ALL SKIN TYPES esp. MATURE, DRY & SENSITIVE

REDIENT FEATURES

antibacterial

antidepressive

anti-infectious

anti-inflammatory

antioxidant

antiseptic

antispasmodic

antiviral

aphrodisiac

astringent

balancing

calmative

cell rejuvenator

cooling

deodorant

emollient

general tonic

hydrating

neurotonic

sedative

sexual tonic

skin conditioning

softening

toning

USER BENEFITS

balances

calms the nervous system

calms irritation

clears the head

counteracts physical hypersensitivity

diminishes swelling

encourages cell regeneration

evens complexion

firms and contracts exposed tissue

helps heal burns and wounds

increases sexual desire

lessens anxiety

moisturizes

neutralizes microbes

prevents moisture loss

promotes sleep

promotes relaxation

promotes the healing of tissues

quells irritation from environmental factors

reduces puffiness

reduces redness

reduces stress

relaxes cramping

relieves intellectual fatigue

repairs broken capillaries

settles digestion

smoothes wrinkles

softens

soothes

strengthens and clarifies the mind

strengthens capillaries

strengthens the circulatory system

strengthens the nervous system

tones and restores venous circulation

tightens the skin

tones the skin

uplifts mood

USES

anxiety

broken capillaries

cellulite

chapped skin

combination skin

couperose

dehydrated skin

depression

dermatitis

dry hair

dry skin

eczema

headache

indigestion

infections:

viral

bactierial

inflammation

insomnia

mature skin

nervous tension

normal hair

normal skin

oily hair

pain

rashes

redness

scars

sensitive skin

stress

stretch marks

sun-damaged skin

tired skin

traumatized skin

wrinkles

Skin care is the second most popular use of Rose essential oil after perfumery. It is common for heart surgeons to prescribe rose oil to their patients.

ctive

fragrance

ABOUT THE PLANT

The Rosa species are small prickly shrubs that grow to 2.4 meters high. Commonly known as Bulgarian Rose, Turkish Rose or Summer Damask, Rosa damascena requires a very specific soil and climate. The damask rose is a hardy, deciduous, bushy shrub with a height and spread of up to two meters (six feet). It has grey-green foliage and fragrant double flowers, pink in bud and fading to almost white.

The birthplace of the cultivated rose R. damascena was probably northern Persia or Faristan on the Gulf of Persia. It then spread across Mesopotamia, Palestine and across to Asia Minor and Greece. Now most Rosa damascena is cultivated in the Balkan mountains of southern Bulgaria, in the Valley of the Roses. Because Roses are such an important part of Bulgarian culture, the government regulates their production to ensure the purity of its Rose essential oils.

ABOUT THE OIL

Three main products are obtained from roses: an essential oil, a concrete, and an absolute. The essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the whole flowers, the concrete by solvent extraction of the leaves and flowers, and an absolute by further extracting the concrete. Not considered a main product, but rather a by-product, rosewater is the aqueous portion of steam distillation after the Rose oil is removed. While there are thousands of rose varieties, the 'Damask' rose, cultivated since the 16th century, is considered to produce the finest quality essence. 'Otto' is the term used to differentiate the steam distilled essential oil from the 'Absolute'. Rose otto is a pale yellow or slightly olive yellow liquid with an aroma full and rich, intoxicating and aphrodisiac.

Rose absolutes are obtained by solvent extraction. Solvent extraction produces a more complete plant extract than steam distillation. However, some minute traces of solvent may remain in the the final absolute. For some aromatherapists this is a deterrent to the use of Rose absolute, while others believe that Rose absolute is preferable to Rose Otto essential oil because the chemical constituents of Rose absolute are identical to the live rose; in Rose Otto essential oil there are constituents present that are by-products of the steam distillation and not found in the rose itself.

Rose oil has an extraordinarily complex chemistry, with over 300 known constituents, which make up about 86% of the whole. The remaining 14% comprises a large number of different compounds, each in miniscule amounts, but they are vital to the whole oil, both from the point of view of its aroma and its therapeutic properties.

OF INTEREST

The rose has been deemed the ‘Queen of Flowers’, and in aromatherapy Rose oil is often referred to as the Queen of Essential Oils. This Queen has been revered throughout the centuries for its exquisite aroma and therapeutic value. No other flower has been so exalted in literature, mythology and used for so many sacred purposes as the rose, its blossom a symbol of beauty, love, youth, perfection and immortality.

The word rosa comes from the Greek word rodon (red); the rose of the ancients was a deep crimson color, lending to the mythologies that the rose is said to have sprung from the blood of the Greek goddess Aphrodite and in Roman times the god Adonis and goddess Venus. The European name for the Damascus rose dates from the Crusades and is now incorporated into its botanical name.

The rose was probably the first flower from which an essential oil was ever distilled. In 10th century Persia the great Arab physician Avicenna prepared the first Rosewater and is credited with having distilled the first Rose oil, possibly by chance during the course of alchemical experiments. The rose has considerable significance in the theoretical and metaphysical aspects of alchemy, with red and white roses each being thought appropriate to different stages of the alchemist’s work. For this reason they were placed in retorts and heated with a variety of different materials in the attempt to transmute base metals into gold, producing rosewater and essential oil accidentally in the process. Avicenna wrote an entire book on the many healing properties of the rose, and by the end of that century rosewater and Rose oil were well-known in Arab speaking countries.

