Aromatherapy | Damask Rose Oil

Damask Rose Oil

Damask Rose oil is extracted from Rosa damascena from the Rosaceae family and is also known as Bulgarian and Turkish rose, Otto of rose and attar of rose.

Oil properties: Damask Rose has a deep, rosy, fresh aroma, the color ranges from clear to a pale yellow or greenish tint and the viscosity is watery to crystalline, when warm or cold respectively.

Origin of rose oil: ‘Rosa’ comes from the Greek ‘roden’ meaning ‘red’, as the ancient rose was thought to have been crimson.Anicenna, the 10th century Persian physician, used the rose as his first plant to distill and a rose distillery existed in 1612 in Shiraz, Persia.

Rose petals were scattered at weddings to ensure a happy marriage and are still a symbol of love and purity and is also used to aid meditation and prayer. It takes about 60,000 roses (about 180 lb) to make one ounce of rose oil.

Extraction: Rose otto oil is extracted from the fresh flowers, picked before 8 am in the morning, by steam distillation and the yield is 0.02-0.05%. The aroma can be damaged if the heat is too high at distillation.

Chemical composition: The main chemical components of Rose otto oil are: Citronellol, Geraniol, Nerol, Farnesol, Geranic and Eugenol.

Precautions: Damask rose oil is non-toxic, non-irritant and non-sensitizing but should not be used during pregnancy.

Therapeutic properties: The therapeutic properties of Damask rose oil are: anti-infectious, anti-depressant, antiseptic, anti-spasmodic, aphrodisiac, astringent, bactericidal, diuretic, emmenagogue, hepatic, laxative, sedative, splenetic and general tonic.

Uses: Damask rose oil soothes the mind and helps with depression, grief, nervous tension and stress and is helpful for poor circulation and heart palpitations.

For the respiratory system Damask rose oil can assist in cases of asthma, coughs and hay fever, and on the digestive system for liver congestion and nausea.

Rose otto oil can be used for irregular menstruation, leucorrhea, menorrhagia and uterine disorders. On the skin it can be used for broken capillaries, dry skin, eczema, herpes, mature and sensitive skin, wrinkles, and rose water can be used for conjunctivitis.

Summary: Damask rose oil gives a feeling of wellbeing and happiness, it helps a nervous mind, can be helpful on the respiratory tract, for digestive problems, for menstrual problems and as skin care.

Burners and vaporizers: In vapor therapy Rose otto oil can be helpful with: allergies, asthma, baby blues, headaches, migraine, nervous tension and as a relaxant.

Blended oil or in the bath: As a blended massage oil or diluted in the bath Rose damask oil can assist with: allergies, baby blues, asthma, hay fever, headaches, depression, migraine, scar tissue, nervous tension, stress, poor circulation and as a relaxant.