Ah, Wonderful Rose Oil
If there's an aroma that more individuals find deeply moving than any
other, it is the oil of rose. The scent is divinely sweet, rich, and
deeply floral - exclusive to the extract of history's most revered
flower. Though the rose is renown for it's fragrance, the flower
actually contains very little aromatic oil by weight. Some 60,000 roses
are needed to distill a single ounce of oil, or about 60 roses PER
DROP, a fact which brings the seemly high cost of rose oil into
perspective.
The Flower of Love
The hardy nature of the thorny rose bush and the flower's magnificent
beauty make it a horticulturalist's dream. The genus Rosa has some 150
species spread around the globe, being cultivated in your grandmother's
backyard garden, in vast fields in Bulgaria's Valley of Roses, and
everywhere in between.
Roses have somewhat of a unique past, peppered with interesting stories
and extravagant displays of affection. The flower's association with
devotion was perhaps most wonderfully expressed during the Roman
empire, with banquet halls being carpeted with petals. Cleopatra once
received her beloved Marc Antony in a room literally knee-deep in rose
petals – how's that for greeting? Roses are the unrivaled symbol of
love, given dear ones through the ages as an affirmation of true
affection. It's no wonder the flower's oil has great healing
properties, both physically and emotionally, for the human heart.
Rose's health Benefits
With it's considerable therapeutic and aesthetic value, the 'queen of
the flowers' had a special place in medicine and perfumery in the
ancient civilizations of Persia, Egypt, India, Greece and Rome. The
modern healing tradition of the extract of rose began in the 17 th
century with the writings of English physician Nicholas Culpeper. The
herbalist described the use of red roses to strengthen the heart, it's
cooling and astringent actions, and its effect on headaches and tired
eyes. Perhaps inspiring it's use as a beauty tonic 'par-excellence', he
went on to suggest it's use as a remedy for a variety of skin
complaints.
In aromatherapy, the psychological effects are wondrous for those with
a broken heart, or other emotional wounds. Rose oil calms and supports
the heart center, inspiring a sense of happiness and well-being. When
rejection or loss has injured one's ability to love and nurture, either
themselves or those around them, rose oil can bring sweet and gentle
comfort and allow an emotional 're-opening'.
Use in Aromatherapy
It is the Bulgarian Damask rose, or Rosa Damacena, most often used in
aromatherapy. The oil of this 36-petaled beauty is available in two
forms: the 'otto', or true essential oil, and the 'absolute'. Harvest
of the flowers occurs in the early morning, before the sun's rays has
warmed away the aroma. Rose otto is made in a two step
steam-distillation process; the first distillation yields an essential
oil and a large amount of 'rose water'. The water is again distilled,
producing an oil which is combined with that from the first
distillation.
The absolute is made with a different process entirely. Similar in a
way to 'effleurage' (the pressing of petals in fat to produce an
extract), the flowers are processed in a solvent, with a wax-like
'concrete' being produced. Through a second extraction of the concrete,
rose absolute is yielded. This method is significantly more efficient
than steam distillation, producing nearly 7 pounds of oil per 10,000
pounds of roses (distillation yields 1 pound oil per 10,000 pounds of
roses), with a corresponding lower cost. Does one produce a better oil?
There is certainly debate; while some argue that traces of solvent are
likely to exist in the absolute, others claim the heat of distillation
does not result in a true representation of the flower. And as with
either method, the quality and effect of the oil varies greatly with
the experience and care of the manufacturer – the answer truly lies
with the individual and the application.
Using Rose Oil
Oil of rose can be utilized in a number of ways; it is very gentle,
being suitable for use on the skin 'neat', in massage oil, and in a
bath, as well as in a diffuser. As a perfume, the absolute can be worn
directly on the skin – it's 'tenacious' quality will have the aroma
slowly released for many hours. For therapeutic use for the emotions, a
dilution of 10% of otto or absolute in jojoba oil is often used, being
massaged into the heart area – a diffuser is very effective for this
purpose as well. The absolute or otto can also be added in small
amounts to any skin cream, though using a home-made natural recipe is
often the nicest. Rose water, or hydrosol, the water resulting from the
distillation process of rose otto, can also be used directly on the
skin, with it's mild astringent and toning properties.
A rose and lavender facial cream can be made using the following recipe:
Melt ½ ounce of beeswax in 4 ounces of jojoba using a double boiler.
Add 3 ounces of distilled water in a thin stream while stirring
vigorously with a wire whisk. Remove from heat and continue stirring
while adding 20 drops of rose oil (absolute or otto) and 15 drops of
lavender. Allow to cool, then enjoy this wonderful homemade cream for
sensitive skin.
There are, of course, many ways to enjoy rose oil's benefits. It is
revered on many levels, from its pure aesthetic aromatic beauty, to its
physiological healing and emotional uplifting. True rose oil, with its
great depth and sweetness, is easily appreciated by almost all who
experience this natural wonder.
