Aromatherapy A-Z: Rose

Of the estimated 5,000 or more species of roses that grace our environment, the damask rose (Rosa damascena) and the cabbage rose (Rosa centifolia) are the most fragrant, and they are the two primary roses that produce essential oils for aromatherapy. At one time, the red rose (Rosa gallica) supposedly yielded rose oil as well, but it is so rare as to be essentially unavailable today.

Native to the Orient, Persia (now Iran) and Syria, these members of the Rosaceae family are now cultivated in the temperate regions of Bulgaria, China, France, India, Italy, Morocco, Russia, Tunisia and Turkey. These bushy deciduous shrubs grow three to six feet tall or taller. Their sweet-scented blossoms range in color from white to pink to red.

Steam-distilling over 60,000 freshly picked roses will yield only one ounce of rose oil. Pale yellow or deeper yellow rose oil, or rose otto, has a rich, sweet and spicy floral fragrance. Rose absolute, a reddish orange oil with a heavier, sweeter scent, is extracted with solvents. Because residues of solvent may remain in rose absolute, rose oil is more desirable for aromatherapy purposes.

Beauty Benefits

Rose oil benefits all skin types, especially mature, sensitive, dry or damaged skin. It helps restore the moisture balance and smoothes wrinkles. It constricts tiny blood vessels, thus helping to diminish the redness of broken capillaries.

Emotional Effects

Rose oil soothes the emotions. It lifts depression, eases anxiety, elevates spirits and reduces stress and tension. It stabilizes mood swings, particularly if they are related to postnatal depression. It calms the nerves and helps to overcome insomnia. Rose oil can ease grief and subdue sadness. It helps to eliminate feelings of disappointment, jealousy and resentment, and can help dissolve emotional blocks standing in the way of happiness. Rose oil symbolizes purity and innocence, yet it is a sensual and stimulating aphrodisiac. It promotes feelings of love and may help in overcoming impotence or frigidity.

Reprinted from Aromatherapy for Vibrant Health and Beauty by Roberta Wilson with permission of Avery Books, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc. Copyright © 1995 by Roberta Wilson.

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