Rose Essential OilBotanical Nomenclature: Rosa damascena Rose essential oil is made from what is perhaps the most celebrated flower in all the world. So it's no wonder that rose oil is among the most exotic and expensive essential oils in all of aromatherapy, either. A number of different species are used to make rose oil. Two of the most popular rose essential oils are Bulgarian rose, which is made from Rosa damascena and French rose, which is made from R. centifolia. Rose oil can be made in one of three ways--distillation, solvent extraction and absolute extraction. By far, the least expensive of these methods is distillation and further cost savings are realized by re-distilling the resulting water. By combining and blending the first distillation with the second, much more essential oil is produced. Rose essential oil should not be confused with the less-expensive byproduct known as rosewater. Far from being just an undesirable waste of the distillation process, rosewater is also packaged and sold for both the aromatherapy and cosmetics industries.
Characteristics of Rose Essential OilThe production method used to make rose oil will heavily influence the scent of the finished product. And there's little agreement among experts about which technique is best. Regardless of the method employed, rose oil should smell clean and light with a distinctive "rose" scent. There should be absolutely no hint of a "chemical" smell to it. Most rose oils will feel wet to the nose and extracts and absolutes will feel considerably "heavier" in the nose than rosewater.Psychological AromatherapyWhile rose essential oil is often described as one of the most versatile and therapeutic of all the essential oils, it is most often used to invoke the feeling of femininity.Traditional Uses for Rose OilIn traditional aromatherapy, rose is used as a general "woman's" oil to tone the uterus, even out menstrual cycles and increase fertility. And, of course, most people are well aware of rose's reputation as an aphrodisicac.But rose essential oil is also used for other purposes. Aromatherapist Salvatore Battaglia lists rose essential oil with these therapeutic properties:
Scientific Studies on Rose OilWith the glowing reviews rose oil so often receives in aromatherapy books, it may surprise you to learn that there have been relatively few studies on the potential healing benefits of this immensely popular oil.Anxiety Roses, and the herbal products made with them, have long been considered remedies for anxiety. A 2007 from the University of Central Lancashire in the UK is only the latest to test this theory. In this study, laboratory animals exposed to the scent of rose oil demonstrated less anxiety and higher mental acuity than the animals used in the control groups. "Female" Issues Rose is traditionally thought of as a "woman's" oil and has been used for centuries to address issue related to the female reproductive system. In 2006 Korean researchers published a study of college students that seems to support the use of rose essential oil for just those purposes. The findings of this study suggest that employing aromatherapy oils like lavender, clary sage and rose--all traditional "female" oils--decreases the severity of menstrual cramps in college-aged women. Antispasmodic Effects Rose oil is gaining in popularity among "serious" aromatherapists for its alleged anti-spasmodic effects. A 2006 study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology seems to support this use. In this study, researchers found what they deemed a "potent relaxant effect" of R. damascena oil on the tracheal chains of laboratory animals. In fact, at least in this study, rose oil performed comparably to theophylline, which is a pharmaceutical drug used to treat COPD and asthma in humans.
Safety IssuesRose products are generally listed in popular aromatherapy texts as non-toxic and non-sensitizing. But allergic reactions aren't unknown. A 1997 piece in the American Journal of Contact Dermatitis goes so far as to suggest that rose oil may be a more common allergen than many aromatherapy books would have you believe.References: Battaglia, S. (2005). The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy. Scheinman, P. (1997). Is it really fragrance free? Vilapiana, J., et al. (1991). Contact dermatitis from geraniol in Bulgarian rose oil. Bradley, B., et al. (2007). The effects of prolonged rose odor inhalation in two animal models of anxiety. Han, S., et al. (2006). Effect of aromatherapy on symptoms of dysmenorrhea in college students: A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Boskabady, M., et al. (2006). Relaxant effects of Rosa damascena on guinea pig tracheal chains and its possible mechanism(s). Leave Rose Essential Oil & return to Essential Oil Directory page.
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