Giving someone a bouquet of a dozen roses traditionally connotes love. There are even customs regarding the specific color of roses that a gift-giver might choose. For instance, yellow signifies a special friendship, remembrance and care, while orange translates as passion and fierce love. Pink roses represent sweetness, joy and admiration, while red roses say “I love you.” Roses come in many different colors. They’re one of the most common types of flower gifts, as well as a desired adornment for centerpieces, weddings, etc. If you have roses growing in your backyard, you might be surprised to learn that they’re also a versatile natural living tool!
Do you know that roses are edible? Do you also know that they are beneficial to health and beauty in many ways? Rose hips are bountiful in vitamins C, D, E, A and B3. Rose tea also contains quercetin, which has been shown to help speed recovery from (and possibly prevent) the “2020 virus.” (Using code words to avoid getting flagged.) Incorporating roses into your diet may help with digestion, bile secretion and relief of ulcers. Roses are also a powerful antioxidant, so it makes sense that regular use of them in tea or food recipes can help prevent cancer. Many people say that the aroma of roses induces feelings of calmness and peace, which helps alleviate nervous tension and anxiety. Read on to learn more about five creative ways that you can uses roses to enhance your natural living experience!
First, a natural living warning and disclaimer
If you plan on experimenting with store-bought roses, keep in mind that they have likely been heavily sprayed with chemicals! The natural living ideas in this post are best implemented with backyard roses that you know are chemical-free. This post is not intended to give health advice, and The Hot Mess Press is not responsible for anything that happens if a person tries one of the ideas mentioned in this post. Always do your own research and seek medical advice and treatment with regard to health concerns.
Rose tea is a natural living gem
To have good health, your body must be able to fight infection and heal or recover from illness or injury. One of the easiest ways to use roses for natural living purposes is to make tea with the petals. Drinking rose petal tea is said to improve sleep and health with digestive and stomach troubles, as well as alleviate irritability and mood swings. Many people claim that rose tea also helps relieve the discomforts of menstruation and menopause. Natural living experts also say that moderate consumption of rose tea can help strengthen lungs and kidneys, as well as relieve bloating and heart palpitations.
Always clean the petals you harvest from your yard. You might also want to snip off the tiny white tips of your rose petals because they’re said to have a bitter taste. There are several ways to make rose tea, the easiest of which is to place a bunch of clean petals in small pot on the stove. Cover them with water and bring to a boil with low or medium heat. Keep the petals simmering until they’ve lost most of their color or have darkened. Let the brew sit for several minutes, then strain the liquid into your cup. Add a high quality honey for an added natural living boost, and enjoy!
You can also infuse dried rose petals into green or black tea. To do this, you’d basically repeat the method mentioned in the previous section after drying your petals. Click this link to learn several ways to dry rose petals. You might want to experiment by brewing rose petals into other types of tea as well, such as cinnamon or rosemary.
Caution regarding excessive consumption of rose tea
Excessive consumption of pretty much anything is bad for your health. Rose tea is no different. Again, always do your own research to determine what is best for you. Generally speaking, more than five cups per day could cause diarrhea (likely due to high levels of vitamin C). Overuse can also have other adverse effects. Also, people with thalassemia should not drink rose tea.
Use dried rose petals in homemade soap
If you’re into natural living, you might enjoy making soap as a hobby. If you use a cold press method, you can add rose petals as a soap ingredient! Cold press soap makers say they love using rose petals in their recipes because they retain their color so well. They also add a nice texture to a bar of soap, particularly if you shred the petals first. Keep in mind that adding shredded rose petals to homemade, cold-pressed soap is for texture, not scent. You would typically use essential oils to make the soap smell good.
Refresh and heal your skin with homemade rose water
There are numerous natural living benefits to using rose water on your skin. When applied to the face, rose water is known reduce redness and irritation because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Many people have had success treating eczema and acne with rose water, as well. You can make a batch of rose water at home and store it in a small spray bottle. A basic recipe would include the petals from approximately six or seven roses per one liter of rose water.
Bring the petals to a boil on the stove (with just enough water to cover them in the pot), then simmer until the petals lose their color. Strain the liquid out and let sit. You can also add a drop of essential oil that is good for skin, such as lavender. (Essential oils are best stored in glass bottles, so keep that in mind.)
Rose petals are a perfect addition to homemade potpourri
The scents and aromas with which we surround ourselves at home can greatly affect our mood and disposition. You can use petals and buds from your backyard roses to enhance natural living at home by making potpourri! Go back to the link provided earlier in this post to choose your preferred method of drying your petals and buds. You’ll need some other dried herbs and ingredients, as well, such as dried orange peels, lavender and rosemary. (This is a perfect time for a note to yourself: Start small herb garden at home for making potpourri!)
To make potpourri, you basically fill a mason jar with your dried ingredients. You can also add cloves or cinnamon to an enhanced aroma. Before making potpourri, learn about how to add a fixative to your mix. Many people use orris root. A fixative is an ingredient that you add to reduce the speed of dissipation of scent, so that your potpourri’s aroma lasts longer. After you assemble all of your ingredients, you cover the jar and let it sit in a cool, dark place for about six weeks.
Finally, you can eat rose petals raw or add them to other food recipes
My final natural living idea to make use of the healthful and beauty enhancement properties of rose petals is to eat them! Many people liken the taste of backyard rose petals to home-grown strawberries, with bits of tart and sweet combined. You can easily incorporate fresh rose petals into your diet by mixing them into fruit or vegetable salads. If you dry the petals, they make a great addition to homemade granola! You can “muddle” them, meaning to use a pestle to pulverize them and extract their essence and oils. Add your muddled petals to smoothies or other beverages (cold tea!), as well as jams, jellies or preserves. Some people add muddled rose petals to butter for a unique-flavored spread!
When using rose petals as a natural living food or drink ingredient, remember that the sweeter the fragrance, the more flavor the petals will have. If you like to make your own vinegar, you can infuse a batch with rose petals to use on salads, in sauces or in other recipes!
Homemade natural living products make lovely gifts
Many people are looking for ways to improve their health and to find non-toxic beauty and food products, as well. Rose petal soap, potpourri, rose water spray and dried petals for tea make wonderful homemade gifts! Those with an entrepreneurial spirit might consider launching a micro-business by their rose petals and natural living rose-petal products!
What’s your favorite kind of rose?
