Brilliant Rose Oil - Aromatherapy for the Mind, Body, and Spirit
July 12, 2008 Health No CommentsThe Rose has been an enduring symbol of love and beauty throughout history. The flower itself is beautifully complex, with deep hues, luxuriant petals, and an Absolutely wonderful aroma. This same beauty is found in the aromatic oils made from Rose flowers. Not only is the smell sweet, rich and distinctive, but it so happens that Rose oil has the most diverse healing applications of any essential oil used in aromatherapy today. The oil is considered a supreme healer of both the body and soul, and it is very easy to use with basic natural healing techniques.
What a time for Rose it is! The oil of the deep red Rosa Damascena is considered the premier heart opening aromatic; can you think of something we need more of in this world? And even if you’re still just a little vain (just kidding!), Rose is one of the most active essential oils in beauty care — it helps us love more AND be more beautiful. Plus it’s anti-viral, antiseptic, and a stress-reliever, too. What’s so special about Rose oil? What is it, where do you get it and how do you use it? Let’s have a practical look at this profoundly useful therapeutic essential oil.
Rose essential oil is a remarkable liquid. It’s really an incredible concentration of Rose flowers: it takes an amazing amount of Roses to make just a few drops. On average, under the most favorable conditions, the yield of Rose oil is one kilogram for every 2,500 kilos of Roses. it can take more than four times this amount of Roses to make the same amount of oil if the weather has been less than favorable. Think of it — It can be hard to imagine even what 2,500 kilos (over 5,000 pounds) of Roses looks like! And the oil itself is naturally a mixture of over a three hundred individual molecules, many of which have yet to be identified through scientific methods. It is this fantastic combination of extreme concentration combined with Mother Nature’s alchemy which imparts Rose oil’s incredible healing value.
Two types of Rose oils are commonly available: Rose Absolute, the less expensive of the two, is a liquid solvent extract. The Absolute smells most like the flower, being produced under cool temperatures, leaving most of the natural constituents intact. The yield of Absolute is relatively high, thus it is the somewhat less expensive variety. Rose Otto is this steam distilled oil, and the true ‘essential oil’ of Rose. While the Absolute retains the deep red color of the flower, the Otto is clear or slightly pale yellow and has its own unique aroma. The scent of Otto is brilliant and uplifting, with brilliant high notes and a subtle sweetness. The most famous of Rose growing countries is Bulgaria, producing the most sought after varieties of each oil type. Rose Otto is also produced in large quantities in Turkey, while the Absolute is also commonly extracted from flowers grown in Morocco.
The alternative health applications of Rose oil are many. On a physiological level, Rose Otto is a strong antiviral, used primarily to treat herpes and shingles outbreaks. The Otto is also exceptionally beneficial to the female reproductive organs. It acts as a tonic for the whole system, and can be diluted in an aromatherapy carrier oil and massaged into the pelvic region for this effect. It is said to be both a regulating and purifying agent, and may help with infertility and other conditions of the uterus.
Rose Otto is found in many of the world’s finest skin care formulations. It is considered the hands-down finest therapeutic oil for dry and mature skin, with a great many healing properties. It is softening, hydrating, and gently stimulating to skin cell metabolism. It is mildly astringent and antiseptic without being drying, and can heal broken capillaries, reduce redness and smooth skin texture. Rose water, the left-over water from the steam distillation process, is an excellent all-around facial tonic, and can be splashed or swabbed-on after washing anytime.
The most important healing effect may be roses ability to open the heart. When the world around us seems exceptionally challenging, it is particularly important to keep our hearts open. Simply the aroma of either the absolute or the Otto can do this — our olfactory sense is intimately connected to the emotional center of our brain, and our brains and hearts talk to one another constantly. The aroma of the floral symbol of love just happens to signal to the system to unlock the heart chakra, making it easier for us to both give and receive love. Either oil (the Otto or the Absolute — you should investigate which one works best for you) can impart this effect. They may be dabbed on the heart area and wrists at full strength, or diluted in organic Jojoba oil to your desired strength and worn anywhere as a natural perfume (keep in mind Rose Absolute’s deep red color will leave this color on whatever it touches before it is absorbed). Many whom use the oil in this manner describe an uplifted sense in their emotions, and even more open and kind reactions from those around them.
Using Rose oils is very easy and uncomplicated. Both the Otto and Absolutes are very safe and non-irritating, and can be used at 100% concentrations without concern for anything but perhaps the cost. Pure Rose oils are very strong aromatics, and can be significantly diluted and still retain all it’s therapeutic properties. A 10% dilution in Jojoba is very common, and a little bottle will go a long way for aromatic use. This can be massaged in small amounts into the wrists, solar plexus or pelvic region. Rose Otto can be used undiluted on herpes legions, but again, dilution would not reduce the efficacy (with many essential oils, dilution in fact enhances the efficacy). Either Otto or Absolute can be used in a diffuser, filling your space with a brilliant uplifting aroma. Rose oil can be added to bathwater, or used in a massage formula at between a .5 and 3% dilution as well.
The essential oils of Rose are considered among the most transformative and aromatherapy, and effect which seems a natural evolution of Nature’s symbol of love and beauty. Mankind has developed the technological know-how to put the power of thousands upon thousands of Roses in one tiny bottle, and transport it around the world almost instantly. It is Nature however, who developed this fantastic medicine millennia ago. If you’d like a little more beauty and love in your life, you might consider giving Rose essential oils try.
