health guides

A rose bouquet is old hat: the next time you want to treat someone you love (including yourself!), check out the growing number of rose-infused and rose-scented products, formulated to help alleviate conditions like inflammation and stress. To get the scoop on this blooming market, the LA Times interviewed Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary, an integrative neurologist and expert in Ayurvedic medicine, as well as Danièle Ryman, an aromatherapist:

• Rosy skin care. Chaudhary recommends using pure rose water as a toner and rose oil as a moisturiser to gently refresh skin and reduce redness and inflammation.
• Flower-power foods. Rose hips, the fruit of the rose, are used in teas, jams, and supplements. Rose hips are a good source of vitamin C and some research has shown they may help boost the immune system. Other research has found that rose hips may promote heart health and, for those with walking limitations, increase knee joint mobility.
• Blooming love. “Perhaps the most legendary benefit of rose petals is its use as an aphrodisiac,” says Chaudhary. To harness these powers, she recommends dabbing rose essential oil on your skin or using it in an oil diffuser.
• Calming floral soak. Ryman suggests adding rose essential oil to a hot bath to calm feelings of anger, resentment, and jealously.
• Rose-filled cup. A bad day at the office may slip away with a sip of rose water, which, in Ayurvedic medicine, is believed to cool your temper, gut, and skin.

Source: LA Times