Remembering Grandma's Garden: The Damask Rose for Skin Healing

One of my fondest memories of my grandmother – who passed away at a young age – is of flowers, plants, and a beautiful garden. Within that, the most prominent memory I have is of the Damask rose. My grandmother had rose bushes in the garden, which she was very fond of. She often had jars on the windowsill full of rose petals, extracting them into a sweet and tasty juice.

I will never forget the beautiful sweet, flowery scent of the roses and the pinkish-red color of the juice. Unfortunately, my grandmother passed away during the war in Bosnia, when I was only 4 or 5. This memory is one of the only things I have left of her.

How did roses come into my life again?

Fast forward to today. My search for the rose began again recently.

The other week, my dad and I took a trip to a little shop about 40 minutes away and bought some rose syrup. The memories came flooding back right away. Since I knew very little about the rose, I decided to research it more. Only then, I saw how many health benefits it has – including skin health. After more research, I decided to purchase some Damask rose water to try for myself. The Damask rose is used in many cosmetic products these days but goes back to the 14th century. It is said to come from ancient Persia (present-day Iran).¹

Can rose help with skin conditions and wounds?

A lot of the benefits reported from the use of this beautiful flower for healing are anecdotal. But there are some benefits backed by research as well. As an example, the rose is known to be antimicrobial. It is effective against fighting several different bacteria, including the one most of us eczema patients are all too familiar with – Staphylococcus aureus (or "staph"). Rose oil is also anti-inflammatory, thus potentially helping to soothe sensitive and inflamed skin, decrease redness, promote wound healing, and repair damaged skin.²

Rose oil is also known to have some emollient properties. Emollients help with retaining moisture in the skin. Rose oil is known as a mild astringent, so it can also be used on sensitive and irritated skin to remove any excess oil. Due to these benefits, among a few others – such as its analgesic properties and ability to repair broken capillaries – it also has the potential to help with skin conditions, such as rosacea and eczema. In addition, there have been studies that suggest it helps with wounds below the surface of the skin (subcutaneous), including burns.³

Has rose oil been helping my eczema?

While these are some of the reported and researched benefits, and there are many others not mentioned here, research is still quite limited.

I decided the best way to find out is to try it for myself. I have been using Damask rose oil on some of my wounds lately in the morning and evening, since I have been going through a bit of a flare again. For now, only small patch tests to see how my skin reacts. I don’t expect any miracles. But so far, it has been soothing and felt nice on my skin.

This doesn’t mean it will work for everyone, of course. It is always important to consult your healthcare team before trying anything new. For me, it’s been an interesting experience. Having the chance to revisit those childhood memories, of the rose bushes in my grandma's garden, and the pink liquid sitting in jars in the sunlight on the windowsill – the beautiful flower I was always around, but never knew the health benefits of.

On some level, my journey with this has been a way to honor my grandmother. Although I didn't know much about her, the memory of her, roses, and now even this writing will stay with me forever.