Rose water (Gul suyu)

Rose water has been used and valued by people since the ancient times, but I discovered it here, in Istanbul, about a year ago. People say it is anti-aging, apparently it's full of antioxidants, so you can find it in creams, face masks and many other beauty products. It's also used in the kitchen and it seems it also has a lot of healing properties. There are probably thousands ways to use rose water, but I am going to tell you how I use it.

I am not a fan of toners - I don't see the purpose, I always forget about that step of the skincare and I have never ever noticed any difference after using a normal toner bought in a drugstore, so even though I knew women in Turkey use a lot of rose water I didn't feel like it's something I need to try, especially since I don't really like the smell of roses. But then I read more about it and I decided to get a bottle. I first used it as a normal toner, on a cotton pad, but I felt like it was not enough to see any results - I felt like all the goodness was staying on the cotton pad! I had an empty spray bottle lying around so I poured the rose water into it and started spraying my face after washing it and before using my moisturizer. And I loved it! I love the feeling of the cool mist on my face, I like how it all just sinks into my skin, leaving it soft and fresh, I even started to enjoy the scent! If I put too much on my face I just massage it in and immediately follow with a cream to seal in the moisture.

One bottle lasts for a really long time. I always have a bit in my bathroom cabinet and the big bottle is always in the fridge to make sure it's fresh. I think I might have another small spray bottle of rose water in my bag in the summer (and keep it in the fridge at night) for some extra freshness during the day!

Does it work? I changed my skincare a lot in the last months and my skin has gotten much better, so I don't know how much of it is thanks to rose water. But I know that if I miss that tiny little step in my morning routine I can feel the difference - I feel like my skin is less hydrated and a bit less soft. If you want to try rose water just make sure that there are no artificial flavours or aromas in your product, why would you put that on your face when you don't really need it? Simplicity is the key! Rose water in Turkey is quite cheap, I got my last bottle for around 5TL (around 2,5 euros).