Perfumery rose comes mainly from two species, the Damask rose (Rosa × damascena) and the centifolia rose (Rosa × centifolia), also called the May rose. Two materials are made from them: the essential oil, obtained by distillation and known as rose otto, and the absolute, extracted with a solvent. Their scent rests on a handful of well known molecules, phenylethyl alcohol, citronellol, geraniol and the damascones, all of which can also be made synthetically.
Two roses picked at dawn
Most modern garden roses were bred for the shape and colour of the flower, and many have little scent. Perfumery works with a small number of old roses, grown for their petals.
The Damask rose is an ancient hybrid with highly fragrant pink flowers, grown for centuries in the Middle East. Its name refers to the city of Damascus. Persian distillers were already making rose water from it in the Middle Ages. The centifolia rose, or hundred petal rose, bears very full flowers, packed as tightly as cabbages. In Grasse it is called the May rose, because it flowers for only a few weeks at the end of spring.
Roses are picked by hand early in the morning, when the petals are at their most fragrant, and processed the same day. The yield is tiny: it takes several tonnes of petals to produce one kilo of essential oil, which makes it one of the most expensive natural materials on the perfumer's palette.
Bulgaria, Turkey, Taif, Grasse: where rose comes from
Bulgaria and Turkey produce most of the world's Damask rose oil. In Bulgaria, the fields are concentrated in the Kazanlak valley, known as the Valley of Roses. In Turkey, the Isparta region plays the same role. Bulgarian rose has a reputation for a fresh, rich oil with a slightly spicy edge. Turkish rose is often described as fruitier and rounder.
Taif rose grows on the high plateaus around the city, in western Saudi Arabia. It is a Damask rose grown at altitude and distilled on site. Production is small and highly prized across the Arabian Peninsula, where rose oil goes into attars. Its scent is considered brighter and spicier.
Morocco also grows the Damask rose, in the Dades valley, and Iran has produced it for a very long time around Kashan. In Grasse, the May rose remains a crop grown on small plots, processed mostly into absolute.
Rose otto or rose absolute
Rose oil, or rose otto, is obtained by steam distillation. The word otto is a corruption of "attar", the Persian and Arabic word for a fragrant essence. During distillation, some of the odorous molecules stay dissolved in the water, which becomes rose water. The oil also contains natural waxes, which make it set when the temperature drops.
The absolute is made in two stages. A solvent first draws a waxy paste, the concrete, out of the petals. The concrete is then washed with alcohol, which separates out the waxes and leaves the absolute. Rose absolute is darker and closer to the smell of a cut flower. It smells of honey and wine, with a spicy base. The oil is brighter, fresher and more lemony.
The difference comes largely down to one molecule. Phenylethyl alcohol dissolves readily in water and ends up mostly in the rose water. The oil therefore contains little of it, while the absolute, extracted without water, keeps a great deal. Hence its honeyed character.
The molecules of rose
Rose oil contains several hundred compounds, but a few of them carry most of its scent. Citronellol smells of fresh rose, with a lemony side. Geraniol smells of a greener rose, close to geranium leaf. Both are also found in rose geranium, which perfumers use to extend a rose note. Phenylethyl alcohol brings the soft, honeyed facet.
The damascones and damascenone are present in tiny amounts. Their scent is so powerful, though, that they play a large part in the character of rose. They smell of baked apple, plum and jam. Rose oxide adds a green, metallic note that is also found in geranium and lychee.
All of these molecules are produced synthetically, at a cost that bears no relation to that of the flower. A rose in a perfume can therefore be natural, reconstructed, or a mix of both. Citronellol and geraniol are among the allergens that must be declared on the label, whether they come from the flower or from synthesis.
What rose smells like
Fresh rose smells of lemon, green leaves and dew. Honeyed rose recalls wine and jam. Darker rose takes on spicy accents. It usually sits in the heart, but it lasts a long time.
With oud it forms a traditional accord of Middle Eastern perfumery, in which the flower softens the animalic, smoky side of the wood. With patchouli it gives chypre roses, dark and earthy, often completed with oakmoss or labdanum. Saffron gives it a leathery side. With violet and iris it turns powdery, which perfumers call a lipstick effect. Raspberry and plum bring out its jammy facet. It also appears alongside tea, honey, incense and ambergris.
Rose perfumes from our catalog
All the perfumes below list rose in the pyramid published on their product page. Some specify the origin of the flower or the form it takes. Others pair it with oud, patchouli, tea or fruit.
Three roses in one bottle
Rosanostra, by Spiritica, brings together three rose absolutes in the heart: black Taif rose, Damask rose and centifolia rose, with a burnt paper accord. Bitter orange and a blood accord open it, while frankincense and a damp earth note close it. Here the rose turns dark and smoky with incense. Only a few bottles remain. Our article on Spiritica introduces the house.
