Roses Are the Key to Beautiful Skin

When we moved into our house six years ago, we had several healthy rose bushes next to the front door, which were beautiful and I was grateful to the previous owner for planting them. Regarding them only as a beautiful flower, I never considered using them for my topical herbal remedies when I planted my herb gardens a couple years later. Now I know better.

I have since learned that rose petals and rose hips offer an abundance of benefits for skin when used as topical agents. For one thing, both are antioxidants which neutralize free radicals to slow aging of skin tissues. They are also anti-inflammatories, combating redness, pain, itching and dryness.

Rose hips are well-known for their high vitamin C content. In fact, rose hips have more vitamin C by weight than any other source. Vitamin C as a topical is absorbed through the skin to induce collagen production, the main structural component of the skin. Collagen decreases as we age, causing skin to lose its elasticity and increase the formation of wrinkles. Vitamin C also brightens darker patches of skin, leading to a more even skin tone. An interesting fact about topical vitamin C is that if it is exposed to light, it oxidizes into erythrulose, which is a substance used to darken skin in tanning products.

Due to their high vitamin C levels, rose hips are the perfect candidates to be infused into jojoba oil and included in our Wrinkle Reducer, which consists of herbs high in vitamins A and C, such as thyme, lavender, and calendula. Jojoba is the best oil for all skin types because it has a molecular structure very close to our own skin’s sebum and is readily absorbed.

Rose petals have both emollient and astringent qualities, giving them the ability to impart softness to skin while tightening and toning. The petals strengthen the skin’s natural moisture barrier and also provide vitamins C and A, another collagen booster.

Rose petals are perfectly used in a natural toner due to their astringent properties. The fact that they are emollients makes a toner that also protects the skin’s moisture balance. Collagen-boosting vitamins A and C are an added benefit. I make Baby Skin by steeping rose petals in hot water, adding some witch hazel, also an astringent, for a preservative, then adding a drop of rose damascena essential oil for scent. I also infuse rose petals in jojoba oil and include the rose petal oil in Wrinkle Reducer.

Rose hips and petals are beneficial in a drinkable tea for the same reasons as above and then some. The petals’ astringent properties help strengthen the inner linings of the digestive system, while rose hips contain quercetin, which reduces plaque in arteries, and catechins that lower cholesterol and blood sugar.

Stiff Joints? Try this Herb for Relief

I was delighted to find an herb that not only relieves pain, but actually repairs tissues.

Comfrey

Comfrey is well-known in folk medicine as “knitbone”.  Now scientific studies have verified that comfrey, when applied topically, penetrates so deep into the tissues that it can even heal bone fractures.

Comfrey owes its healing powers to allantoin, a compound that stimulates the regeneration of connective tissue, and rosmarinic acid, which reduces inflammation at the cellular level.  As a result, comfrey heals bruises, pulled muscles, and torn ligaments in addition to relieving the pain of those conditions.

Infusing herbs

Comfrey also has many applications for rejuvenating and protecting skin. In addition to its tissue-regenerating powers, comfrey contains collagen-stimulating vitamin C and anti-aging antioxidants. It  heals scars, hydrates skin, reduces fine lines, and protects skin from irritants.

Comfrey can be dangerous if taken internally.  It is banned in the U.S. and many other countries for internal use due to alkaloids that can cause liver damage.  It also should not be applied to broken skin. Comfrey can heal so quickly that it can seal an infection into a wound.

At Golden Age Wellness, we use comfrey in our Joint Repair Warming Salve. It contains essential oils that warm up stiff joints and shea butter to moisturize skin.

Aloe Vera: A Must-have Herb for Skin and Hair Care

One of the most beneficial plants for skin and hair health is aloe vera. Easy to make your own and inexpensive to buy, aloe vera gel should be a key component in every skin and hair care routine.

Benefits of Aloe Vera

The plentiful benefits for skin and hair arise from aloe vera’s many nutrients and therapeutic properties:

• Smooths fine lines by stimulating collagen production—vitamins A and C

• Softens skin by preventing moisture loss—vitamins B12 and E

• Promotes healthy skin cell growth and recovery—vitamin B12

• Improves the elasticity of skin—antioxidant properties

• Unplugs blocked skin pores—salicylic acid

• Reduces dandruff—selenium

• Eases an itchy, flaky scalp—anti-inflammatory properties

It is easy to make your own aloe vera gel if you have a plant and I give directions to do that below. One of the limitations of a home-made gel is the short shelf life. Once the gel is exposed to air, the oxidation process starts and nutrients start to lose potency. It lasts only about a week in the refrigerator and up to two months if you add a preservative. It’s a lot of work to go to for a daily routine, so if you’re not into that, purchasing a high-quality gel is the best option.

Use caution when selecting a commercially-produced aloe vera gel, as the gel you find in most stores has a low percentage of aloe vera and has added alcohol to preserve it. Look for high quality aloe vera in health food or vitamin stores or online that is at least 90% aloe vera. The other 10% of the ingredients will be antioxidants that help preserve the gel and add to its benefit.

I add a touch of aloe vera gel to most of my skincare products, but the product that features it most prominently is Lavender Mousse, made with lavender-infused jojoba oil and aloe vera gel. Lavender is a classic skin herb that calms inflammation and stimulates collagen production, while jojoba is so close to our own skin’s sebum that it is readily absorbed and acts as a protectant and cleanser. In addition to being a lovely face cream, it can also be used for sunburn relief, as aloe’s anti-inflammatory properties helps to cool minor burns.

DIY Aloe Vera Gel

To make your own aloe vera gel, follow these steps:

1. The plant should be a few years old before you harvest the leaves. Choose thick leaves from the outer sections of the plant and remove no more than four leaves at a time.

2. Cut the leaves close to the stem. Most of the beneficial nutrients are at the base of the leaves.

3. Wash the leaf, removing any dirt.

4. Cut off the tip of the leaf and stand it tip-side-down in a cup or bowl for 10-15 minutes to drain the latex-containing resin which is irritating to skin.

5. After draining, wash off any resin that remains on the outside of the leaf.

6. Cut off both of the leaf’s serrated edges, then using a small knife or vegetable peeler, peel off the thick outer skin on one side of the leaf.

7. Scoop the gel out of the leaf, being sure not to include any pieces of the skin.

8. If you want a smooth gel, blend it until frothy and liquified. It will keep for up to a week in the fridge.

9. To keep it for up to two months in the refrigerator, add a preservative—either powdered vitamin C or E. For every 1/4 cup of aloe vera gel, add 500 mg of powdered vitamin C or 400 iu of powdered vitamin E directly to the blender.

Sources:

Gladstar, Rosemary, Medicinal Herbs: A Beginners Guide, 2012

Healthline.com, “How to Make Aloe Vera Gel”, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-make-aloe-vera-gel, 2019