Discover the Turkish Souvenir that will keep your skin glowing even after you’ve returned home. While I’d heard of rose water, I only tried it after meeting a woman in Istanbul with lovely skin. Little did I know that rose water would be a game-changer for keeping my skin beautiful and radiant.
Discover the Turkish Souvenir that’ll keep your skin glowing even after your holiday.
But first, a few fascinating facts about roses
- Roses are one of the oldest flowers, with fossil evidence dating back 35 million years.
- Rosa Damascena (Damask Rose) is a hybrid born in Central Asia 7,000 years ago.
- Wonderfully fragrant, Rosa Damascena is used to make fine perfumes and beauty products like rose water and rose oil.
- Cleopatra was famous for her glowing skin and bathed in rose water, milk and honey.
- The world’s two main growing regions for Rosa Damascena are in the southwestern province of Isparta in Türkiye. And south of the Balkan mountains in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria.
Rose water for gorgeous glowing skin:
- HYDRATING TONER: Use rose water as the first step in your routine after cleansing. Rose water improves your skin’s hydration, prepping it for better absorption of your serums and moisturizers.
- MIST TO SET & REHYDRATE: Give your face a misting as the final step to set your makeup or give your look a midday hydration boost.
- FRAGRANT SPRIZ TO ENHANCE MOOD: The rosy scent is uplifting and known to help relax the mind and body. It’s especially divine kept in the frig for a cooling spritz on a summer’s day.
my skin after using Rose Water for a year
I’ve experimented with SIX different rose water brands. Not only did I find my favourites, but I’m totally loving my skin. One of my best friends asked, “What are you doing? Your skin has never looked better. I want to get your glow.”
Until recently, I thought toner was an unnecessary step and cost. When I first started using rose water as a toner, I liked the smell but had zero expectations. Within a month, I started liking what I was seeing in the mirror. My skin looked more hydrated, smoother, brighter and more glowy. And I truly believe that my retin-A and serums are working better than ever before.
The Best Rose Waters for Glowing Skin
Gülsha ultimate Rosewater
This isn’t just the ultimate rose water but also the ultimate Turkish souvenir. Gülsha is a female-led Turkish brand that has made rose-based beauty products since 1965.
Gülsha’s Ultimate Rosewater is 100% natural and promises radiant skin. Their Rosa Damascena roses are hand-harvested in Isparta Türkiye every May and then transformed through an exclusive distillation process.
Unlike traditional methods, Gülsha doesn’t separate the essential rose oil from the rose water. This makes their Ultimate Rosewater more nourishing because it contains all of the vitamins, minerals and fatty acids found in the Rosa Damascena blossoms.
Stock up at from any Turkish pharmacy during your next visit.
Otaci Rose Passion 100% Natural Rose Water Hydrating Tonic
Another Turkish brand since 1955, Otaci rose water, has only two ingredients: roses and water. It’s 100% natural, made from Rosa Damascena grown in Isparta, Turkiye.
Rose Passion by Otaci has a mild rose scent and is sold in a convenient plastic squeeze bottle that can be easily packed in your suitcase.
Otaci is much cheaper if you buy it while on vacation, but if you become addicted to your glowing skin, I have also seen it on Amazon.
Rose Water
Heritage Store RoseWater & Glycerin
Rosewater & Glycerin
If you don’t have any immediate plans to visit Türkiye, Heritage Store is an American brand. Their best-selling rose water is just Rosa Damascena from Bulgaria and their trademark Vor-Mag Water, which has been vortexed and magnetized to raise its vibration.
Their original rose water has a lovely rosy scent, comes in a pretty pink bottle and claims to refresh, set, hydrate and uplift.
I especially love their Rose Water with Glycerin, which I spritz in my hair when doing overnight heatless curls. I picked it up on Amazon when I ran out of my beloved Gülsha’s Ultimate Rosewater.
While all three rose waters mentioned can be purchased online, bringing back a bottle of this ancient beauty secret for glowing skin from Türkiye is the perfect Turkish souvenir. If you want to discover what else to buy when visiting Istanbul, check out this post: 21 Incredible Turkish Souvenirs to Buy in Istanbul.
