brand, ideal for sensitive skin and this oil is really the jewel in their crown. While some roses may be red, in this case they are orange, the orange colour comes from the Rose Canina Seed and Fruit Extracts. Other than it’s signature colour the Rose Canina is also responsible for making this oil rich in Omega 3,6 & 9. Sounds lovely but what do they actually do for our skin when used topically? Omega 3 will help repair sun damage and is very anti inflammatory, omega 6 will help maintain your skin barrier which prevents moisture from escaping while lucky number 9 will do all of that in addition to improving the texture of your skin making it super soft and very supple. There is one more rose ingredient, although by name only, that is Rosemary. This added bonus has many benefits to our skin, most notably it has antiseptic properties and improves circulation. This is a rather thick rich oil, thanks to all those omegas, making it the perfect end to your nighttime routine. Your skin will regenerate during those beauty sleep hours leaving you rejuvenated and glowing as you awake.

The Lanolips Rose Hand Cream, more like a rose dream, while intended for hand and cuticle use, can really be used everywhere. During these few winter months, when Mother Nature has trapped us in a freezer and tests our humanity we look forward to using this cream on all limbs and extremities to provide some temporary relief and much needed hydration. As in this brand’s namesake, lanolin is the ingredient seen though their whole range. It is particularly effective at hydrating rough, dry, scaly and even itchy skin. The signature rose in this product is Rose Centifolia Oil. The Rose Centifolia, named for having a 1000 petals, give or take, is also known as the Cabbage Rose or Provence Rose. Known to be very fragrant but more important for its tightening properties. Rose Centifolia has a tonic affect, making it ideal for hand care. Our hands are often where we see the first signs of aging, making sure that they are hydrated and that the skin is taught, is essential to keep them looking young.

We all want to go out smelling like roses, but not like we’ve spent the whole afternoon at a nursing home playing bridge with grandma and her friends. No offence to grandma, but the traditional rose scent can sometimes lack the freshness or dynamic qualities that many of us somewhere north of that age group tend to look for in a personal fragrance. We pretty much gave up until we came across this rather unassuming perfume by Annie Bing. Sold out almost as soon as it’s restocked their Savage Rose perfume is anything but traditional, it features the iconic Bulgarian Rose and White Rose along with notes of pepper and musk. These two roses have long been used as aphrodisiacs and one whiff of this scent will prove exactly why. Savage Rose, is definitely the rose worth stopping for.

As we reach the end of the rose, we hope you’ve learned a lot, laughed a little and are ready to treat yourselves to a different kind of rose this Valentine season.