Epic DIY Rose Mask for Your Solo Valentine's Day

Valentine’s day is near.
You’re an incredibly strong single lady.
And that’s how we know that you’re more than AOK.
Well, maybe most of the time.
There are understandably times when you feel down.
Especially on a Valentine’s day, when you can’t unsee those “lovebirds” roaming around your surroundings.
In all honesty: what a trigger. Tree-grrrrrr!
Well, hang in there now.
Take a deep breath.
Exhale.
Smile through it.
Pamper yourself with this solo Valentine’s DIY mask.
An epic one!
The beautiful, all-natural “Rose from the Ashes Clay Masque” as we all would call it here.
Challenge yourself with the DIY routine before all the pampering afterwards.
Give yourself a special gift on THE day.
Feel the LOVE.
And feel empowered.

Rose from the Ashes Clay Masque

With rose as its “star” ingredient, this beautiful solo Valentine’s DIY mask has been tailor-made for you. Often called “the queen of flowers”, rose has been used as a symbol of the soul, and often linked with love. In her book, Felicity Warner provides a unique perspective on how gentle is rose oil, but extremely strong at the same time. She also believed that it is the oil to use when unconditional love, divine understanding and wisdom are required to heal a person or situation that feels desperate and hopeless. And also the one to use when processing sorrow and grief.

You’ve been through it all. And you’re still here. Being your “strongest-than-ever” self. It’s like you are the rose here, re-emerging from the gloomy ashes. Maybe once more. So give yourself an appreciation and love you’ve been deserving all this time.

But before anything else, let’s briefly talk about the ingredients!

Gracefully Gnarled's Rose from the Ashes Clay Masque Ingredients: Solo Valentine's DIY Mask — Yes, here are our ingredients!

1. Volcanic (white) clay

I’ve been using this type of clay in almost all of my clay-containing formulations. And I would confidently and gladly say that this volcanic clay is just incredibly versatile. Due to its creamy white color, it would fit into literally any formulations you could ever think of.

Not only that. It creates a beautiful silky texture when activated with any kind of water. And not only it looks silky, oh no, it also feels silky (or velvety) on the skin.

Volcanic clay cleanses the skin gently by absorbing and so removing dirt and excess oil. It’s works superbly on my sensitive skin. And my mom’s. And also my partner’s.

2. Dried rose petals

There are so many active botanical compounds present in rose petals, and they vary widely depending on the rose species.

I buy locally sourced ingredients whenever I can. And that’s for all those good reasons, e.g. supporting local (often still smaller) businesses and reducing carbon footprint to name a few. And top it off with the whole pandemic situation, I’d feel content whenever I could help these businesses (the economic situation has been devastating on the island where the rose petals and some other ingredients were sourced from. The pandemic hits them HARD). Though, in this case, I’m not so sure that these are the petals of Rosa damascena, despite the claim. I really do suspect these are the petals of Rosa centifolia or Rosa rugosa. From what I know, the dried petals of Rosa damascena are not supposed to be that dark and deep in color. And the scent too: Rosa damascena’s is sweeter and less “green”.

But what do I know! Different soils make different produces, right? And no, from the price itself I don’t think that they mean to fool the buyers (if my suspicion is correct) at all! Here where I live, I’ve encountered similar cases, and sometimes that’s because of the lack of knowledge regarding rose species. Combine that with the extremely-famous nature of Rosa damascena itself, voilà the misunderstandings! Without proper identification, some people would automatically (and sincerely) think of Rosa damascena when they see pink (and pinkish), fragrant roses.

Nevertheless, I’m happy I’ve got these beautiful and fragrant local rose petals here with me – the ones that I could use in this solo Valentine’s DIY mask formulation. I wouldn’t think of it that much unless I’m a natural and organic skincare manufacturer myself. Well, in that case I would reach out to the supplier, go to and “inspect” their place myself and ask for all the technical data sheets.

Now back to the rose petals and their amazing active botanical compounds. I found this extensive article about Rosa rugosa petals, detailing on their chemical composition and biological activity. Amongst other things, the authors of this study successfully demonstrated high amounts of phenolic acids and flavonoids and confirmed the antioxidant, cytotoxic, antimicrobial and antifungal activities of Rosa rugosa petals. All of which makes the petals highly beneficial ingredients when used in a skincare product.

