This low-waste hack comes from Natalie, our Sustainable Materials Manager and Queen of Eco-Friendly Living. 

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue
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By now, we're guessing your Valentine's Day flowers are starting to look a little sad. Lucky for you, you can extend the life of a wilting bouquet of roses by turning it into rose water. 

It's awesome as aromatherapy, in homemade perfumes or soaps, as a dreamy step in your beauty routine, a facial mist for a little extra self-care, or even for cooking. Rose water benefits include: 

• Promotes general relaxation and stress relief
• Hydrates and moisturizes the skin
• Has astringent properties that help cleanse pores and tone skin, plus natural anti-bacterial properties
• Has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce skin redness and irritation
• Has antioxidant properties that help regenerate skin cells
• Naturally maintains the skin’s pH balance

You can Google DIY rose water and find a million ways to make it, but the below is our favorite because it’s super easy (and smells great)! 

Step by Step Instructions for How to Make Rose Water

1. Separate petals from flower. Rinse. Add the rose petals to a small pot (you can use fresh or dried petals and will get the same great effects either way).
2. Cover with fresh water.
3. Add lavender or other secondary flower or herb (chamomile, rosemary, hibiscus, etc.).
4. Stir together well to saturate the petals as they will tend to float to the top.
5. Put the pot on the stove, on low heat.
6. Continue to stir the petals so that they are completely covered in the water.
7. When the water starts to steam, cover with a lid, and set a timer for 20 minutes. The lid is crucial because you don’t want the essential oils to escape with the steam.
8. After 20 minutes, strain the mixture. This works best through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth or through a nut milk bag, but pouring through a strainer works too!
9. Add a lid to the rosewater and allow it to cool to room temperature.
10. After it’s cooled, the rosewater is ready to be used to make soaps, lotions, a natural face toner, spray deodorant, or simply added to an atomizer and used as a rose-scented body spray.
11. Store the jar of rose water in the refrigerator. Use within 7-14 days.