Rose (Rosa damascena)
Rose is one of the most concentrated floral oils available — a rich, romantic aroma with a long history in skincare and perfumery.
How to use it
Dilute to 1–2% in a carrier oil; long used in blends for a radiant, even-toned look.
Just 1–2 drops delivers a full, rich aroma — more is rarely better.
Safety in detail
- Max dermal use
- Dilute in a carrier oil for skin
- Phototoxic
- No
- A gentle, well-tolerated oil; its citronellol and geraniol are recognised fragrance allergens, so patch-test if you have sensitive skin.
- Not phototoxic. Keep out of reach of children.
Sources: Loghmani-Khouzani et al. (2007), Journal of Essential Oil Research
Composition & chemistry
Aggregated from 40 GC-MS samples across 11 peer-reviewed open-access studies (2021–2026). Figures are the distribution across those samples — median with interquartile range — not a single reading.
- Oxygenated monoterpene 60%
- Aliphatic / other 26.3%
- Unclassified 3.4%
- Sesquiterpene hydrocarbon 3.3%
- Other terpenoid/aromatic 2.7%
- Phenylpropanoid / aromatic 2%
- Diterpene 1.3%
- Oxygenated sesquiterpene 0.8%
- Monoterpene hydrocarbon 0.1%
- Aliphatic / small aromatic 0.1%
| Constituent | Median | Typical range | Max | Detected in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| citronellol ↗ C10H20O | 21.5% | 12.6–37.1% | 39.0% | |
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| geraniol ↗ C10H18O | 14.8% | 8.5–22.9% | 29.2% | |
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| heneicosane ↗ C21H44 | 6.4% | 5.2–8.4% | 19.3% | |
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| nerol ↗ C10H18O | 5.5% | 3.0–6.2% | 23.4% | |
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| geranyl acetate ↗ C12H20O2 | 2.5% | 1.4–3.3% | 5.6% | |
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| methyl eugenol ↗ C11H14O2 | 2.1% | 0.9–2.9% | 5.0% | |
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| tricosane ↗ C23H48 | 1.6% | 1.3–2.1% | 2.6% | |
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| neryl acetate ↗ C12H20O2 | 1.6% | 0.8–2.1% | 2.6% | |
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| linalool ↗ C10H18O | 1.3% | 0.9–2.0% | 7.1% | |
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| germacrene d ↗ C15H24 | 1.3% | 1.0–1.5% | 1.6% | |
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| eicosane ↗ C20H42 | 1.2% | 1.0–1.7% | 2.3% | |
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| eugenol ↗ C10H12O2 | 1.0% | 0.8–1.7% | 3.5% | |
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+ 46 more compounds reported across the dataset.
11 peer-reviewed sources behind these figures
- Kumar A, Gautam RD, Singh S, Chauhan R, Kumar M, Kumar D, Kumar A, Singh S. (2023). Phenotyping floral traits and essential oil profiling revealed considerable variations in clonal selections of damask rose (Rosa damascena Mill.). Scientific reports.
- Shivani, Mahajan M, Thakur BK, Pal PK. (2022). Ground-Level Pruning at Right Time Improves Flower Yield of Old Plantation of Rosa damascena Without Compromising the Quality of Essential Oil. Frontiers in plant science.
- Dobreva A, Nedeltcheva-Antonova D. (2023). Comparative Chemical Profiling and Citronellol Enantiomers Distribution of Industrial-Type Rose Oils Produced in China. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland).
- Raeber J, Favrod S, Steuer C. (2023). Determination of Major, Minor and Chiral Components as Quality and Authenticity Markers of Rosa damascena Oil by GC-FID. Plants (Basel, Switzerland).
- Kiani HS, Noudehi MS, Shokrpour M, Zargar M, Naghavi MR. (2024). Investigation of genes involved in scent and color production in Rosa damascena Mill. Scientific reports.
- Askianaki R, Tsiropoulos NG, Giannoulis KD, Ntalli N. (2026). Paralysis Activity of "Basic Substances" and Rose Extracts on <i>Meloidogyne incognita</i> Second-Stage Juveniles. Plants (Basel, Switzerland).
- Özsoy E, Barak TH, Yörük E, Servi H, Yli-Mattila T. (2025). Chemical Composition, Antifungal Activity, and Plant-Protective Potential of <i>Rosa damascena</i> Mill. Essential Oil Against <i>Fusarium graminearum</i>. Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland).
- Vilhelmova-Ilieva N, Nenova R, Kalinov K, Dobreva A, Peshev D, Iliev I. (2025). Anti-Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Activity of <i>Rosa damascena</i> Mill Essential Oil and Floral Water in Retinal Infection In Vitro and In Silico. International journal of molecular sciences.
