Rosa Damascena Flower Oil

Rose

The Bulgarian oil-bearing rose, Rosa damascena, from Karlovo — the heart of the Rose Valley. Few raw materials bring the world’s perfumers to Bulgaria. Rose oil is one of them, and has been for more than a century.

The pickers go out before sunrise. The blossoms are picked by hand while still closed and cool — once the sun opens them, some of the oil escapes into the air and never comes back. That’s why the season lasts just a few weeks in late May and early June, and why picked blossoms must reach the still within hours.

About three tonnes of blossoms give one kilo of oil. That’s why Bulgarian rose oil is measured in grams and is among the most expensive ingredients in cosmetics — and why most “rose-scented” products contain something that was never a rose.

The oil comes with an analytical certificate from the producer. Gas chromatography shows its profile — citronellol, geraniol, nerol — and confirms that the sample is pure, 100% natural Bulgarian rose oil. In our ingredient lists it is marked 3 — essential oil, and it appears in the list under its own name.