Rose Attar
A Timeless Healer

Rose attar must be, I think, probably the most important oil in an aromatherapy toolbox. It has so many uses but the most important are for Skin care, for gynecological problems, and for emotional healing.

It is unsurpassed in these areas and is one of the few oils that I can think of that is absolutely balanced in the way that it treats all three levels of the being, Emotionally, Physical and Spiritally.

Rose Otto, Rose attar, Attar of roses (see our rose perfume by the same name) Rose Damask all carry the same healing properties and retain the dame delicious rich spicy floral aroma.

Rose essential oil or the very fact that I am writing "essential oil" is a sign of how much aromatherapy has changed since I qualified. The rose that I always used was an absolute Rosa Damascena or rose Damask.

I love it.

Contemporary theory though is that absolutes have no place in aromatherapy as they have undergone solvent extraction and as such are adulterated.

I don't subscribe to that school of thought, and I have to say it does get me some rows in rsome of the forum rooms because I meet with many therapists who refute that the healing properties remain within the oil.

They do.

I have seen the healing.

However it has meant that I have discovered rose essential oil, extracted by distillation...and it is sublime.

Rose Attar is a wonderfully expensive ingredient to produce. Taking about 4,000 kilograms (about 8,800 pounds) of flowers to produce a litre of rose otto essential oil or around 30 roses to give us just one drop of the famous Rose Attar.

Rose otto essential oil is extracted from the freshest blooms which must be plucked before the clock chimes 8 am. The aroma of rose essential oil can be extremely sensitive to the heat and so temperature is controlled in an almost paranoid fashion.

Chemical composition

Rose essential oil has an extremely complex structure and contains more than 300 known compounds,Citronellol, C14 - C16 Paraffins Geraniol. Nerol/ Phenethyl alcohol. Eugenol methyl ether. Eugenol Farnesol Linalool-Rose oxide (-)-Carvone Rose furan beta-Damascenone beta-Ionone

As should be noted, the minor constituents beta-damascenone and beta-ionone provide a significant majority of the odor contribution.

Rose Attar blends with:

Most of the mainfloral essential oils, often blended with jasmine,it also blends with anise, geranium, ginger, bergamot, black pepper chamomile, fennel neroli, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver and ylang ylang.

It has a deep, rosy, fresh aroma, the color ranges from clear to a pale yellow or greenish tint.

Properties of rose oil:-

Analgesic , Antibacterial, antidepressant,antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antiviral, aphrodisiac,antidepressant, antiphlogistic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiviral, astringent, bactericidal, choleretic, cicatrisant, depurative, emmenagogue, haemostatic, hepatic, laxative, nervous system sedative, stomachic and a tonic for the heart, liver, stomach and uterus. cosmetic, deodorant, disinfectant, diuretic, Germicidal, hepatic, sedative tonic, vulnerary (heals fresh cuts or wounds)

Magical properties: For obvious reasons roses are used in love and harmony spells. Roses planted in your garden are said to attract fairies. Rose petals sprinkled around the house will calm stress and reduce household upheavals.(Well trhatis untill you ask your man to fix the clogged up vacuum cleaner for the third time...that could be the end of the harmony I suspect)

Medical astrology also places the skin under rulership of Venus which governs love, femininity, creativity and harmony.

Most occultists claim that the rose stands for the manifest world with the self at the center. When it relates to the "Redemption of Man," the red rose represents "redemption by force" and the white rose reveals "redemption through enlightenment."

If you read about alchemy, you will see that the red rose is seen as as a masculine, active principle (Sulfur, expansion).

In contrast thewhite rose represents the feminine, its opposite receptive principle (Salt, contraction). The combination of white and red roses symbolizes unity (the alchemical Mercury).

If you love rose perfume, here are Rose Attar and Rose Damask