Rose EO

Essential oil of Rose may be less astringent than the other two preparations, but is highly effective in general. Only the essential oil derived by steam distillation or carbon dioxide extraction, also known as Rose otto (from Rosa damascena) should be used -- not the absolute extract of Rose (usually from Rosa centifolia) which may contain traces of chemical solvents.

Rose oils are recommended not only for inhalation and topical application (in aromatherapy and dermatology) but also for oral administration at physiologically applicable doses. A number of studies have shown the anticancer activity of rose oils and their potential to be used as adjuncts in adjuvant therapy of tumors [R,R]. Rose oil is also known for its anti-HIV, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties [R,R,R,R,R].

The predominant rose species used worldwide for the production of rose oil is the thirty-petalled R. damascena Mill. forma trigintipetala Dieck. In addition, R. gallica L., R. centifolia L., R.alba L., and R. rugosa L. are grown worldwide [R,R]. The yield and composition of rose oil obtained from the rose flowers have been known to be strongly affected by the geographic area, the soil, the climate, the moment of the picking, the storage conditions, and the technology parameters. The genotype is decisive for the chemical profile when all other conditions are constant.

Perfumery is the main consumer of rose oil. It is a product of double distillation and its composition varies within certain limits. The international standard ISO 9842 sets limits on the main ingredients for rose oil from R. damascena Mill. [R]. Due to the complexity of the composition, the standard is a necessary but insufficient quality criterion and serves rather as a rough guide in characterizing the oil. Chemically, it is a mixture of almost 300 compounds such as terpene and phenol derivatives of hydrocarbon compounds [R,R]. A small number of sulfur-containing components have also been identified [R].

R. damascena oil is characterized by a high content of terpene alcohols, the majority of which is citronellol, followed by geraniol, nerol, and linalool. The relationship between them is also important. Oils with a citronellol/geraniol ratio of 2.5:4.3 [R] or 1.25:1.30 [R] are considered of high quality. The main hydrocarbons have a either a C₁₇, C₁₉, or C₂₁ skeleton [R].

In the case of the white rose, different dynamics are observed in the ingredients, from a typical citronellol [R] to a categorically geraniol model [R]. This is probably due to variability in the population itself [R]. In summary, the level of terpene alcohols approaches that of R. damascena Mill. Geraniol is known to carry pharmacological effects in rose oil [R,R]. A low content of methyleugenol and a high content of geraniol guarantees safe application with proven biological effects of R. alba L. essential oil.

R. gallica L. the oil has a typical geraniol pattern [R]. The level of hydrocarbons is also very high. As a rule, the content of methyleugenol is low. This rose is widely grown in the countries of the former Soviet Union. The processing technology in these areas has other traditions and for this reason the composition of the oil is often quite different—phenylethyl alcohol is the major component [R].

In R. centifolia L., the total content of terpene alcohols is low [R]. The oil profile is typically geraniol. This species also produces low levels of methyleugenol. The high values of paraffins make it undesirable for perfumery purposes, but in practice it is used to obtain rose water and extracts.

Unlike R. damascena, the other three roses have hydrocarbons that are shifted to the following homologues: C₁₉, C₂₁, and C₂₃.

The quality of both types of essential oils cannot be compared with that of R. damascena Mill. and R. alba L.

Rose water is a by-product in the distillation of rose oil or is obtained by using less raw material. It contains a minimum amount of oil (about 0.02–0.09%), the composition of which differs from regular oil in its high content of phenylethyl alcohol [R,R].

For topical use (aromatherapy massage, for example, Rose absolute is fine, and is often available in 10% dilution in jojoba oil. For this, Rose absolute 10% should be diluted 3-5% in a carrier oil. Rose essential oil can be applied neat, or added to salves, oils, or ointments.

Internally; 1 drop in a gel cap topped with olive oil

Health Benefits

Bulgarian Rose EO available at Mountain Rose

Available at Young Living

Rose Hydrosol

Perfumer’s Nose: Absolutely and Essentially Rose

Roses to use as scent

CaFleureBon: Roses in Perfumery + The Name of The Rose Draw

Cytotoxic and genotoxic studies of essential oil from Rosa damascene Mill., Kashan, Iran