The Timeless Greatness of Rose in Natural Cosmetics: A Journey from Ancient Times to a Promising Future

Rose's beauty secrets through the millennia

Roses have a rich historical significance, dating back to ancient times. In ancient Egypt, roses were revered as sacred flowers, often used in religious ceremonies and as offerings to the gods. They were also valued for their medicinal properties, used to treat a variety of ailments, including headaches, inflammation, and skin conditions. 

The Greeks associated the rose with Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, while the Romans used roses in various forms, from medicinal ointments to perfumes. Roman physicians, such as Galen, prescribed rose-based remedies for a range of conditions, including digestive disorders and respiratory ailments.

During the Middle Ages, the rose continued to be a popular ingredient in herbal remedies. Monks and nuns cultivated roses in their monastery gardens and used them to create medicinal concoctions. Rose water, a fragrant distillate, was widely used as a facial toner, eye wash, and digestive aid.

The Renaissance period saw a renewed interest in the rose's therapeutic and cosmetic potential. Italian Renaissance women, in particular, embraced rose-based beauty products, such as rosewater and rose oil, to enhance their complexion and maintain youthful skin.

Why are roses still so appealing in modern cosmetics?

Today, consumers are actively seeking more natural, sustainable beauty products and the rose offers an exceptional opportunity for brands to cater to these demands. The natural components of rose have gained popularity due to their proven efficacy and gentle nature. These ingredients act as powerful moisturizers, balancing the skin's hydration levels and improving its overall texture and appearance.

Rose possesses potent anti-inflammatory properties that calm irritated skin and reduce redness. The flower's natural antioxidants protect the skin from environmental stressors, delaying signs of ageing. Rose-based products also possess mild astringent properties, tightening and toning the skin to reveal a youthful glow. Furthermore, the rose's symbolic representation of love, beauty and femininity makes it a perfect ingredient for cosmetic products.

• Nourishing hydration, thanks to their natural oils that aid in moisture retention, a key selling point for cosmetic products.
• Anti-ageing benefits, to minimise the signs of ageing and maintain a youthful radiance, thanks to the antioxidants that help neutralise free radicals.
• Soothing and calming effect, with their gentle nature of roses, a particularly appealing asset for consumers who have sensitive skin.

And, of course, the intoxicating scent of roses is widely sought after in the fragrance industry, making it an appealing choice for cosmetics as they are for perfumes. Rose has strong associations with romance, passion, desire and sex ranging back to its historical association with love goddesses. The calming and mood-enhancing emotive qualities of roses can provide a luxurious and pampering experience to consumers, reducing stress and promoting relaxation, thus enhancing overall well-being.

Rose: A strong potential still to explore

The potential of roses extends beyond their beauty and fragrance. Recent research has identified bioactive compounds within roses that can be extracted and harnessed for well-being and natural beauty. Rose extracts, rich in polyphenols and flavonoids, possess antioxidant properties that contribute to the vitality of the skin.

The study of the genome of Rosa gallica, one of the most ancient roses, shows a promising future for the use of rose in natural cosmetics. The complete sequencing of the rose genome was done in 2018 and published in Nature Genetics. It showed a great number of similarities that can be established between rose biochemistry and human biology. The most interesting of these are a set of genes in the rose genomes that are expressed in petals for defence and stress related protection with an evident analogy with human skin biology, including:

• Autophagic regulatory mechanisms.(1)
• Petal senescence mechanisms after flowering, due to increased endogenous H202 levels and a decrease in the activity of antioxidant enzymes.(2)

These mechanisms have been developed by roses to deal with various environmental struggles such as heat stress due to high temperature conditions, that promotes flower senescence, as well as drought stress, which can severely limit their growth and flowering. Volatile terpenes have been shown to be involved in the response to abiotic stress conditions and eliminate the stress-induced accumulation of radical oxygen species.(3)

A parallel can be drawn between these defence mechanisms and the skin ageing linked to decreased hydration levels. Low moisture levels can cause skin homeostasis to deviate, causing significant changes in skin properties and functions, including a decreasing dermis thickness, a lower elasticity, and an increasing skin roughness.(4)

Natural hydration with Phytessence™ French Rose EC

An extract of Rosa gallica flowers, every step of the manufacturing process for Phytessence™ French Rose EC is done to preserve the quality of the Rosa gallica active molecules: from manual harvest in organic farms to using our innovative and sustainable Eco-sound™ extraction process. This gentle ultrasound-assisted process preserves the heat-sensitive molecules of Rosa gallica, while assuring high ecological performance.

Phytessence French Rose EC has been designed as the floral elixir for naturally hydrated skin, thanks to the hydrating properties of its actives. This new extract moisturises the skin, visually improves its quality and preserves skin youthfulness, to reveal its natural beauty.

