Rose Essential Oil

There are several kinds of rose oil (but not all are rose essential oil)...

• The crap (pardon my language) you find in drug stores, specialty shops in the mall, carnivals and street fairs, etc...

To quote a relative of mine:

"I can't stand the smell of rose oil! it makes me sick!"

She was probably smelling the synthetic stuff, which is really heavy and grossly sweet.

Because rose essential oil is so expensive, there are many synthetics out there. Stay away from those! They have been chemically constructed in a laboratory to smell like rose and have none of the healing qualities of real rose essential oil and, quite frankly, they smell awful.

FYI, if you find a rose oil that is under $20 it's probably a synthetic, but it could also be a dilution of the real stuff or just a really, really small amount of the pure oil. Do your research before you buy.

• Rose (absolute)

Very high quality oil from Morocco. It is the best choice when using rose essential oil as a perfume. It opens the heart chakra (perfect for socializing and dates) and creates a very peaceful vibe to the wearer (as opposed to the synthetics which has a vibe like fingernails scratching on chalk boards!)

• Rose (Bulgarian or Turkish)

This is also referred to as damask rose or rose otto.

This is the most superb quality of rose essential oil in the world (Bulgarian) and should be used as a first choice, rather than the absolute, for its healing qualities (though the absolute works quite well, too.)

Use this oil for female reproductive issues, such as cramps, PMS, labor pains, etc., but pregnant women should not use this essential oil.

I have found rose works great on depression, is soothing to emotional trauma (like a relative passing away), and for everyday stress and tension.

Both rose absolute and Bulgarian/Turkish are excellent for the skin and they are used in many high quality skin products.

Rose essential oil is soothing and can balance the emotions and the spirit. The scent is sometimes considered to be more feminine because it is floral, but men can definitely benefit from this oil as well.

After my dad died, a healer applied rose and neroli to the palm of my hand and asked me to take a deep breath. With that breath I felt tons of tension and trauma drain out of my body and mind instantly. I had been carrying that tension for a few weeks and it was the first time I felt a warm peaceful calm within my core.

Today I buy real rosewater from the local healthfood store and add a drop or two of neroli essential oil to the rosewater. I shake it and spray it on before I go out.

When I wear the rosewater spray or essential oil, I find that I flow much better in life. The minor upsets in life do not phase me, and the major ones... well, nothing feels like a major one when I'm wearing rose essential oil.