Rose absolute is extracted from Rosa damascene and Rosa centifolia through solvent extraction. It is mainly used in cosmetics and perfumes. The damask rose is the most commonly used for extraction, and Bulgaria is the largest producer. The extraction process requires a large volume of raw material and is laborious. Rose absolute possesses several chemical components associated with beneficial health effects, but it is not recommended for internal use.
Rose absolute is the essential oil extracted from the petals of Rosa damascene and sometimes Rosa centifolia, also known as the damask rose and the rose de Provence, respectively. It differs from oils derived from any of the more than 200 species of roses in that it is obtained by solvent extraction rather than steam distillation. These other oils, commonly known as rose otto or attar of rose, are used for therapeutic purposes. Absolutes, on the other hand, are mainly used in the manufacture of cosmetics and perfumes.
Most of the rose absolute is obtained from the damask rose, which is widely cultivated in Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, India, Russia and, recently, China. Of these countries, Bulgaria is the largest producer and exporter. While the absolute is sometimes obtained from the provincial rose, which is grown mainly in Egypt, Morocco, and France, the oil extracted from the damask rose is considered the prize. Both oils reach an attractive market price. This is because the extraction process requires up to several thousand pounds of rose petals to obtain a single ounce of oil.
In addition to the large volume of raw material required for production, there are other factors that drive the price of this oil. For one thing, the harvesting of the rose petals itself is laborious, requiring a large number of laborers to get the job done. Rose petals are not only picked by hand, but are also harvested before the sun has a chance to dry the morning dew. Finally, once collected, the petals must be processed in a few hours.
The extraction process involves the use of a solvent to isolate the soluble agents in the material, which includes aromatic compounds as well as pigments and wax. These agents are then subjected to a vacuum process to separate them from the initial solvent. This produces a wax-like material called “concrete,” which is then mixed with alcohol. Using low pressure evaporation, the alcohol is removed from the mixture to produce rose absolute.
Although rose absolute is not recommended for therapeutic purposes in terms of internal use, it does possess several chemical components associated with beneficial health effects. For example, several studies have shown that the antimicrobial agents farnesol and geraniol can inhibit tumor growth in various forms of cancer, including breast, lung, and pancreatic cancer. However, these medicinal properties are generally delivered by mist rather than formulated into consumable herbal remedies. Other qualities attributed to the oil include antiviral, antibacterial, astringent, sedative, and antidepressant properties.
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