The rose plant is considered to be a “holy ancient herb.” Some records show it has a very long history of use, dating back to the Ancient Romans.

Before the advent of commercial perfumes and cleansers, rose water was used for its sweet floral scent and anti-inflammatory effects. It’s even believed that Cleopatra herself used rose oil and water to help preserve the appearance of her skin and its aphrodisiac properties.

One study by Mahboubi M. (2015) found that rose water improved:

• Sperm count

• ED conditions

• Depression in men

Another study by Farnia et al. (2015) also found that rose water surpasses placebo when used on males with low libido due to depression. For women, rose calms nerves and anxiety, which helps inhibition. If you want to benefit from rose water, spritz the bed before you and your partner start the action. Or whip up two Champagne with Rose Water Kiss drinks. Better still, take 2 to 4 drops of rose water and add some champagne or sparkling wine and there you go.

A previous study by Boskabady et al. (2011) found that rose water can have strong antidepressant and antianxiety properties. The study found that the extract of rose petals can relax the central nervous system in mice. This resulted in antidepressant and antianxiety effects.

Calms the mind: One of the most common issues couples face when it comes to sexual intimacy is that they are either too tired or stressed. Well, roses can come to your rescue. According to the Hongratanaworakit T(2009) study conducted at the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Srinakharinwirot University, roses are the most effective natural ingredients to help calm the mind, and beat stress and fatigue. Apart from that, aromatherapy practitioners say that roses are the best way to drive away melancholy.

In the book Scents & Sensibilities: Creating Solid Perfumes for Well-Being by Mandy Aftel (2005), roses are also known to open the heart and make one more emotionally available. So if frigidity and incompatibility are your problems, then roses are the way to go.

Another hurdle in many couple's lives is depression and emotional strife. Stress at work, family issues, and even incompatibility between the pair can lead to sexual distance. Here is where rose petals or rose essence come into play.

According to the book 'The Science of Well-Being' by Felicia A. Hupert, Nick Baylis and Barry Keverne, rose essence has innumerable benefits for a person's mind, especially in making them feel happy, rejuvenated, and more open to sexual advances by their partner. In their experience, one of their clients, who was depressed and found a distance being formed between her and her husband, started using rose petals to help them get back on the 'love waggon'. Noticing a significant improvement in their sexual life, the client soon started using rose petals to help herself and her husband get in the mood. If you and your partner are drifting apart due to emotional distance, try using rose petals; it might just be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Warning

Rose water is considered to be safe. There are no known risks for the general population to use it either topically or by ingesting it. The only exception is if you are allergic to the substance.

How to use it

You can purchase rose water, or you can make it yourself. Once you have it, there are several different ways you can use it, including the following:

• For sexual health, spray on the bed or in the room before the action.

• Add a few drops of rose oil to a big bowl of steaming water and inhale the steam. You can just leave the bowl in your room for a few minutes and let the calming steam envelope you. This will have a calming effect on your mind and make your body more reactive to sexual impulses from the limbic system of the brain.

• Rose balances Prana Vata, which regulates the functions of the nervous system. That ensures that your sexual organs receive good blood flow, which is very essential for your romantic episodes to last longer.

• Take a rose petal or water bath together: Make a hot bath and sprinkle some rose petals or rosewater in the hot water. The heat will help release the fragrance of roses, infusing your bathroom with the scent of the flower. Take a long bath or simply relax in the bathroom with your partner and watch yourselves instantly get in the mood for some love.

• Rose petal essence: Rose oil is very expensive and difficult to come by but that doesn't mean you cannot enjoy the benefits of this miraculous plant. Simply place a few rose petals in a bowl of water in your bedroom. Soon you will find the smell of roses permeating the entire space. Now, your bedroom is all set for that romantic night with your partner.

• Eat rose petals: Rose petals are not only useful to make essence or an aromatherapy oil, you can eat them too. Pluck some petals, wash them well, and eat them every day. This will not only help you feel energized and revitalized but it will also help you feel more sexually active. If accessing fresh rose petals is difficult, you can try eating gulkand (rose petals crushed and fermented) daily.

• Add some rose water to the diffuser and watch your room do the talking.

• Rose water, rose essential oil, and gulkand should be on your next shopping list.


NB: Prof. Nyarkotey has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations to justify his write-ups. My articles are for educational purposes and do not serve as Medical advice for Treatment. I aim to educate the public about evidence-based scientific Naturopathic Therapies.

The writer is a Professor of Naturopathic Healthcare, a Medical Journalist, and a science writer. President, Nyarkotey University College of Holistic Medicine & Technology (NUCHMT)/African Naturopathic Foundation, Ashaiman, Ghana. E. mail: professor40naturopathy@gmail.com.