Rose Oil has a rich and floral aroma that is soft and sweet, with a gentle character. It is good for enhancing capacity for self-love and self-nurturing, promoting a sense of well-being, and soothing feelings of anger, fear, and anxiety.
Rose is said to be the Queen of flowers. There are 250 different species of roses and thousands of varieties and hybrids.
Three species are cultivated for their perfume. These are Rosa Gallica that originates in the Caucasus and Rosa Centifolia originating in Persia. The third, Rosa damascena, is the damask rose which originated in Syria. Rosa damascena is highly perfumed, and distilled oil from its petals is very valuable.
Rose essential oil is distilled from rose petals. Rose oil is also produced by solvent extraction that results in rose absolute. The largest producer of rose essential oil is Bulgaria but it is also produced in France, Turkey, Morocco, India and China. The essential oils from France. Bulgaria and Turkey are of the best quality and highly valued.
How Rose Oil Benefits the Body
Rose essential oil is known as women’s oil. It has a toning, cleansing and regulating effect on the uterus and can be used in many female problems. It can relieve pre-menstrual tension, irregular menstrual cycle and menopause symptoms.
Essential oil of rose is widely used in skin care. It is especially suitable for dry, sensitive and aging skin. It tones the skin and has an astringent effect on the capillaries. Rose oil is used in aromatherapy massages and skin care to treat and prevent puffiness, wrinkles and thread veins.
Rosewater is a by-product from the essential oil distillation. It is prized as a skin tonic especially for mature skin.
How Rose Oil Benefits the Mind
Rose oil is a gentle antidepressant. It has a calming effect on the nervous system and it can have a profound effect on the emotions. It can be help with sadness, tension and grief especially in women. It is also believed to be a female aphrodisiac.
Rose Oil Can Relieve Anxiety and Depression Caused By:
- Deep emotional despair.
- When feeling wounded by rejection or loss
- Vulnerability due to past abuse or hurt
- Loss of confidence and feeling insecure
Blending Rose Oil for Other Causes of Anxiety and Depression
- Frankincense and Cypress – continual feelings of loss and hopelessness
- Vetiver and Cardamom – distressing, ongoing self-neglect
- Palmarosa and Neroli – feeling neglected, rejected and forsaken
- Spikenard and Lavender – unfairly judging and condemning self
- Helichrysum and Lavender – resentful of perceived mental abuse
Rose in Ancient History
Roses are often found in Egyptian tombs placed next to mummies. Ancient Egyptians macerated fresh rose flowers and made scented dressings for their hair. Rose pomades were also known in ancient Greece and in India.
Rose in Modern History
Rose essential oil is thought to be the first essential oil that was distilled. Avicenna (Ib’n Sina), the Arab scientist and physician (980 – 1037 A.D.) is said to have discovered the distillation process and distilled rose oil in 10th century Persia.
Rose was an ingredient in Hungary water, the first perfume ever made. It was also used in the first cold cream made by Galen, the Greek physician in the 2nd century.
In medieval Europe roses grew in monastery gardens and were valued for their medicinal properties. Roses were already distilled in France before the French Revolution, mainly for rosewater.
In his book The Art of Aromatherapy Robert B. Tisserand writes that roses:
“Have been used for their appearance, their scent, and their therapeutic properties from time immemorial. They were used extensively by the Romans for garlands, perfumes, scented baths, confections, and as a remedy for hangover…the rose was used to adorn the shields of Persian warriors at the time of their supremacy…”
Tisserand points out that today the production of Persian rose oil is no longer commercially significant, and the finest and most expensive rose essential oil now comes from Bulgaria.
Rose Oil cautions:
It takes tens of thousands of rose petals to produce just one ounce of distilled essential oil. This makes rose oil one of the most expensive essential oils.
Rose essential oil on the market today is often adulterated or diluted, and can never match the pure oil and its complex chemistry. It is important to buy only pure, unadulterated rose oil for therapeutic use.
