Introduction
Rose is one of the most universally recognized flowers on the planet. It has a rich history, often revered for its symbolism of love, romance and passion and its sweet floral scent often used in perfumery.
The use of roses dates back to antiquity. Cleopatra, the Queen of the Nile, was known to have loved roses, with tales of her taking baths in rosewater every day to maintain youthful skin, covering her floors in rose petals and using rose blossoms as perfumery.
Not all roses are the same though. In this article we will be referring to the Bulgarian rose, also known as the damask rose. This is a specific variety of roses known for their beautiful and fragrant big pink blooming petals. The damask rose is the flower used to create the rare and expensive Bulgarian rose essential oil.
The fragrant and healing Bulgarian rose essential oil is featured in our antioxidant oil serum, Replenish & Glow.
The beautiful damask rose
Bulgarian Rose Essential Oil Origins
Pure Bulgarian rose oil is one of the most expensive and rare essential oils in the world. It derives from the Valley of Roses in Bulgaria. The Valley of Roses is significant due to its 500-year long history of cultivating roses. The Valley provides ideal conditions, including specific sandy cinnamon forest soils which provides excellent water drainage, mild temperatures, high humidity, and altitudes 350-400 meters above sea level which all enhance the growth, fragrance and quality of the oil.
The Valley of Roses spans between the Balkan and Sredna Gora mountain ranges in Bulgaria, which produces a considerable portion of the world’s supply of rose oil.
The Balkan and Sredna Gora mountain ranges in Bulgaria
The roses in the Valley are freshly picked from the end of May to mid-June, with collection beginning at sunrise due to the oil yield being at its highest during that time. The roses are then created into the essential oil by hydro distilling them at low temperatures in order to protect the delicate compounds and nutrients of the damask rose flower.
Bulgarian rose oil is often considered “liquid gold” due to the intense hand labour involved in producing it. It is a low yield producing oil, with an estimated 3,000 to 3,500 kilograms of rose petals needed to make 1 kg of oil.
Because of the low yield, rarity and expense of Bulgarian rose oil, there is a significant amount of fake, adulterated and heavily diluted versions on the market. We searched tirelessly for a rose oil that was pure and authentically sourced from the Valley of Roses in Bulgaria. It is the greatest honour to be able to present our products to you with this deeply treasured oil.
Bulgarian Rose Oil Skin Benefits
Rose oil is credited as being wonderful for dry, sensitive and mature skin.
Rose oil is a chemically complex essential oil that boasts over 300 active organic compounds which contribute to its beautifully fragrant scent and therapeutic benefits. These compounds include citronellol, geraniol, nerol and phenylethyl alcohol. These compounds contribute to the damask roses beautiful scent as well it’s antibacterial, astringent, and anti-inflammatory properties.
These compounds make rose oil highly anti-bacterial. In a 2010 a study, researchers found that rose essential oil exhibited one of the strongest anti-bacterial activities toward P. acnes. These compounds are also what contribute to rose essential oil’s ability to promote collagen and elastin production, hydrate the skin and reduce redness.
Bulgarian rose is also high in fat soluble antioxidants; vitamins A and E. Vitamin A is imperative for skin regeneration as well as collagen and elastin production. Meanwhile, vitamin E is deeply moisturizing, protects the skin from UV damage and scavenges free radicals that cause extrinsic skin aging.
Bulgarian Rose Oil Energetic & Spiritual Benefits
The scents from essential oils take a direct route to the limbic system, where they are processed by the amygdala and hippocampus, which then elicits an emotional response and stored memory associated with the experience.
Bulgarian rose essential oil has emotional, physiological and energetic benefits.
Emotional & Physiological Benefits
Bulgarian rose oil is a highly aromatic essential oil. A 2017 review of on the therapeutic efficacy of rose oil found that when inhaled, rose oil can reduce pain, enhance psychological relaxation and have anti-anxiety effects.
In the alternative medicine world, rose oil is known to soothe emotional trauma and encourage self-acceptance. It is often the go to essential oil for promoting unconditional love and compassion for self and others.
In addition, it is often used as an aphrodisiac due to its ability to promote feelings of love and enhance sexual desire. In fact, a 2015 study demonstrated that rose oil can improve selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors induced sexual dysfunction in male patients who suffer from major depressive disorders.
Energetic Benefits
Bulgarian rose oil corresponds to the heart energy center on the body, also known as the heart chakra. Inhaling Bulgarian rose oil or placing it diluted on your chest is believed to open the heart chakra and the gateways to higher consciousness, fostering unconditional love, compassion and the release of negative emotions.
Rose oil has been used in prayer, meditation and chakra healing by Yogis and Ayurvedic practitioners as a way to amplify positive emotions and create lasting memories for the mind to remember.
Conclusion
Bulgarian rose oil remains one of our favourite essential oils due to its rich history, vast benefits and uses. Being able to offer our best-seller, Replenish & Glow with this deeply healing and life-enhancing essential oil is something we are very grateful for.
We are excited to offer future products with the divine Bulgarian rose flower.
Antioxidant Oil Serum
Featuring Bulgarian Rose Essential Oil
$56.00 10 mL | $160.00 30 mL
