The Rosa Range — Rosa damascena & Rosa alba

Rosa damascena is a single species. What it becomes depends entirely on where it grows, how it is harvested, and what happens in the hours after picking. The oils and hydrolates in this range are not variations on a theme. They are distinct substances — chemically, aromatically, and therapeutically. Rosa alba is something else again: a different species, a different chemistry, a different set of applications.

01 · Origin

The same species — not the same oil

Rosa damascena is not native to any single country. Its cultivation history spans over 7,000 years, moving from its origins in the Fertile Crescent through Persia, into Ottoman territories, and eventually into the valleys of the Balkans. Each migration produced adaptation. Each geography pressed the plant into a different chemical expression.

There is something about the air, soil and climate of that zone that stimulates the natural synthesis and accumulation in its blossoms of rose oil of outstanding aroma.
— Bulgarian Rose Institute, Kazanlak

The harvest window is brief and entirely hand-picked: May into June, often just 30–40 days. Petals must be gathered before sunrise and distilled the same day. What the GC analysis reveals is that Bulgaria and Morocco — same botanical name, same species — yield oils that are chemically distinct enough to carry different therapeutic and olfactory profiles.

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02 · The White Rose

Rosa alba — a second species

Rosa alba is not a colour variant of Rosa damascena. It is a distinct species with a distinct chemical signature — the citronellol and geraniol ratios shift, and the overall character is softer, less honeyed, with a cleaner top note. The white rose has been cultivated in Bulgaria alongside the Damask rose for centuries. Ayus sources both from the same region, enabling a direct comparison between species under comparable growing conditions.

The Rose Water Alba hydrolate (Product No. 5218) carries this quieter character into aqueous form. For practitioners working with sensitive or reactive skin, the Alba hydrolate offers an alternative to Bulgarian Rose Water with a gentler overall profile.

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03 · Method

Otto, absolute, and hydrolate are not interchangeable

Otto — steam distillation

Water and steam pass through the petals. Heat-volatile aromatic compounds are carried into the condenser. The result is a complete, unmodified essential oil — but only the steam-soluble fraction is captured. Rose Otto is approximately 300–500 compounds. It solidifies at room temperature due to high stearoptene content. The therapeutic literature is built almost entirely on Otto research.

Absolute — solvent extraction

A broader range of aromatic molecules is drawn out — including many that steam cannot reach. The absolute is richer, darker, more tenacious. It contains trace solvent residues at levels considered safe for cosmetic use. The olfactory profile is closer to the living flower. Used extensively in perfumery. Not interchangeable with Otto in therapeutic applications.

Hydrolate — the co-distillate

Not a dilution of the essential oil. A distinct aqueous phase containing water-soluble aromatic compounds that do not appear in the oil — primarily phenylethanol in Bulgarian material. Bulgarian Rose Water (Product No. 5200) is the pure hydrolate from certified organic DE-ÖKO-007 distillation. Its applications in skincare and facial toning reflect those distinct properties, not diluted otto chemistry.

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04 · The Range

Selecting by application

For topical therapeutic use: Rose Otto, Bulgarian organic. For perfumery and blending: Rose Absolute. For skincare formulation: Bulgarian Rose Water. For comparative olfactory study: the Bulgaria and Morocco blossoms side by side reveal what terroir does to a single species more directly than any description can.

The full Oshadhi rose range