Rose Essential Oil

Last Updated: September 28 2022

Rose oil is an oil derived from roses (plant genus Rosa) used in aromatherapy and romance. The essential oil appears to be rich in Citronellol, and preliminary evidence suggests sedative, stress relieving, and anti-depressive effects from the aroma.

dosageDosage
examine-databaseExamine Database
research-feedResearch feed

Rose Essential Oil is most often used for

Summary

Rose Essential Oil is the aromatic oil component of plants in the Rosa family (commonly referred to as 'Roses') and is usually from the Damask Rose (Rosa damascena), which is seen as having the most highly prized rose aroma. Rose is one of the more popular oils used in Aromatherapy for the purpose of relaxation.

Like most other compounds used in Aromatherapy, scientific support is somewhat lacking. There appears to be a variety of rodent models using the aroma of Rose indicating that it possesses sedative (not too potent) and anxiolytic (surprisingly potent for an aroma) properties, and limited human studies also suggest that this overall 'relaxing' effect applies to both the aroma as well as topical administration of the rose oil. There are some anti-stress effects (at least one human study to support this) and although there are two studies noting that Rose aroma had pain reducing propertes one was confounded with other aromatics (Lavender and Clary Sage) while the other used rose essential oil as adjuvant alongside anti-inflammatory medication Diclofenac. Although there is indeed evidence for pain reducing properties, it does not appear to be the best evidence.

Due to both topical administration and the aroma being effective, Rose is apparently a common oil to use in massage oils for the purpose of relaxation. The bioactives in rose appeared to be most Rose oxide and Citronellol, which contribute highly to the aroma of rose.

Overall, there is sufficient (preliminary) evidence to suspect rose has biologically relevant relaxing properties when used as an aromatic, although larger trials to validate its aromatherapeutic potential would be needed to support its usage as monotherapy.

What else is Rose Essential Oil known as?
Note that Rose Essential Oil is also known as:
  • Rose
  • Rosa damascena
  • Rosa alba
  • Rosa gallica
  • Rosa centifolia
  • Rose Oil
Rose Essential Oil should not be confused with:
Dosage information

(There is overall a lack of highly quantifiable information regarding the dosing of Rose essential oil)

For the purposes of Aromatherapy, rose essential oil should be applied (or rose aromatics lit) to a degree where the aroma is detectable but not adverse. The room should be poorly to moderately ventilated.

Topical adminsitration of rose essential oil for large body surfaces (massage) should be diluted (up to 1%) in a cream or lather prior to administration, while pure essential oil may suffice for small body surface areas for the purposes of aromatherapy (if a wafting aroma from the body is desired over having the rose placed somewhere in the room).

Supplements Demystified: Get Our Unbiased, Evidence-Based Guide

Examine Database: Rose Essential Oil
What works and what doesn't?