May rose and Grasse rose
Mu Ye Cang Xia, by Cinojad, puts May rose in the top notes, with passion fruit and pink peppercorns. The heart combines papyrus, desert grape wine and dark cocoa, over a base of blackberry, tuberose and amyris wood. Our introduction to Cinojad looks at the house.
Triple Matcha, by Zhufu, uses Grasse rose absolute in the heart, with two matchas, milk, orange blossom, vanilla seeds and incense. Here the rose accompanies a milky tea accord. See also our article on Zhufu.
Rose otto in a natural perfume
Oborotsuki, by Tada Parfumeur, is a 100% natural perfume. Rose otto sits beside jatamansi and vetiver, after an opening of Thai oud, camphor and incense. The base brings together Australian sandalwood, patchouli and orris concrete. The freshness of the oil becomes part of a green, earthy whole. The house has discontinued this fragrance, and the bottles in stock are the last ones. Our introduction to Tada Parfumeur looks at the perfumer.
Rose and oud
Mansa, by Pernoire, sets oud and rose side by side in the heart, with amber, blackcurrant and saffron. The top combines blackberry, pink pepper and orris root, the base patchouli, heliotrope, moss and musk. The perfume was a finalist at the Art and Olfaction Awards in 2023. Our introduction to Pernoire covers the Swiss house in detail.
Raw Cherry, by Aaron Terence Hughes, places Damask rose in the base, with oud, vanilla, nutmeg and amaretto. Cherry liqueur, sour cherry, dark chocolate and tonka bean fill the heart. Our introduction to Aaron Terence Hughes explains the house's concentration.
Rose and patchouli
Yihe in Rosa N°P41, by ChuJian, draws on the roses of the Summer Palace in Beijing. Orange blossom and geranium in the top, then rose, cistus labdanum, jasmine and ylang-ylang, over a base of vetiver and patchouli. The geranium in the opening heralds the rose in the heart. Our article on ChuJian introduces the house.
Granada, by Widian, takes its inspiration from the Andalusian city. Peppers and raspberry in the top, rose, juniper, cinnamon and cedar in the heart, then vetiver, patchouli, labdanum, musk and amber. Our introduction to Widian looks at the house.
Powdery rose
Rose & Thorns, by Tada Parfumeur, pairs rose with orris and a lipstick accord, after a top of violet and sugar. The base brings together leather, amber and musk.
Rose, tea and honey
Melos, by Pernoire, opens on a rose tea, with grape, grapefruit and blackcurrant. The heart combines rose, Nile honey, saffron, hazelnut and baked apple, the base milk, musk, amber and patchouli. The perfume draws on the ritual attributed to Cleopatra, the bath of petals and the rose tea sweetened with honey.
Fruity rose
Red Fever, by Aaron Terence Hughes, uses rose absolute on two levels, 2% in the heart and 2% in the base according to the product page. The heart pairs it with lily, raspberry, plum and peach. The base brings together almond, vanilla, amber, oakmoss and ambergris.
Rose and ambergris
Ambergris Rose N°P29, by ChuJian, builds the rose on two levels. Rose and pink pepper in the top, rose and cedar in the heart, then ambroxan, white musk, cashmere wood and amber. Ambroxan, a molecule associated with the smell of ambergris, gives the rose a warm, mineral base.
Rose and resins
Archangels, by Cæleste, places rose among white flowers: lily, tuberose, davana and ylang-ylang in the heart, after a top of neroli, blood mandarin and pink pepper. The base brings together frankincense, myrrh, amber, benzoin, cedar and elemi. Our article on Cæleste introduces the house.
You will find more rose compositions in our selections of floral perfumes and oriental perfumes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between rose otto and rose absolute?
Rose otto is the steam distilled oil. It is clear, fresh and slightly lemony. The absolute is extracted with a solvent. It is darker, more honeyed and closer to the flower, because it keeps the phenylethyl alcohol that distillation leaves behind in the rose water.
Are Damask rose and centifolia rose the same flower?
No. The Damask rose is grown in Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Morocco and Taif, and is used for both oil and absolute. The centifolia rose, or May rose, is grown in Grasse and yields mostly absolute.
Why does rose oil solidify in the cold?
It contains natural waxes that crystallise when the temperature drops. This is normal, and the material is not damaged. It turns liquid again at room temperature.
Can geranium replace rose?
It recalls it. Rose geranium contains citronellol and geraniol, two key molecules of rose, and is used to extend a rose note or give it a green side. What it lacks is the honeyed facet of the flower.
Is rose a feminine scent?
No. It appears in perfumes for every gender, and rose oil has long been worn in the Middle East by men and women alike. Paired with oud, patchouli or leather, rose becomes dry or dark. The effect depends on the composition more than on the flower.
Further reading
Rose is one of the materials covered in our Perfume materials guide, along with oud, sandalwood and vanilla. To compare a rose otto, a rose and oud and a fruity rose on your own skin, the perfumes mentioned are available as 2 ml samples, depending on the house, on our samples page.