Bulgarian

( – )-Citronellol

Geraniol

Alkenes & alkanes

Nerol

Methyleugenol

Linalool

Citronellyl acetate

Ethanol

2-Phenylethanol

(Ε, Ε)-Farnesol

β-Caryophyllene

Eugenol

Geranyl acetate

Turkish

( – )-Citronellol

Nonadecane

Geraniol

Heneicosane

Nerol

1-Nonadecene

Ethanol

Methyleugenol

γ-Muurollene

α-Guiaiene

Heptadecane

Geranyl acetate

Eicosane

α-Pinene

2-Phenylethanol

Tricosane

Linalool

α-Caryophyllene

Octadecane

Eugenol

(Ε, Ε)-Farnesol

δ-Guiaiene

love | trust | self-acceptance

One of the most feminine essential oils, Rose has the most diverse therapeutic properties of all essential oils. Most aromatherapists agree that rose oil is effective at all times of life for the soul, spirit and body; in fact, it is thought to have the 'highest vibration' of all the essential oils. Although the making of Rose Absolute is more efficient than steam distillation (producing nearly seven pounds of oil per 10,000 pounds of roses while distillation yields only one pound of oil per 10,000 pounds of roses) and has a correspondingly lower cost than the steam distilled oils, many aromatherapists and natural perfumers prefer the essential oil to the absolute.

Key word: COMFORT

absorbs:

confusion

illness,

imbalance

negativity

balances

beautifies

comforts

encourages:

acceptance

completeness

contentment

devotion

inner freedom

inner vision

patience

purity

enhances:

calm

compassion

confidence

femininity

fulfillment

happiness

healing

love

motivation

openness

passion

peace

rejuvenation

security

sensuality and sexuality

understanding

warmth

gentle yet euphoric

eases the sorrow of the soul

elevates the mind and soul

harmonizes

invites happiness

opens the heart

promotes unconditional love for self and others

reduces:

anger

anxiety

apathy

depression

disappointment

envy

fatigue

fear

feelings of emptiness

grief

hyper-sesitivity

impatience

insecurity

insomnia

intolerance

jealousy

loss of confidence

malancholy

sadness

sexual fears

shock

shyness

stress

tension

vulnerability

supports during crises

uplifts

useful in relationship conflicts

ENERGETICS

In TCM:

cool and moist

clears heat and inflammation

helps to restore the body's yin energy

Main element: Fire

Chakra: Heart & CROWN

Rose otto is the supreme oil of the heart chakra and will help the heart chakra to open when grief has caused it to close down. Also connected to the sacral chakra, Rose helps to spiritualize sexual relationships. As it opens the heart it opens doors to love, friendship, and empathy and compassion.

SUBTLE AROMATHERAPY

Considered the essential oil with the 'highest vibration', Rose otto vibrates with the energy of universal love, operating in the light of unconditional love and giving. Rose calms and supports the heart, helping to nourish 'heart-yin' and restore a sense of well-being. The key to its profound psychological properties is its effect on the center of emotional being; Rose has a great ability to bring balance and harmony to the emotions, heal emotional wounds, comfort in times of sorrow, dissolve psychological pain, aid in overcoming insecurities, and help release negative emotions such as anger, despair, frustration, fear and anxiety.

Rose also works amazingly well for deep anxiety and low mood and is very comforting to the mind, especially in cases of feeling alienated. Gabriel Mojay states that Rose is "recommended for a loss of self-esteem of the very deepest kind–where emotional pain has injured the capacity for self-love . . . particularly for the resentment that results from emotional coldness, rejection and betrayal."

PERFUMERY

Pure essential oil of rose is one of the most wonderful and highly prized oils included in perfumery. It takes about 10,000 pounds of roses to make one pound of essential oil, or 30 roses to make one small drop of oil. Bulgarian Rose is considered superior in perfumery, but in therapeutic practice it is more a matter of differing properties between the types of rose.As a perfume, the absolute can be worn directly on the skin – its 'tenacious' quality will have the aroma slowly released for many hours.

AROMA NOTES

MIDDLE-BASE NOTE

rich & floral

soft & sweet

slightly sour & astringent

warm

deep-floral

soft and sweet

rosy

lemony

fresh

slightly sour and astringent

immensely rich

truly reminiscent of red roses

often with nuances in the spicy and honeylike notes

Rose absolute differs from Rose Otto in scent as well as chemical components; Rose absolute is deeper–more middle note than high–but both are very intriguing.

Blends well with: most other oils, particularly Amber, Bergamot, Benzoin, Cedarwood, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Geranium, Lavender, Lemon, Jasmine, Mandarin, Neroli, Palmarosa, Patchouli, Petitgrain, Roman Chamomile, Sandalwood, and Ylang-Ylang.

Aromatherapy, A Complete Guide to the Healing Art by Kathi Keville and Miny Green

Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit, Restoring Emotional and Mental Balance with Essential Oils by Gabriel Mojay

Essential Oil Safety, Second edition by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young

Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin by Steffen Arctander

The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy Second Edition by Salvatore Battaglia

The Fragrant Heavens, the Spiritual Dimension of Fragrance and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, The Complete Guide to the Use of Oils in Aromatherapy and Herbalism