Healthy and strong hair is a dream of every woman! However, since we live in quite a polluted world and use a lot of chemical hair products like shampoos and conditioners, our poor hair accumulates all that “trash” and becomes dry, brittle, and lifeless.
This is why natural hair care remedies like rosemary water become very helpful!
Today, you will learn how long rosemary water can last and what it is used for. Also, we will explain how to make your own DIY rosemary water and what benefits it can bring to your hair!
Introduction
If you are interested in natural and organic hair care products, you probably tried to learn more about various hydrolats, essential oils, and other non-chemical remedies for hair growth, strength, and gloss.
Rosemary water is one such product, being a gentle, effective and good remedy for your hair.
Rosemary water reduces hair loss and stimulates its growth. Also, it contributes to making your hair stronger and thicker! Besides, this natural product is also safe for all hair types.
However, the best thing about rosemary water is that you make this beneficial product at home using rosemary essential oil or rosemary leaves!
Below, you can learn more about what rosemary water is and how long it can be stored on your shelf! Further on, we will explain how to make it and provide you with its beneficial features.
Explanation of What Rosemary Water Is
As you can understand from the name, rosemary water is water made of fresh rosemary leaves. As an option, rosemary essential oil can be used instead of the fresh leaves of this plant. But whether you use the oil or the leaves, it will not affect the efficiency of the final product.
Technically, rosemary water is the result of cooking rosemary leaves in distilled water. After being boiled for several hours on very low heat, the solids are then sifted out from the leaves.
During the boiling process, this herb breaks down, creating what is essentially a rich rosemary tea. This “tea” is what does tons of good things to your hair and scalp!
But since this method of making DIY rosemary water is rather time-consuming, you might want to use rosemary essential oil diluted in water to create this mix instead.
It will take you much less time compared to boiling, but the result will be the same as after using the boiled and sifted rosemary “tea”.
Importance of Knowing How Long It Lasts
How long does rosemary water last? This is probably the most common question people ask when they decide to make their own DIY rosemary water.
When you buy rosemary water at a drugstore, you already know when it expires since it’s indicated on the package. Usually, commercially made rosemary water can last for several months after you open it.
However, with the DIY mix made at home, it’s not clear when it can stop being helpful. Let’s try to figure out how long rosemary water can last, depending on where you store it and how it was made.
This way, you will know when this beneficial product may start turning unhealthy for your hair! As you probably know, natural and/or herbal essences and products often lose their beneficial properties and may work the other way if used after the expiration term!
How Long Does Rosemary Water Last Without a Fridge?
If you make your own rosemary water, note that it’s not a long-lasting product! Since it doesn’t contain any preservatives, it will expire pretty soon. Generally, homemade rosemary water doesn’t last longer than three weeks if refrigerated. But without the fridge, it may expire even faster!
Speaking of the commercially made product, its shelf life will be more extended, of course, due to the presence of preservatives in the mix. In general, rosemary water bought in a drugstore can last for a few months.
How Long Does Rosemary Water Last In the Fridge?
In the fridge, homemade rosemary water can last for up to three weeks. But no matter how tightly you seal it and properly it is stored, it must be discarded after four weeks of storage (even if you kept it in the fridge!).
How Long Does Homemade Rosemary Water Last?
If you make your own DIY rosemary water, the best place to store it is your fridge since it will slow down the degradation process. But even refrigerated rosemary water won’t last too long! Generally, this product can stay effective for a couple of weeks if it’s homemade.
Shelf Life of Rosemary Water
Knowing the product’s shelf life is essential, especially if you deal with the natural one that contains essential oils and/or other non-chemical components! Such products come with plenty of beneficial properties, but when expired, they can cause harm to your skin and/or hair! This is why, not to turn a remedy into a poison, you should always know how long it can last safely. For rosemary water, this rule of thumb works as well.
General Shelf Life
Rosemary water is generally not very long-lasting. If you have a DIY homemade product, it will last for a maximum of four weeks, but only if you keep it in the fridge! Otherwise, the lifespan of your beneficial hair care remedy will be twice shorter.