3. Rose hydrosol

Just like other rose ingredients, rose hydrosol aka rose water contains varying types and percentages of active botanical compounds, depending on the rose species. It is usually used in the formulations for mature skin due to its soothing, calming and hydrating properties. And it’s a very versatile hydrosol to use in the natural and organic skincare formulations, thanks to its versatile, heavenly aroma. I think it would be safe for me to say that this truly is the aroma that can’t go wrong!

The rose hydrosol I’ve got in hand here was extracted from the same locally sourced rose petals we’ve been talking about earlier. It’s got subtle, sweet rose aroma; very similar to that of Rosa damascena hydrosol, but with an almost negligible “green” note. You know, that aroma that puts a smile on your face when you smell it, and you just can’t help but go along with it and be that weirdo. Sniffing and smiling around in a public place. Which could sometimes be problematic in its own sense, especially when there are some strangers around. No regrets, though!

4. Glycerin

If you’ve read this comprehensive guide on carrier oils I wrote earlier last year, you might remember that the reaction between glycerol (aka glycerin) and fatty acids produces triacylglycerol (aka triacylglyceride). Which is the very thing we’ve always known as carrier oils. Through saponification (soap-making), the glycerin and fatty acids are separated from each other. The resulting glycerin could then be sold separately.

What I have in hand here is a bottle of organic vegetable glycerin. In this formulation (and probably almost every other formulation), glycerin acts as the humectant. In other words, the glycerin would attract and retain moisture from and in the environment. As for the rose clay mask, the glycerin would also determine the duration of its application on our face. It highly depends on the humidity in the given environment. But here is the general rule: more glycerin = longer duration of clay mask application. Let’s say in the absence of glycerin, the clay mask dries out in 5 minutes. The addition of, say, 5% glycerin would lengthen the duration to about 12 minutes. The glycerin would also supply our skin with the much needed moisture.

5. Rose geranium essential oil

We all LOVE rose otto (Rosa damascena) oil’s heavenly aroma. But did you know that the use of it has been restricted to only 0.02% in leave-on products? It is due to the high amount of a suspected carcinogen called methyl eugenol. But I mean, how in the world would I be able to smell that legendary rose oil? Such an unfortunate situation we got here, right? Because other than that, rose otto oil is a fabulous skincare ingredient for mature (and any other) skin due to its extraordinary antioxidant property.

To compensate for this situation, I use rose geranium essential oil instead. Having an INCI of Pelargonium graveolens roseum (rose geranium) leaf oil, it has a strong, very sweet and rose-like aroma. In the natural and organic skincare world, rose geranium essential oil has been well known for its sebum balancing property. This makes it a fantastic skincare ingredients for both young, acneic skin and dry, mature skin.

Just like most essential oils, the use of rose geranium essential oil has also been restricted. No worries, though, because for this solo Valentine’s DIY mask I had calculated the percentages of all the existing allergens and sensitizers in the oil I purchased. And I’m confident to let you know that nothing is exceeding the dermal limit. In fact, these percentages are waaay below the regulated dermal limits. Also, we’re not exceeding the recommended overall dermal limit of geranium essential oil. Just let me know in the comment section below if you’re interested in knowing all the details.

Even so, if you know that your skin is allergic to or not compatible with rose geranium (and any kind of) essential oil, omit the use of it altogether.

6. Neroli essential oil

I believe everyone should experience the scent of neroli essential oil at least once in their lifetime. Its delicate, sweet, floral (with a very subtle somewhat citrusy hint), fresh and luxurious aroma is a thing that would be capable of inspiring and lightening the heaviest, broken and stagnant heart. Neroli and rose geranium essential oils together make one sweet, heavenly, perfect aroma blend. I’m sure you’d love it!

Not only that it has this rejuvenating scent, Citrus aurantium (neroli) flower oil has also been thought to rejuvenate and regenerate the skin.

In terms of our solo Valentine’s DIY mask formulation, I had calculated the percentages of listed allergens/sensitizers in the neroli essential oil I purchased. They’re below the dermal limits. Again, please don’t hesitate to ask me for the details in the comment section below.

