Organic Rose Essential Oil

Fragrance: Very rich and deep a sweet-floral and slightly spicy aroma

Botanical Name: Rosa damascena

Emotional Effect: Reducing stress while promoting feelings of harmony and emotional healing

Method of Extraction: Hydro Distilled from the petals

Country of Origin: Bulgaria

As Shakespeare put it "A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet". While I appreciate the purpose of this quote is to highlight the irrelevance of names, it also make it clear that the sweet smell of a rose is something most people appreciate.

Research has shown that Rose Essential Oil (specifically Rosa Damascena) is helpful to first time mothers when giving birth. It was found to both reduce the severity of their pain and their anxiety in the first stage of labor and concluded that it was a convenient and effective method. A review looking at several studies of Rose Essential Oil found it had been shown to induce physiological and psychological relaxation, relieve pain and reduce anxiety.

For me, Rose Essential Oil is like the middle C on a piano; it requires neither grounding nor enlivening to enhance its scent; it is sweet without being sickly and it drips so beautifully out of the dropper bottle at such an easy rate to count (I'll concede that is probably a slightly eccentric reason to like it). I am, however, by no means the only person to love it. Below are some of my (current!) favourite uses for Rose Essential Oil:

Timeless Facial Serum

Add the following to a 30 ml dropper bottle:

2 drops of Sandalwood
1 drop of Rose
3 drops of Frankincense

Then top the bottle up with Sandalwood Seed Oil. Use after cleansing as a serum in place of a moisturiser. Remember, though, with products you use regularly that contain essential oils, it's good to mix them up and after 2-3 weeks of using, switch to a different blend with different oils for a week or two. There are no hard and fast rules, but mixing up your use of oils based on your instincts ensures you always get the best out of them.

Reawaken Blend for Persistent Sense of Loss 

Add the following to a 30 ml dropper bottle:

4 drops of Bergamot
4 drops of Cypress
2 drops of Frankincense
2 drops of Rose

and then fill the bottle with Jojoba Oil.

Dab onto your wrists whenever you are feeling a little down and need a lift.

Ultimate Self-care Roller-ball

Add the following to a 10 ml roller-ball:

2 drops of Geranium
2 drops of Jasmine
3 drops of Neroli
5 drops of Rose

and then fill the roller-ball with Jojoba Oil.

Roll onto your wrists whenever you are feeling you need a little extra self-care. Alternatively, times the recipe by 3 and put into a 30 ml dropper bottle to use as a body oil after bathing to enhance your feelings of self-love.