Rose, or rosa damascena to give it its botanical name, has long been considered the queen of flowers and therefore the queen of essential oils. Having been used as a medicinal plant since antiquity, the beautiful rose is celebrated not only for its prized scent but also for its healing properties, having a rejuvenating and anti-inflammatory effect.
The Science bit!
Rose extraction was historically carried out by enfleurage - a technique that soaked the petals in fats, in particular animal fats. Solvent extraction, as well as Co2 extraction, are now more commonly used for delicate petals, such as Rose. The Rose absolute that we use within our products here at Duxmore is extracted via solvent, whereby no heat is required in the extraction phase. Using heat would damage and alter the fragrance profile of the oil.
All essential oils are extremely complex in their chemistry, made up of many individual chemical constituents. All of these chemicals work in harmony to dictate the oils overall fragrance. The chemical properties of rose grown in Bulgaria for example, may differ to rose of the same species grown in Morocco or Turkey, depending on the climate, altitude and harvest.
Botanical notes
A member of the Rosaceae family (which includes 4,828 known species!) Rose absolute is a complex, sweet, floral scent. Classed in aromatherapy as a middle-base note, Rose generally blends well with all oils, though we believe it works particularly well with Bergamot, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Geranium, Jasmine, Melissa, Neroli, Rosewood, Sandalwood and Ylang Ylang.
Rose is originally believed to have been native to the Orient, it is now mainly cultivated in Bulgaria and Turkey and requires a very specific climate and soil. We source our Rose absolute essential oil from Bulgaria, where they have over 300 years of tradition in essential rose oil distillation. Grown in mountainous regions, the petals have to be picked just after the dew at dawn before the heat of the sun starts to dilute the aroma, then it is distilled immediately to maximise the oil yield.
Approximately 4000 kilograms of petals are required to produce 1 kilogram of pure rose oil, making it one of the most expensive oils in the world! Its exotic nature and value were appreciated in ancient times by the Greeks, Chinese, Indians, Persians and Romans and it remains in the same high regards today.
Best use
In Aromatherapy, Rose absolute has a soothing effect on the emotions, linking to happiness, feelings of love, positivity and self care and is renowned for its sensual fragrance and balancing nature. With its natural affinity to femininity, this oil is particularly useful when treating women at all of life's stages. In cosmetics, Rose is used for its delicate aroma and for its balancing and soothing properties, and is found in many female fragrances.
We blend Rose with Neroli, Lavender & Geranium in our Indulgent Face & Body Oil, to enhance its beautiful aroma and for its benefits on the skin.
