I have recently begun using rose water in rotation with witch hazel as a facial toner. Rose water is a distillation of damask rose petals. It smells wonderful - not like all those awful synthetic rose fragrances. That's because it's the real thing, baby.
According to www.wisegeek.com, rose water is an anti-bacterial and has antiseptic properties. In ancient Rome, people bathed in it and it is still used in many countries today as a hand wash. Www.answers.com also says that rose water can be directly sprayed to the face as a natural fragrance and moisturizer, especially in the winter. It is also used in India as drops to clear the eyes. Because of this, I always try to let a little of the spritz get into my eyes when I use it. In addition, www.alcanz.com, says that rose water has been used for thousands of years as a natural toner and astringent because it balances and restores skin's PH levels and tightens pores.
I tend to naturally have larger pores. I have noticed a definite reduction in pore size since I have begun adding rose water as a toner as part of my skin care routine. Plus, it seems to really soften my skin. Now, I don't think that using rose water is absolutely necessary to include as part of skin care. As a matter of fact, I solely used witch hazel with great results for nearly two decades. But, since I have access to the rose water now, I have noticed additional benefits since using it.
One word of caution if you should want to use rose water as a toner - make sure you buy pure rose water. The first time I picked it up was at the grocery store in the ethnic food isle, as it is also widely used in cooking. When I got home I realized that the rose water I bought used rose fragrance instead of being a pure distillate. So, now I buy mine at Whole Foods. It is a little more expensive than witch hazel, but still much less costly than other toners. I pay $5.95 for a 4 oz. bottle, which lasts several months. It is even less expensive to buy a larger bottle, but it's not always available.
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Have you ever heard of using rose water in facial care? Would you ever consider using it?