Many people are familiar with the benefits of rose water for skin, but very few are aware of the benefits it can provide for their hair care routine. Did you know that Romans used to bathe in rose water? Rose water has a fresh and pleasant fragrance that contributes to hair growth and overall health.
If you are considering adding rose water to your hair routine, keep reading to find out how it can contribute to long, thick, shiny locs. We will also show you where to buy it and how to make your own in just a few easy steps.
What is Rose Water?
As the name implies, rose water is a liquid made from water and rose petals – just two simple ingredients. It is typically used as a perfume due to its sweet, floral scent, but it also has several medicinal, culinary, and beauty uses as well.
Rose water contains several powerful antioxidants that can prevent or slow damage to cells caused by free radicals based on your environment and other external pressures.
Dreadlocks can be harmed by harsh water conditions, leaving them dry, brittle, or stunted in their growth. Rose water is a soft, natural, fragrant water that can solve these problems and set your hair up for success in the future.
What are the Benefits of Rose Water for Locs?
Whether your goal is to grow long dreadlocks or maintain a healthy, clean scalp, rose water should be your go-to hair product to achieve this.
Scalp PH and Health
Excess amounts of oil can make your head and hair feel greasy. Grease does not equate to moisture! The pH of rose water is useful for the nourishment of your scalp and reduces the generation of oil.
Maintaining the natural pH level of your dreads is essential to eradicate the growth of bacteria, fungi, and any other organisms that could deter the health of your scalp.
Since you might only be washing your hair a few times a month, dandruff is a common nuisance that accompanies such a schedule. Rose water can be used to treat scalp inflammation and reduce dandruff. In between washes, you can use rose water to keep your scalp hydrated and refreshed.
If you workout or sweat frequently, rose water on your scalp will help combat oil and grease getting trapped in your hair in between washes.
Moisture
Moisture is critical for dreadlocks, especially early on. Frizzy, dry, and brittle dreadlocks can also be solved with rose water. You can keep your dreads moist by putting rose water directly on them with a spritz or a full rinse. It is the perfect solution to rehydrating your hair.
Split ends and frizzy hair occur because there is a lack of moisture to keep the hair intact. Use rose water to seal split ends and tame frizz as necessary.
Dread Growth
Have you been wanting long, healthy dreadlocks? Rose water directly on your scalp will stimulate blood circulation to promote healthy hair growth. You can achieve this by spritzing a small amount daily on your scalp or rubbing the rose water directly into your roots.
Rose water is also an excellent solution to patches or gaps in your hair. Treat the spot(s) with rose water daily to stimulate the hair cells to start seeing growth! This treatment could take anywhere from a few weeks to 6 months depending on several other factors such as general hair care routine, diet, and environmental factors such as pH in the water.
How Often Should You Use Rose Water on your Dreadlocks?
With all the amazing benefits of rose water, you are probably wondering how often you should use rose water on your dreadlocks. Rose water as a spray is perfect for a quick, light moisturizing session that will leave your hair smelling nice.
You can lightly spritz your locks daily or as needed to keep it moisturized. After a few days, you will notice that your dreads are more flexible, adequately hydrated, and even a bit shinier.
The more you use rose water, the more your hair will acclimate to its new moisture and revitalized pH level. You might find that as time goes on you will only need to use it from time to time.
If you are looking for a deeper moisture than a simple spritz, you can conduct a rose water rise over your clean, damp dreads. This ensures that the rose water will penetrate your scalp deeply.
For ultimate benefits, make sure the rose water covers your hair entirely. Then, you can blend the rose water into your hair and scalp. You can do a rose water rise once every other week. Any more frequently and this will not give your dreadlocks a chance to acclimate and dry properly.
Where Can You Find Rose Water?
Below are a few highly rated and recommended products that can be found at your local hair stores or on Amazon:
- Organic Bulgarian Rose Water (Amazon link) by Simplified Skin
- Rosewater and Peppermint Spray Mist (Amazon link) by LocSanity
- Rose Water Hydrating Mist (Amazon link) by Baja Basics
If you are interested in the most natural solution, you can also make rose water in a few easy steps! Here is what you will need:
- 1 cup of fresh rose petals
- 2 cups of distilled water
- A mason jar or spray bottle to store your rose water
- Essential oils such as coconut, peppermint, or vitamin E (optional)
Step 1:
Remove the rose petals off the stem of the plant. You can also pull the rose bulb from the stem so that all the petals fall off. Thoroughly wash and rise the petals to ensure dirt, pesticides, or any other unnatural products have been removed.
You can use whatever color rose you like; however, it is typical to use red or pink flowers. These highly pigmented roses are what give the water its beautiful pink color and scent!
Step 2:
Grab a saucepan with water. You will want to be careful with the proportion of water and rose petals as this can contribute to a diluted solution which means less benefits for your hair overall. As a rule of thumb, 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of rose petals will create a balanced rose water solution.
Here, you can also add a few drops of essential oils such as coconut or peppermint oil. These additions also fight dandruff, hair breakage and loss, and split ends. Essential oils such as peppermint have great antiseptic and antimicrobial properties that will be beneficial if you work out frequently or have an irritated scalp.
Step 3:
Cover the saucepan and put it on low heat. Make sure that the mixture does not simmer or boil. Keep the heat on and let it sit for 20 minutes. At this point, the water should be a pink color just like the petals.
Step 4:
Use a strainer to pour your rose water into a jar or spray bottle to avoid petals ending up in the mixture. It can be tempting to keep the pretty petals in the water, but they can rot and ruin your rose water!
Store your rose water in the fridge until you are ready to use it. This mixture will last you up to a week. Keep in mind that while you might make more rose water in this batch (i.e. 2 cups roses, 4 cups water) the freshness will vary.
Rose Water with Dried Petals
If you don’t have fresh rose petals, you can still make your own rose water with dried petals. Drop your rose petals into a pan or jar and pour hot water over them.
Cover this mixture and wait for it to cool. Strain the mixture like you would in Step 4 and transfer it to your desired container. Store in the fridge until it is ready for use.
ALLERGY WARNING:
Stay away from rose water if you develop an allergic reaction. If you notice that your scalp develops redness or stinging when the water is applied, stop using rose water immediately as this is a rare reaction and could indicate an allergy.
