Harvesting Roses & Herbs for Natural Skin Care

For many years now I have harvested rose petals and herbs to use in natural skin care, for their fragrance and beneficial properties. Some of my favourite blooms to harvest are the heritage and heirloom roses. Rose petals dry beautifully and because the ones I harvest are mostly heritage roses, they have a strong perfume that is retained after drying. Of course, it goes without saying these days, that roses and herbs should be free of pesticides and any other toxic chemicals in order to be safe for use in any preparation you make with them.

To dry rose petals I lay them out in a single layer in a large cane basket, on paper towels, or on wire racks to air dry. It is best to do this when there is less humidity and especially when it is not raining. Rose petals should be picked when they are dry, not damp with dew or after rain, and preferably in the cool of the evening to retain their fragrance.

The other mainstay of the herbs that I harvest and dry for use in skin balms is the bright orange Marigold, Calendula officinalis. I pick the flowers when they are just opened to retain their healing properties and colour. Look for brightly coloured flowers that are fresh and plump. Pick off the petals or lay the flowers down flat on wire racks and allow air to circulate around them.

Make sure you keep your drying herbs and flowers in a cool, dry cupboard or room and away from direct sunlight. This helps to retain the essential oils and preserve their colour and fragrance.

I have used these methods for drying herbs and roses to create skin balms and healing oils for my family and friends for many years now. My first foray into making skin balm over 20 years ago was a recipe used by clinicians in a British trial for people with diabetic leg sores. The trial revealed that Calendula was as effective in helping to heal sores as other conventional topical applications.

While I cannot verify the veracity of this for the skin balm I make, it has nevertheless been beneficial in soothing simple skin chaffing, minor cuts and abrasions for our family. And it is one of the best soothing balms for chaffed lips during the cold chills of winter. In addition to Calendula petals, it uses two simple ingredients; Australian grown olive oil and locally sourced beeswax. A deceptively simple recipe that requires practice to get right.

I also use rose petals in soothing oils for my personal use and for family and friends. Again this requires highly fragrant rose petals, grown without pesticides, and air dried without heat in a cool, dry place.

One of the simplest processes in creating a softly fragrant, moisturising oil is to gather a handful of dried rose petals and steep them in pure olive oil for at least 2 weeks. I have sometimes used fresh rose petals, but this requires care as fresh petals can induce mould. Dried petals give a more reliable result. There are European recipes that say to leave the steeping petals on a windowsill in the sunlight. Our Australian sunlight and heat is too harsh for this process.

I prefer the slower method of allowing the rose petals, or calendula petals, to steep gently in a cupboard or room that is not in direct sunlight and has an even temperature. This is a beautifully nurturing way to create a gentle oil that is gorgeous for dry skin and especially lovely on older skin, giving a moisturising effect that glows.

And of course, using these simple, slow methods for creating soothing balms and oils is cost effective as the basic ingredients are easily accessible. Then there's the enjoyment of growing your own herbs and blooms yourself, knowing they have not been contaminated with toxic chemicals. The process of picking and drying the herbs and petals also gives a feeling of abundance, because the more flowers and herbs you pick the more the plant produces.

Drying your own herbs and flowers and storing them in labelled glass jars in a dark cupboard allows you to make your own skin care balms and oils at a time that suits you. And then there's the enjoyment of being able to experiment with different herbs. Other herbs and flowers that dry well include lemon verbena, sage, lavender, cornflowers and chamomile. You could experiment combining one or more of these with rose petals to make your own fragrant balm or oil.

It is important to know that the herbs and flowers you are growing for skin care are not toxic. So it is necessary to check this before using any herbs or blooms for this purpose. Which is why I stick to mostly culinary herbs, as I know these are edible and safe as well as blooms like roses, which are also edible.

One of the joys of running Workshops is being able to pass on the processes for using your own herbs and blooms in creating lovely skin care balms and oils.

So if you live near the Hunter Valley in NSW, and would like to attend a workshop, let me know. I would love to show you these time-honoured and trusted methods of natural skin care.

You can contact me here on the website, or through my Instagram @lillianheirloomroses. I'd love to host you in one of my small group Workshops, here in the Hunter.

Until then, experiment drying your own herbs and flowers .. enjoy!

xx Lillian