For sure, commercial rosemary water has a more extended lifespan since it often contains preservatives. Such a product can last for a few months.
Factors That Affect the Shelf Life
Rosemary water is rather demanding when it comes to storage conditions! If you want this product to last as long as possible, keep it away from heat sources and direct sunlight.
Also, ensure your rosemary water is stored in a tightly sealed bottle in a cool and dark place. Heat, light, and exposure to direct sun can shorten the lifespan of rosemary water.
Storage Conditions
Rosemary water is rather sensitive, which is why proper storage conditions are mandatory. The ideal storage conditions include a dark and cool place away from any sources of heat. This is why you must keep rosemary water away from stoves, burners, heating objects, and other similar items. Also, don’t leave it in direct sunlight.
Type of Container
No matter whether you use rosemary water made of fresh rosemary leaves, or you have a product made of rosemary essential oil, it must still be kept in a tightly sealed bottle. This way, you will keep all the molecules of herbal essence in place.
To store rosemary water at home, we recommend you opt for spraying bottles with a tightly screwed top.
It’s not recommended to keep it in other containers, and moreover, you must never pour it from one container to another to use! Such frequent exposure to air will shorten the lifespan of the product!
Quality of Ingredients
The quality of ingredients used for your DIY rosemary water also matters! The higher the quality, the longer the water will last. Also, rosemary water made of high-quality ingredients will have a much stronger effect. This is why it’s recommended to use fresh rosemary leaves or rosemary essential oil of high quality from trustworthy brands.
Presence of Preservatives
Preservatives are used in cosmetics and various care products for hair and skin to extend the shelf life of all those shampoos, hair masks, creams, lotions, etc. Respectively, products with preservatives will also last longer.
But on the other hand, preservatives are chemical components, so if you strive for a non-chemical formula, opt for a DIY rosemary water that uses essential oils or a fresh rosemary herb. However, note that such a product will not last long.
Signs of Spoilage
When you use natural hair care products, it’s important to know how they look and smell if they are expired. This way, you can avoid applying a bad product to your skin or hair, which may result in irritation and other unpleasant aftermath. Below, we will explain what to pay attention to in order to figure out how your rosemary water is doing.
How to Tell If Rosemary Water Has Gone Bad
The easiest way to define whether your rosemary water has expired or is very close to it is to look at three essential factors:
- smell
- appearance/color
- taste ( if it’s culinary rosemary water)
Read on to find out more about each of them. And note that these signs of spoilage may appear all at once or show up randomly and separately! So be attentive and cautious!
Appearance
The freshly boiled rosemary water often has a light yellowy-green color. This is absolutely normal since the essential oils from the fresh leaves have just been released into the water! However, after a while, you may notice the mix turns darker red, resembling black tea (but still being translucent). This is also ok. When rosemary water goes bad, it usually turns much darker, like a very strong black tea.
Smell
Rosemary water of good quality has a rather strong herbal scent. But if you give your rosemary water a whiff and can’t sense anything, or the smell is barely there, it is very likely your remedy is already expired.
Taste
If you use rosemary water for culinary purposes or for making rosemary water to drink, and you are in doubt whether it is still safe to use, give it a try. Try a very little bit of rosemary water with your tongue to check the taste.
If it appears to be bitter, it’s most likely expired. See, the taste of good rosemary water is pleasantly refreshing and herbal!
Storage Tips
You might think that, since rosemary water is so demanding in terms of storage, it is also very challenging to keep it long-term. However, with a few simple tips, you (and your hair) can easily enjoy it longer! Below, we explain how to do it.
Proper Storage Techniques
The best thing about storing rosemary water is that it doesn’t require any complicated storage lifehacks! To keep it fresh and safe to use, simply place your rosemary water in a tightly closed container or spray bottle and keep it in your fridge between the uses.
This way, your homemade rosemary mixture should be fine for use for up to two weeks.