However, and I’m gonna say this again: avoid using essential oils if you know you’ve got reactions to them in the past.

Alrighty. Now that we’re done talking about all the ingredients, it’s time to get hands-on. Let’s turn the music on and get the party started!

Your Solo Valentine’s DIY Mask: “Rose from the Ashes” Clay Masque Recipe

Gracefully Gnarled's Rose from the Ashes Clay Masque: Solo Valentine's DIY Mask

Ingredients, in grams (for 60 g mask):

18 g volcanic (white) clay
2.04 g dried rose petals
34.08 g rose hydrosol
5.4 g glycerin
0.3 g rose geranium essential oil
0.18 g neroli essential oil

I’ve got a better idea, though. Let’s do this in the form of percentages. This way, you could decide your desired total product weight for yourself. Here you go.

Ingredients, in percentages:

30% volcanic (white) clay
3.4% dried rose petals
56.8% rose hydrosol
9% glycerin
0.5% rose geranium essential oil
0.3% neroli essential oil

*This recipe contains linalool, limonene, geraniol and citronellol, all of which naturally occur in the two essential oils. I calculated the percentage of each one of them, and they are way below the recommended dermal limits. Please let me know in the comment section below if you need to know all the details.

Directions:

Weigh the clay in a beaker.
Weigh the rose hydrosol and glycerin in another beaker and give the mixture a good swirl before putting the beaker aside.
Now weigh the dried rose petals in a mortar and pestle.
Grind the dried rose petals to activate the botanical compounds before use. Drop by drop, add the hydrosol-glycerin mixture to help with the grinding process (set the remaining hydrosol-glycerin mixture aside).
Let the ground materials sit and soak for 10 minutes. The ground petals would look “swollen” and more blended in afterwards.
Grind a little bit further.
Pour the remaining hydrosol-glycerin mixture into the clay-containing beaker to activate the clay. Mix until a silky texture is achieved.
Now add the ground materials to the activated clay. Mix well.
Weigh the rose geranium essential oil in a smaller beaker.
Weigh the neroli essential oil in the same beaker.
Add the essential oils mixture to the activated clay mixture. Stir thoroughly.
Pour the rose clay into a bowl or a container and use the fresh-made clay mask immediately.

Aaaand… to make your life easier, I made this video, just for you:

HOW TO USE + TIPS:

This mask has been designed to be used fresh-made, immediately, since there’s no preservative in it. But if you want to enhance the relaxing, cooling effect, put your rose mask in the fridge for 30 minutes before use. Just remember to cover it properly beforehand. *And remember to give it a quick stir once again before the application.
Wash and clean your face before applying the mask on your face, to optimize its beneficial effects. Don’t irritate your skin by using harsh face wash beforehand. If you’ve ever heard the infamous tingling sensation of using face mask, one of the reasons is being an impaired skin barrier.
Apply it with the help of brush. What I use here is a silicone brush. It gives a very soft, silky or velvety skin feel sensation when used during application. What’s more is that it does not easily harbor grimes and bacteria and is easier to clean compared to nylon brushes. You can use it for a long, long time before discarding it. It’s more eco-friendly in a sense.
Depending on the relative humidity in your environment, this mask was designed to have an application period of 15-20 minutes.
To remove the dried-out clay mask, gently wipe it out with a warm, damp cloth or towel.
If you decide to remove the dried-out clay mask during shower, wet your hands and gently remove the dried-out clay mask in circular motion. You’d love the very gentle scrubbing sensation. then rinse it off. *Important: close your eyes throughout the process.
After you’re done applying the mask on your face, you could apply the remaining mask on your neck and décolleté area.
I’ll share my after-application skin feel here. Two words review: VERY hydrating. The hydrating effect was remarkable, I could feel it for hours, at least. The skin looked thoroughly cleansed. And finally, the sweet, luxurious, fresh, rejuvenating aroma stayed in my room for a day. Everyone in the house loved the heavenly scent. Even my sister said she would eat the fragrant mask. Don’t worry, though, no one ate it!
Lastly, yes, I’d say this again: avoid using the essential oils if you know you’d get reactions from it.