I am never quite sure what draws me in first with Rose; the beauty captured by the eyes or the nose, (don’t worry the poetry stops here my friends). According to fossil evidence, the genus Rosa is thought to be 35 million years old and contains around 200 species and thousands of hybrids growing across the world. Roses have long held a rich symbolism of love and beauty and it is easy to understand why.
In the Spring and Summer we gather and dry the petals to infuse into oils, add into our Incense Blends & Smoulder Stick and to add to bath salts, soaks and teas. In the Autumn and Winter we collect the hips or fruits that we infuse into skin oils, oxymels and dry for teas. For the rest of this post, I will be focusing on the benefits of the petals as we are currently collecting and processing them, plus rose hips deserve a post of their very own.
We collect a combination of wild Rose (R.canina) and Roses that we grow ourselves. The reason we blend rose species is so as not to over forage for wild Rose as it is incredibly important for pollinators, and to add diversity to the beneficial compounds in our oils too.
Roses have been used therapeutically for thousands of years. They contain several bio active compounds that show strong antioxidant and antibacterial action making it a superb natural remedy for soothing irritated skin and improving acne. Compounds in Rose have also been shown to offer skin restorative properties by fighting free radicals that cause damage to the skin.
Alongside the many physical health benefits of Rose, it has also been shown as effective support in improving symptoms of depression and anxiety. This is an important consideration for us when we select ingredients as we want our products to benefit the whole person, offering soothing self care for both the skin and the mind.
Wild Fen 