Rose Oil Quality

For centuries, Bulgaria has been famous for producing the best quality rose essential oil in the world. Coming directly from our rose family farms, our rose oil is considered premium quality with sweet and deep multilayered fragrance.
There are many factors that contribute to the overall quality of this precious oil.

 Location and geographic conditions

Our rose farms are located in the heart of the Bulgarian Rose Valley, known as the world center for rose oil production. Surrounded by two majestic mountains, the Balkan Mountain and Sredna Gora, the Valley of Roses is considered to have the best soil structure, air humidity, cloudiness and precipitation for obtaining the finest rose oil in the world. The specific natural geographic conditions –mild winter climate and favorable temperatures in February and March, the high air humidity in May and June, as well as sandy forest soil contribute to produce incomparable in quality rose oil.

A man standing next to a steaming pot in a Bulgarian rose factory.

Distillation method

Another important factor that plays a major role in the quality of the rose oil is the distillation method. We meticulously select fresh rose blossoms that go through a special distillation process that fully preserves the biodynamic synergy of the rose plant.
It is more expensive and difficult to perform as compared to the most commonly used distillation method, however it ensures higher quality, therapeutic grade rose oil.

Rose Distillation Process
A person in a lab coat pouring rosa damascena liquid into a container.A person in a lab coat pouring rosa damascena liquid into a container.

Rose Oil Composition

Alteya’s Bulgarian Rosa Damascena Oil (Rose Otto) has one of the most valuable and distinct fragrances – the primary base notes are deep, sweet and floral with spicy middle notes.

At 25 ℃ the rose oil is a viscous liquid. Upon cooling, it becomes a crystallized mass, which can be liquified by warming. Rose oil is a complex blend of more than 300 different components. The major component in a rose blossom is phenyl-ethyl alcohol. However, phenyl-ethyl alcohol is highly soluble in water and is usually lost in the distillation process, unless collected as rose water.

Major components in Rose Oil are: geraniol, citronellol, and nerol. Many other components are present in very small amounts, but have a substantial effect on the overall rose oil quality. An example is a compound called beta-damascenone, which is one of the most potent odor constituents and is considered as a marker for the quality of the rose oil. Other compounds that contribute to the distinct scent are beta-damascone, beta-ionone and rose oxide. All these compounds consist of less than 1% and still they make up to 90% of the fragrance of the rose oil.