Best Rose Water For Face: Premium Organic Moroccan Rose Water

Rose water has been used for years as skin care—both as a natural moisturizer and astringent. After trying out several brands of rose water, we thought Sweet Essentials Premium Organic Moroccan Rose Water was the best of the bunch. Here’s why:

What We Liked

• Nice texture. Some of the rose water brands we tried had inconsistent texture—this brand impressed us with its even, smooth texture.

• Delicate scent.

• BPA free.

• No additives.

• 100% Moroccan rose water.

• Food grade: can use for cooking, skin or hair.

What Needs Work

• Scent could be more . . . rosey? We liked the scent of this rose water best, but we see some reports from folks who wish it had more rose scent. 

Best Rose Water for Cooking: CORTAS Rose Flower Water

Imported from Lebanon, this is our favorite rose water for cooking: CORTAS has been selling rose water since 1930. We tried this rose water in marzipan and it worked well. And yes, it can also be used for skin care . . . which is great, since it is generally more affordable than other rose water brands we tested.

What We Liked

• Vegan.

• Gluten-free.

• Easy on the wallet.

• Great aroma.

• Also can be used for skin care.

What Needs Work

• Bottle can be fragile.

• Scent is too strong for some folks. We didn’t have a problem with this—you want the scent for cooking! But we see reports that others found it too overwhelming.

Best Bundle: Cortas Combo Pack

Rose water is often used in combination with orange blossom water in recipes. And we know folks also like to mix the two for DIY skin care regimens. So this bundle is just the ticket: two 10 ounce bottles, one of rose water and the other orange blossom water. Here’s why we liked it:

What We Liked

• Great aroma.

• Excellent for Mediterranean, Lebanese and Asian dishes.

• Affordable.

What Needs Work

• Bottle can be fragile.

• Flavor profile of the orange blossom water is a bit bitter. However, it is perfect for French puff pastry recipes, as the bitterness is just the right balance to sweetness.

Best Rose Water Beverage: H2rOse Rose Water Beverage

Yes, rose water can be used for more than just cooking and skin care—it is also great as a beverage that has less sugar than most regular sodas. We tried a handful of rose water beverages before deciding H2rOse’s Rose Water beverage tasted the best. The Apple Rose Water is the right balance between the flavors. 

What We Liked

• 10 grams of sugar per 16.9 ounce bottle. Many typical soda brands  have three or four times that much sugar.

• Gluten free.

• Kosher.

• Made with organic evaporated cane sugar.

• Vegan.

• No GMO’s.

What Needs Work

• Pricey.

• Plastic bottle version can have different flavor than glass bottle. Of course, that’s true for many beverages . . . but if you liked the glass bottle version of this brand of rose water, you may find this plastic bottle version isn’t quite the same.

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do hands-on testing—we buy the products with our own money and evaluate with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

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