Rosa Damascena Cultivating
Rosa Damascena is a unique sort of oil-bearing rose that has found her perfect home just south of the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria. The area is thus called The Rose Valley. Rose picking takes place there every year at the end of May and beginning of June.
The Rosa Damascena sort is not one to grow on its own in the wild. It is being cultivated. The tricky part is that it doesn’t thrive just anywhere. The Bulgarian climate is perfect for cultivating the oil-bearing rose and our country is competing against just a handful of other countries in growing this sort of rose.
Rosa Damascena Flower Picking
Rose Oil Extraction
It takes roughly 9996 roses to fill a single 5ml bottle of Rosa Damascena flower oil. Can you imagine holding in your hands the fragrance of nearly 10 000 roses!
Rose oil or as also known as rose otto is produced through a steam-distillation process. Remember how the roses needed to be dewy, fresh and unharmed? That is because the parts of the rose being distilled are the rose petals. During distillation, the steam pushes its way through the petals until the wax and the oils are separated from the water during cooling and condensation. What is left is the stunning rose water on one side, and the precious oil and its waxes on the other.
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil Use And Benefits
- Rose oil is rich in nutrients, microelements and minerals such as Ca, Fe, K, Mn, Na, P, and Zn, fatty acids, ascorbic acid, linoleic acid, α-tocopherol, β-carotene.
- Rosa Damascena flower oil has hydrating and soothing properties. The vitamins, minerals and beneficial acids help improve the overall condition of the skin, even the complexion out and calm skin suffering from acne.
- Rose oil has anti-aging and antioxidant properties.
Remember how one 5 ml bottle contains the fragrance of nearly 10 000 roses? Rosa Damascena flower oil is one of the most preferred essential oils used in perfumery and aromatherapy. Just a single drop fills the room with a sweet floral scent. It is also known that rose oil helps alleviate the symptoms of depression and insomnia. According to research carried by Hongratanaworakit in 2009 rose oil caused “significant decreases of breathing rate and systolic blood pressure that indicate a decrease of autonomic arousal.”
The Rosa Damascena flower petals are edible and safe. They may be used to flavor food, as a garnish, as an herbal tea or to produce different kinds of sweets including rose jams, rose drink for cooking and flavouring, chocolates with rose petals and rose tea. The dried loose rose buds can also be brewed and used for decoration of dishes, baked goods or rooms.
