The rose and her wherefore

09.05.2016
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The rose: love, thorns, a fleeting lifespan, lush bouquets, oozing poetry, a scarlet heart… a flower whose image begins to wilt not long after it’s been appreciated. But the rose that enhances, regenerates, heals and dresses wounds – the healing rose – lives again in the professional world!

There are some 3,000 rose varieties and some of them are packed with active agents with cosmetic benefits.  The rosehip with its tiny pink and white blossom, a forest shrub native of Eastern Europe that grows in the wild in South America, has become a commodity and area of expertise in Chile with the highest concentration of active agents, especially hidden within its red seeds. But when it comes to other roses, petals are the source of the magical cosmetic benefits that are so sought after in skin care. Roses in this category include the Damascus rose, the Gallic rose (from Provins), some rare, high altitude wild roses and finally the Centifolia (cabbage) rose. The deeper the shade of red, the more benefits can be found in the petals.

The active agents in the rose moisturise, soften, tint, refresh and tone the skin (subcutaneous tissue, the dermis and epidermis).
On the one hand they boast a beneficial lipid profile: essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (linolenic acid – omega 3, linolenic acid – omega 6) that dilate the blood vessels and act as skin tensors. These ingredients plump up the hydro-lipid layer, nourish the fibroblasts that strengthen the dermis and promote the production of collagen. Their contribution strengthens the connective tissue at a deep level and reenergises the skin.
On the other hand, provitamins A (retinoic acid), vitamin A (beta-carotene), C and E are valuable nutrients with antioxidant properties (especially vitamin E), reducing the damaging effects of free radicals that cause skin ageing. These vitamins hydrate and condition the skin. They stimulate microcirculation, promote healing (research supports this claim) by generating an increase in keratinocytes and reducing dehydration levels by having a sealing effect on the stratum corneum.
All these ingredients are anti-inflammatory, reduce redness, purify oily skin and refine skin tone…

The contents of these active agents in roses vary depending on the species, the climate and seasons in which they grow. The extraction methods and processing treatments of the raw materials also play a part. If well exploited, roses invigorate, plump, tighten and relax, polish and embellish the skin, giving it a healthy flush of colour. The cosmetic bouquet of roses provides a firework display of skincare benefits, to be discovered in the collection L’Art du Soin for the Face.