Tips For Extending the Shelf Life
You should realize that rosemary water won’t last forever, no matter how you try. This product (especially if it’s made of natural ingredients) is not very long-lasting. But still, with a couple of tricks, you can extend its shelf life to a couple of weeks more! This way, your rosemary water might stay useful for a whole month!
The best way to extend its lifespan is to keep the bottle/container with rosemary water away from direct sunlight. Sunrays can destroy the natural essential oils in the mix, making it absolutely useless.
Also, keep your rosemary water in a cool and dark palace. For this purpose, your fridge will be an ideal location! Finally, make sure your DIY rosemary water is kept away from heating objects like stoves and others. Heat is the same destructive for this product as sunlight.
Uses of Rosemary Water
Rosemary water is a highly beneficial product, but it can be used not only in the cosmetics and beauty industry. In fact, it is also often used in culinary and medicine! Below, we tell you more about each.
Culinary Uses
In culinary, rosemary water is used only if it’s made with natural herbs, not essential oils! For this purpose, fresh rosemary leaves and branches are used. In particular, they are added to the drinking water to infuse it with healthy elements that this herb contains.
As a result, this is not only a good way to make you drink more but also a lovely way to decorate the dining table when hosting!
Medicinal Uses
Rosemary is highly praised in medicine due to its beneficial traits. This herb is a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, which play an important role in neutralizing harmful particles called free radicals. Also, rosemary can help you boost the immune system and improve blood circulation.
Beauty Uses
In the beauty industry, rosemary has also gained respect. This herb is beneficial for hair, treating hair loss and even alopecia! Rosemary water makes your hair stronger and thicker, improving its growth.
Also, rosemary is a strong antioxidant for the skin since it has anti-ageing properties. Additionally, it helps prevent damage to your skin from harmful environmental agents.
Rosemary water can also reduce puffiness by removing excess water from the skin tissues thanks to its stimulating effect on improving circulation.
How to Make Rosemary Water?
Now you probably want to know how to make this magical elixir yourself!
https://youtu.be/_qQJ5bm4Ys0
No worries, we will tell you about that very soon! In fact, DIY rosemary water is easy to make, but there are two methods:
- You can use fresh rosemary leaves and simmer them for several hours
- You can take a quicker path and use rosemary essential water and distilled water
Below, we will provide you with a detailed guide.
Step-by-Step Instructions
To make rosemary water, you will need the following:
- 5 rosemary sprigs
- About 2 cups of distilled water
- Spray bottle
Now you should follow several steps precisely as we list them.
- Rinse rosemary springs and put them in the pot with water
- Bring them to a boil and let the mix simmer for 15 to 20 minutes
- If you desire a more potent formula, you can let it simmer for one to two hours
- After simmering, remove the pot from the burner and let the rosemary continue to steep for 30 minutes
- If you want more potency, let the rosemary mix continue to steep until it fully cools down
- Strain the mix and pour it into the spray bottle
Equipment Needed
As you can see, there is nothing complicated about making rosemary water at home. Besides, it doesn’t require any special equipment or tools! All you need is the following:
- Scissors or plant shears (if you cut fresh rosemary)
- 1-quart pot
- Distilled water
- Sieve to strain the mix when it’s ready
- Bowl with spout
- Spray bottle
Now you know more about rosemary water, its beneficial traits, and areas of use. You even learned how to make DIY rosemary water at home!
Conclusion
Well, now you have more information about rosemary water. You know what it is and how it’s made. You even have a detailed guide on making your own rosemary water at home!
Also, you learned how beneficial this water can be for your hair and not only for it. So, let’s refresh all we have learned once again.
Summary of Key Points
Rosemary water is a product used for hair and skin care, as well as for culinary purposes. It is made either from a fresh rosemary herb or from rosemary essential oil.
Thanks to beneficial elements like antioxidants, rosemary water can protect your skin and hair from harmful environmental effects, as well as make your hair stronger and prevent hair loss. This water is also beneficial for your skin.
Final Thoughts and Recommendations
Since now you know how to make rosemary water, you can always have this product at hand whenever you need it. Make sure you store it correctly, and your skin and hair will thank you for such care!
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