Rose Water and The Elusive Word

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There's a word that I am trying to remember. It describes the phenomenon where we humans believe that by somehow using a substance (animal, vegetable, mineral) we can take on properties of that substance. For example, if I believed that if I ate enough turmeric I could turn orange, that would be an example of what I am trying to describe.

Does anyone know the word I'm looking for? Because this is going to bother me all day. Please help!

Anyway... I am trying to remember that word because today I am writing about rose water for skin care and the fact that beautiful roses can make us more attractive seems like such a perfect example of that word, whatever it is.

Embarrassing personal fact: I have rosacea. Wikipedia describes it as follows:

Rosacea is a long-term skin condition that typically affects the face. It results in redness, pimples, swelling, and small and superficial dilated blood vessels. Often the nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin are most involved. A red enlarged nose may occur in severe disease, a condition known as rhinophyma.

The cause of rosacea is unknown. Risk factors are believed to include a family history of the condition. Factors that may potentially worsen the condition include heat, exercise, sunlight, cold, spicy food, alcohol, menopause, psychological stress, or steroid cream on the face.

There are a lot of theories about the causes of rosacea, my least favourite of which has something to do with skin mites. Personally, I believe I have it because my face was severely frost bitten several times when I was younger.

Whatever the cause, one of the worst parts of having rosacea is knowing that it is only going to get worse as I get older.

Or so I thought.

Enter rose water.

Last winter, the Amazing Dirk Galaxy gave me an enormous beautiful bouquet of red roses. When they started to droop, I dried the petals to use in eco-dying ( a story for another post) but had a tonne left over. During my spring cleaning this year, I was just about to throw them out but thought I'd give it a google to see if there was something else I could do with them.

What did we do before the internet?

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My search led me to a site about the benefits of rose water on your skin, with a recipe to make your own. What the heck, I thought. Essentially, you boil the petals with water until the colour has leached from them. That's it. Super easy.

It is not often that a natural remedy will give you immediate, visible results, but rose water sure did. My skin grew more toned, moist, and less red with just one application. After a month of using it daily, I actually look younger. Not kidding and not getting paid by anyone to say that!

As for my rosacea, it is actually getting better! And they said it couldn't be done.

This is one of those simple, old fashioned remedies that, at least in my part of the world, has fallen through the cracks and been replaced by a billion dollar industry of chemicals and plastic that is actually killing us.

Please try this! You will be amazed at the results.

Got any rose water-like stories of your own? Wanna share them?

Happy Friday!

PS - Does anyone know the word I'm looking for? I think I learned it in Anth 101. Oh man...