This new extract is an ideal ingredient for a natural moisturising serum or a hydrating face mist.! The Rosa gallica extract, abundant in natural polyphenols and carbohydrates, plays an interesting role in replenishing and preserving skin moisture, resulting in a smooth complexion. Thanks to its natural humectant qualities, it draws and retains moisture, making it an excellent option for hydration. Its mild astringent characteristics contribute to toning the skin, and the diverse botanical components assist in achieving an even skin tone by diminishing the presence of inflammatory mediators and the glycation phenomenon.

A refreshed and tonified skin with Rosewater EC

Rosewater EC is an extract of flowers of organic Rosa damascena, commonly known as Damask Rose, and as one of most important scented rose species, originating from Central Asia. The petals of Rosa damascena are rich in essential oils that provide deep hydration and moisturisation to the skin. This variety is also renowned for its anti-ageing properties, thanks to its high antioxidant content that helps combat free radicals and promote youthful-looking skin. Additionally, its soothing and calming effects make it ideal for sensitive skin types. 

Rosewater EC is a luxurious floral water to enhance the quality of cosmetic products, that captures the phenols and essential oil contents of Rosa damascena, to provide antioxidant, astringent, soothing and refreshing properties of this variety to skincare. A great asset for anti-acne facial washes, cleansing gels or intimate hygiene products!

How does Croda ensure sustainable rose extracts?

By incorporating these practices and ingredients, beauty products featuring rose flowers can be created in a more sustainable manner. Ultimately, this approach allows consumers to enjoy the beauty benefits of roses while minimising the environmental footprint of the cosmetic product.

Here are two important features of how they ensure sustainability, along with efficient water and energy management and waste reduction all along the ingredient life cycle.

Organic and ethically sourced rose flowers

As much as it is possible, the botanical experts of Croda select suppliers to ensure that the rose flowers are grown organically, without the use of synthetic pesticides or chemicals. A great example of this exceptional sourcing is Phytessence French Rose EC, an extract of Rosa gallica flowers cultivated in Southern France in organic family-scale farms involved in organic and responsible agricultural practices, with a strong know-how and no chemical treatment. This geographical proximity allows minimised transport of raw materials between the farms and Croda’s factory. 

Many steps of the agronomic model are defined to be as close to wild conditions as possible. This starts with the choice of varieties, which is important to minimise the cultural interventions. The choice of Rosa gallica is significant due to its resistance to disease and harsh weather conditions: cold winters, hot and dry summers, which allows minimised interventions by farmers all along the flower cycle. The roses flowers are also manually harvested in a non-destructive technique to preserve the quality of the flower as well as the health of the rosebush.

We have not only  chosen organic farms as suppliers of Rosa gallica, but built ethical partnerships with the farms in a fair-trade approach, with a very transparent and open relationship. This direct collaboration ensures a win-win partnership with top-notch raw material quality, an optimised production process for cosmetic uses, as well as safe working conditions in the farms and a substantial trade price.

Eco-friendly extraction methods

We take pride in using extraction methods that minimize the use of solvents and chemicals as well as the consumption of water and energy. The Eco-Sound™ extraction method used to produce Phytessence™ French Rose EC uses the mechanical waves of ultrasounds to weaken the cell membranes and release metabolites into the solvent. This allows low energy consumption (< 9 Wh/kg of product) as well as low CO2 emissions, while preserving heat-sensitive molecules. Thanks to these exceptional sustainability assets, this extraction method has been COSMOS approved and recognised as an eco-responsible technology by the ERI360 label.

The enduring grace of roses as a skincare ingredient remains unparalleled, intricately woven into the beauty landscape by its unique charm. Its versatility shines through for all skin types, offering benefits ranging from nourishing hydration to remarkable anti-aging properties, along with a strong and timeless symbolic value.

References:

(1) Rogers, HJ. From models to ornamentals: how is flower senescence regulated? Plant Molecular Biology. 2012, Vol. 82, 6, pp. 563–574.

(2) Kumar N, Srivastava GC, Dixit K. Senescence in rose (Rosa hybrida L.): role of the endogenous antioxidant system. The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology. 2008, Vol. 83, 1, pp. 125-131.

(3) Yan Y, Li M, Zhang X, Kong W, Bendahmane M, Bao M, Fu X. Tissue-Specific Expression of the Terpene Synthase Family Genes in Rosa chinensis and Effect of Abiotic Stress Conditions. Genes. 2022, Vol. 13, 157.

(4) Fluhr JW, Elsner P, Berardesca E, Maibach HI. Bioengineering of the Skin: Water and the Stratum Corneum. s.l.: CRC press, 2004.