Unlock the full potential of Examine

Get started

Don't miss out on the latest research

References
4.^Nonato FR, Santana DG, de Melo FM, dos Santos GG, Brustolim D, Camargo EA, de Sousa DP, Soares MB, Villarreal CFAnti-inflammatory properties of rose oxideInt Immunopharmacol.(2012 Dec)
6.^Fukada M, Kano E, Miyoshi M, Komaki R, Watanabe TEffect of "rose essential oil" inhalation on stress-induced skin-barrier disruption in rats and humansChem Senses.(2012 May)
7.^Nazıroğlu M, Kozlu S, Yorgancıgil E, Uğuz AC, Karakuş KRose oil (from Rosa × damascena Mill.) vapor attenuates depression-induced oxidative toxicity in rat brainJ Nat Med.(2013 Jan)
8.^Trellakis S, Fischer C, Rydleuskaya A, Tagay S, Bruderek K, Greve J, Lang S, Brandau SSubconscious olfactory influences of stimulant and relaxant odors on immune functionEur Arch Otorhinolaryngol.(2012 Aug)
9.^Wei A, Shibamoto TAntioxidant activities and volatile constituents of various essential oilsJ Agric Food Chem.(2007 Mar 7)
10.^Kumar N, Bhandari P, Singh B, Gupta AP, Kaul VKReversed phase-HPLC for rapid determination of polyphenols in flowers of rose speciesJ Sep Sci.(2008 Feb)
11.^Schiber A, Mihalev K, Berardini N, Mollov P, Carle RFlavonol glycosides from distilled petals of Rosa damascena MillZ Naturforsch C.(2005 May-Jun)
12.^Ohkawara S, Tanaka-Kagawa T, Furukawa Y, Nishimura T, Jinno HActivation of the human transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 by essential oilsBiol Pharm Bull.(2010)
13.^Hongratanaworakit TRelaxing effect of rose oil on humansNat Prod Commun.(2009 Feb)
14.^Schmitt S, Schäfer UF, Döbler L, Reichling JVariation of in vitro human skin permeation of rose oil between different application sitesForsch Komplementmed.(2010)
18.^Takahashi N, Kawada T, Goto T, Yamamoto T, Taimatsu A, Matsui N, Kimura K, Saito M, Hosokawa M, Miyashita K, Fushiki TDual action of isoprenols from herbal medicines on both PPARgamma and PPARalpha in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and HepG2 hepatocytesFEBS Lett.(2002 Mar 13)
20.^de Almeida RN, Motta SC, de Brito Faturi C, Catallani B, Leite JRAnxiolytic-like effects of rose oil inhalation on the elevated plus-maze test in ratsPharmacol Biochem Behav.(2004 Feb)
21.^Bradley BF, Starkey NJ, Brown SL, Lea RWThe effects of prolonged rose odor inhalation in two animal models of anxietyPhysiol Behav.(2007 Dec 5)
22.^Umezu T, Ito H, Nagano K, Yamakoshi M, Oouchi H, Sakaniwa M, Morita MAnticonflict effects of rose oil and identification of its active constituentsLife Sci.(2002 Nov 22)
23.^Han SH, Hur MH, Buckle J, Choi J, Lee MSEffect of aromatherapy on symptoms of dysmenorrhea in college students: A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trialJ Altern Complement Med.(2006 Jul-Aug)
24.^Sundell G, Milsom I, Andersch BFactors influencing the prevalence and severity of dysmenorrhoea in young womenBr J Obstet Gynaecol.(1990 Jul)
25.^Ayan M, Tas U, Sogut E, Suren M, Gurbuzler L, Koyuncu FInvestigating the Effect of Aromatherapy in Patients With Renal ColicJ Altern Complement Med.(2012 Oct 16)
26.^Jafari M, Zarban A, Pham S, Wang TRosa damascena decreased mortality in adult DrosophilaJ Med Food.(2008 Mar)
27.^Schriner SE, Katoozi NS, Pham KQ, Gazarian M, Zarban A, Jafari MExtension of Drosophila lifespan by Rosa damascena associated with an increased sensitivity to heatBiogerontology.(2012 Apr)
28.^Nisoli E, Tonello C, Cardile A, Cozzi V, Bracale R, Tedesco L, Falcone S, Valerio A, Cantoni O, Clementi E, Moncada S, Carruba MOCalorie restriction promotes mitochondrial biogenesis by inducing the expression of eNOSScience.(2005 Oct 14)
29.^Magwere T, Goodall S, Skepper J, Mair W, Brand MD, Partridge LThe effect of dietary restriction on mitochondrial protein density and flight muscle mitochondrial morphology in DrosophilaJ Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci.(2006 Jan)
30.^King V, Tower JAging-specific expression of Drosophila hsp22Dev Biol.(1999 Mar 1)
31.^Tower JHeat shock proteins and Drosophila agingExp Gerontol.(2011 May)
32.^Menezes IA, Barreto CM, Antoniolli AR, Santos MR, de Sousa DPHypotensive activity of terpenes found in essential oilsZ Naturforsch C.(2010 Sep-Oct)
33.^Köse E, Sarsılmaz M, Taş U, Kavaklı A, Türk G, Özlem Dabak D, Sapmaz H, Ögetürk MRose oil inhalation protects against formaldehyde-induced testicular damage in ratsAndrologia.(2012 May)
34.^Arck PC, Slominski A, Theoharides TC, Peters EM, Paus RNeuroimmunology of stress: skin takes center stageJ Invest Dermatol.(2006 Aug)
36.^Aioi A, Okuda M, Matsui M, Tonogaito H, Hamada KEffect of high population density environment on skin barrier function in miceJ Dermatol Sci.(2001 Apr)
37.^Vilaplana J, Romaguera C, Grimalt FContact dermatitis from geraniol in Bulgarian rose oilContact Dermatitis.(1991 Apr)