Origin stories: Pure Rose Toner

In the foothills of the red rocks of the Atlas mountain stretches a lush and fragrant oasis, and among it the valley of roses.

Each May the berber women of the surrounding villages wake up before sunrise to trek the valley and collect the rose flower petals. The streets of the small, quiet village of Kalaat M'gouna come to life crowded with men and women dressed in colorful traditional garments performing songs, dance and theater. This beautiful celebration marks the harvest of the rose and honors what we know as The Queen of Flowers.

The mythology and tradition of the rose flower goes way back and has played a part in the history of almost every civilization and era. Today some of the largest producers of rose derived products in the world are Bulgaria and Morocco.

In May 2016, our founder, Nena, went on a mission to discover the best rose water producer in the valley. Our rose mist comes from a small women led cooperative located in the Dades Valley, a short ride from the village of Kalaat M'gouna.

There are no roads leading to the village and the drive takes you over a river with no bridge. The cooperative is between a picturesque view: to the left a beautiful tall mosque and to the right an edible oasis of wild rose bushes, figs and walnuts.

This rose cooperative is very important to the locals of the village as it is the only income provider to the community and the women running it have been working hard to improve life of the villagers and bring doctors and teachers to the village when needed.