The main difference between rose water and rose hydrosol is that rose water is water infused with the essential oil of roses while rose hydrosol is the aromatic water that remains after steam-distilling of roses.
Rose water and rose hydrosol are two fragrant liquids that have rose essence. They have many cosmetic benefits. Although these two words are often used interchangeably, there is a distinct difference between the two.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Rose Water
– Definition, Benefits
2. What is Rose Hydrosol
– Definition, Features
3. What is the Difference Between Rose Water and Rose Hydrosol
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Rose Hydrosol, Rose Water
What is Rose Water
Rose water is scented water made with rose petals. People often use it as a mild natural fragrance as a substitute to chemically scented perfumes. Generally, rose water contains 10 – 50% rose oil, and is more affordable than pure rose oil. Moreover, the use of rose water has a very long history and dates back to the Middle Ages.
In addition to cosmetic uses, rose water also has some culinary, medicinal, and religious uses. In Indian cuisine, rose water is a common ingredient in sweets like gulab jamun and laddu. It also helps to flavour milk, lassi, and other dairy dishes. Moreover, in European cooking rose water an ingredient in baking until the 19th century until vanilla became popular.
Benefits of Rose Water
- Contains several powerful antioxidants
- Helps to soothe skin irritation
- Reduces redness in the skin
- Has antiseptic and antibacterial properties
- Helps to prevent and treat infections
- Enhances mood (since it contains good antidepressant and antianxiety properties)
- Has anti-ageing properties
- Relieves headaches
- Soothes digestion
What is Rose Hydrosol
Hydrosols are made by distilling fresh flowers, leaves and other plant materials. Rose hydrosol is, thus, a hydrosol made by distilling fresh roses. In other words, rose hydrosol is the aromatic water that remains after steam-distilling of roses. While hydrosols have the same properties as essential oils, these are much concentrated. Moreover, they are usually soft and subtle than their essential oils.
Each drop of rose hydrosol contains the essence of rose. They have many cosmetic benefits and offer mild aromatherapeutic effects.
If we look at the production of rose hydrosol, hydrosol is a byproduct when making essential oil. This process involves distillation. After the distillation, the residue, i.e., minerals and compounds, are the important products in the hydrosol.
If we compare rose water and rose hydrosol, rose hydrosol is more expensive. However, it is not readily available in shops as rose water.
Difference Between Rose Water and Rose Hydrosol
Definition
Rose water is scented water made with rose petals while rose hydrosol is the aromatic water that remains after steam-distilling of roses.
Process
Rose water is water infused with the essential oil of roses. In contrast, rose hydrosol is the aromatic water that remains after steam-distilling of roses. In fact, rose hydrosol is a co-product of the manufacture of rose essential oil.
Uses
Furthermore, rose water has cosmetic, culinary, medicinal, and religious uses while rose hydrosol mainly has cosmetic uses.
Price
Moreover, rose water is less expensive than rose hydrosol.
Availability
Rose water is available in most shops; however, rose hydrosol is not readily available in shops as rose water.
Conclusion
The main difference between rose water and rose hydrosol is that rose water is water that contains some amount of essential oil of roses while rose hydrosol is the aromatic water that remains after steam-distilling of roses. Rose hydrosol is more expensive but is not readily available as rose water.
Reference:
1. Gotter, Ana. “Rose Water: Benefits and Uses.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 22 May 2017, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Rosewater saffron extract” By Kumaran.pondicherry – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “2536443” (CC0) via Pixabay
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