Rose oil is the most expensive ingredient in our products. One kilogram takes between three and four tonnes of rose petals. That’s why it’s called liquid gold, and why it’s measured in grams.
The rose reached Bulgaria by a long road
The oil-bearing rose sets out from Persia — that’s also where rose oil was first produced. It reached the Balkans much later; legend credits the campaigns of Alexander the Great.
What follows is better documented. In the 1930s Bulgaria produced four fifths of the world’s rose oil. Bulgarian oil won gold medals in Paris, London, Philadelphia, Antwerp and Milan. The country remained the world’s leading exporter until 1983.
“Bulgarian rose oil” is a protected name
It isn’t an advertising phrase. Since 1994, Bulgarian Rose JSC of Karlovo has held a protected designation of origin, registered with the Patent Office of the Republic of Bulgaria under No. 052-01/1994. In 2014 the name was also entered in the European register of protected geographical indications.
In practice this means oil distilled anywhere else can’t be sold under that name. The term has an owner and a border.
Our rose oil comes from Karlovo, from Bulgarian Rose JSC, and we hold an analytical certificate for it from the supplier. That’s rare in this category, and it’s why we name it specifically rather than just “rose oil”.
How it’s made
The oil is extracted by double steam distillation of the blossoms of Rosa damascena. The picking is done by hand at dawn — the flowers are gathered before the sun raises the temperature, because after that the scent starts to leave the petal.
The whole season lasts about three weeks a year. Anything not picked and put into the still within hours is lost.
What it does in a soap
Scent. Only that, and it’s enough.
Rose is a heavy, rich, slightly honeyed-green scent which, as an essential oil, has nothing in common with rose perfume. It isn’t sweet. It’s closer to a garden after rain than to a pastry shop.
In our products rose goes with geranium. Together in the soap they smell soft and light — like fresh flowers in the bathroom.
Where you’ll find it
Rose and geranium run through the whole ritual — soap, body scrub and organic oil, plus the gift set with all three together.
On the INCI list rose appears as Rosa Damascena Flower Oil and is marked as an essential oil. See all products with it →
As with any cosmetics: essential oils are concentrated and some people react to them. If your skin is reactive, test the product on your forearm before the first full use. If you prefer products without essential oils, see Olive soap, Coconut soap, Cocoa soap and Mix organic oil.