- Hadipour E, Rezazadeh Kafash M, Emami SA, Asili J, Boghrati Z, Tayarani-Najaran Z. (2023). Evaluation of anti-oxidant and antimelanogenic effects of the essential oil and extracts of Rosa × damascena in B16F10 murine melanoma cell line. Iranian journal of basic medical sciences.
- Abdallah HM, Koshak AE, Farag MA, El Sayed NS, Badr-Eldin SM, Ahmed OAA, Algandaby MM, Abdel-Naim AB, Ibrahim SRM, Mohamed GA, Proksch P, Abbas H. (2023). Taif Rose Oil Ameliorates UVB-Induced Oxidative Damage and Skin Photoaging in Rats via Modulation of MAPK and MMP Signaling Pathways. ACS omega.
- Ghavam M, Afzali A, Manca ML. (2021). Chemotype of damask rose with oleic acid (9 octadecenoic acid) and its antimicrobial effectiveness. Scientific reports.
Every figure above traces to a named table in one of these open-access papers. How this was built →
- Citronellol — the dominant rose-scented alcohol; studied among rose constituents for vasorelaxant activity in vitro Fitoterapia study (2022)
Roughly 4,000–5,000 kg of petals yield a single kilogram of rose oil.
What the research says
An honest read of the published research — what has actually been studied, at what stage. Not medical advice or a promise of results.
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Rose oil's major constituents geraniol and citronellol have been studied for effects such as vasorelaxation in laboratory models. These are early mechanistic findings, not clinical proof of a health benefit.
Fitoterapia study (2022)
Evidence & sources
Peer-reviewed research on Rose's chemistry and safety. These describe composition and documented effects — not health or treatment claims.
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Steam-distilled rose otto is built on citronellol and geraniol, with a characteristic band of paraffins (like nonadecane) that can make the oil semi-solid at cool temperatures.
Loghmani-Khouzani et al. (2007), Journal of Essential Oil Research
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between rose otto and rose absolute?
Rose otto is steam-distilled and citronellol/geraniol-rich; rose absolute is solvent-extracted and higher in phenylethyl alcohol, giving a fuller, more 'true-to-flower' scent. Otto is preferred where a solvent-free oil is wanted. Loghmani-Khouzani et al. (2007), Journal of Essential Oil Research
Why does rose oil sometimes turn semi-solid?
Rose otto contains natural paraffin waxes (stearoptenes) like nonadecane that solidify when cool. Warming the bottle in your hands returns it to liquid — it's a sign of a genuine distilled rose oil, not a fault. Loghmani-Khouzani et al. (2007), Journal of Essential Oil Research
Is rose oil phototoxic?
No — rose isn't phototoxic. It's gentle when diluted, though its geraniol and citronellol are recognised allergens worth patch-testing.
Gallery
The Flower
Damask rose (Rosa damascena) has been cultivated for its fragrance since antiquity, with Bulgaria’s Rose Valley (Kazanlak) and parts of Turkey and Iran among the most famous growing regions today. Harvest happens in a narrow window each spring, typically at dawn before heat causes the fragrant compounds to evaporate from the petals — a detail that shapes both the timing and the cost of rose oil production.
Extraction & Yield
Rose oil is steam-distilled (sometimes solvent-extracted as an absolute, a different product) from fresh petals, and the yield is famously tiny — estimates commonly cited in the trade run to roughly 4,000–5,000 kilograms of petals for a single kilogram of oil. That scale of harvest is why rose is sold in small bottles and priced well above nearly every other essential oil.
Aroma & Traditional Uses
Rose’s aroma is rich, deep, and unmistakably floral without being cloying — the reference point for “rose” as a fragrance note in perfumery for centuries. It has a long history in Middle Eastern and South Asian skincare and culinary traditions (rosewater, a byproduct of distillation, remains a staple in both), and in Western aromatherapy it’s often reached for on occasions meant to feel special rather than as a daily-use oil, given its cost.
What Pairs Well
Rose blends beautifully with sandalwood and other woody bases, with geranium (a much more affordable oil with a similar rosy character), and with citrus oils like bergamot for a brighter, more contemporary perfume-style blend.
On Skin
Dilute to 1–2% in a carrier oil. Rose has a long history in skincare formulations aimed at supporting a radiant, even-toned complexion, and just 1–2 drops in a diffuser delivers a full, rich aroma — more is rarely better here.
Sourcing Note
Because the price gap between authentic rose otto and diluted or adulterated “rose oil” products is so large, this is an oil where sourcing transparency matters more than almost anywhere else in the category.
Found in these blends
Rose is one of the oils inside 7 Young Living blends.