Rose oil has a wonderful scent, it also hydrates and heals the skin in an excellent way. This preparation method is quick, simple and requires few commonly used tools. Prepare the petals by washing them with water and let them dry, then pound them lightly and add them to an odorless oil. After 24 hours, remove the petals from the oil and replace them with freshly pounded ones to increase the intensity of the final product. Once ready, store the rose oil out of light to make it last as long as possible. Read on for all the details.
Ingrediants
- 120 ml of an odorless oil (such as jojoba or apricot)
- 20 crushed rose petals
For 120 ml of rose oil
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Prepare the Rose Petals
Step 1. Prepare about twenty rose petals
If possible, detach them directly from very fragrant roses by the time they begin to bloom. Roses tend to lose their scent quickly, so it is best to remove the petals before they have fully opened.
Roses of the Double Delight and Mister Lincoln varieties have a particularly delicious scent
Step 2. Wash the petals with cold water
Fill a bowl with cold tap water and gently dip the rose petals. Rinsing them is used to remove dust and any small insects. Do not move them in the water with your hand to prevent them from releasing their scented oils.
Wash the petals exclusively with cold water. If you use hot water, they will lose their fragrance oils
Step 3. Spread the petals to dry on a few sheets of absorbent paper
Pour the contents of the bowl into a colander to drain the petals from the water, then arrange them on a few sheets of kitchen paper to dry. Check that they are not overlapping and wait at least an hour to make sure they are perfectly dry.
Keep the windows closed to prevent the petals from flying off
Part 2 of 2: Prepare the Rose Oil
Step 1. Put 10 petals in a plastic bag
Insert the petals into the bag and seal it carefully. This recipe allows you to prepare 120 ml of rose oil. If you want to make more, simply double the doses.
For example, use 40 petals and 240ml of a carrier oil of your choice to make 240ml of rose oil
Step 2. Gently pound the petals with a wooden mallet
Place the sealed bag on the floor and gently tap it with the wooden mallet until all the petals are visibly flattened. Crushing them serves to break the cells in which the scented oils are contained.
If you don't have a wooden wad, you can use a rolling pin, a can, or a can of beans
Step 3. Pour the oil and petals into a glass jar
Smell the oil before pouring it to make sure it doesn't have a strong odor that might cover up the mild smell of rose petals. Pour 120 ml of oil into the jar and add the crushed rose petals. Finally screw the lid onto the jar.
As a carrier oil, you can use for example jojoba oil (unscented), fractionated coconut oil, apricot oil and almond oil
Step 4. Shake the jar vigorously for 1 minute
This will help release the oils from the rose petals. Move the jar up and down for about 1 minute or until the petals are well distributed in the carrier oil.
Make sure the jar is tightly sealed before you start shaking it to avoid the risk of it leaking
Step 5. Leave the petals to infuse for 1 day
In this way, the scented oils will have time to diffuse into the carrier oil. Store the jar in a safe place where the temperature is not too low or too high. The pantry or a kitchen cabinet will do just fine.
After 24 hours the petals will have released most of their oils
Step 6. Filter the oil to remove the petals
Place a colander on the edge of a glass jar similar to the first one and pour the oil into it to filter it from the rose petals. Use a fine mesh strainer to make sure it holds even the smallest petal fragments. Otherwise, the fragments will end up in the oil and cause it to go bad more quickly.
If any fragments pass through the colander, remove them from the oil with a spoon
Step 7. Add 10 more crushed rose petals to the oil
Place the petals in a plastic bag, seal it and crush them with the wooden mallet. Add them to the oil to intensify the scent.
If the rose oil already seems scented enough, skip this step and transfer it to a dark glass bottle
Step 8. Leave the petals to infuse until the next day
They must have time to release their fragrance oils into the carrier oil. Store the jar in a safe place, out of the reach of children and pets, to prevent them from accidentally knocking over and forcing you to start over.
Step 9. The next day, filter the oil and pour it into a dark glass bottle
Place the colander on the edge of the container and pour the oil into it. Use a dark glass bottle to limit exposure to light and to keep it fragrant for a long time. Seal the container carefully and store it out of the reach of the little ones.
