Rose Water (Bulgarian Organic Hydrosol)

Organic Bulgarian Rose Water

This is a 100% pure hydrolate — the aromatic water produced by steam distillation of fresh Rosa damascena blossoms, hand-harvested at dawn in Bulgaria's Rose Valley. Not rose oil dissolved in water. Not a diluted extract. The real thing, as it comes from the still.

The distinction matters. During distillation, two things emerge: the essential oil, and the flower water beneath it. Our Rose Water is produced in its own dedicated distillation cycle — a process called cohobation, in which the water is recirculated repeatedly through fresh petals to concentrate its aromatic profile. The result carries over 300 naturally occurring compounds in the proportions the plant itself created. Nothing added. Nothing adjusted between batches.

Certified organic (DE-ÖKO-007). Single origin. Suitable as a natural aroma extract for beverages, and equally at home in skincare, aromatherapy, and formulation.

About the Plant

Rosa × damascena has been cultivated for over 7,000 years, originating in the region now spanning Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. It arrived in central Bulgaria via Ottoman traders in the 17th century — and what happened next is what makes Bulgarian rose exceptional.

The Rose Valley of Kazanlak sits between the Balkan Mountains and the Sredna Gora range at 300–400 metres elevation. Its poor, stony soil, cool humid mornings, and mountain-filtered rainfall create conditions that slow petal development and force the plant to concentrate its aromatic oils. Over 300 years of continuous cultivation, the variety adapted to this microclimate and diverged from Damask roses grown elsewhere — eventually earning its own name, the Kazanlak Damask Rose, and in 2014 a Protected Geographical Indication from the European Commission.

The harvest window is just 30–40 days, from May into June. Petals are gathered before sunrise — when aromatic compounds peak in the flower — and distilled the same day. Between 3,000 and 5,000 kilograms of fresh petals yield a single kilogram of rose essential oil. The hydrolate carries the same floral soul in aqueous form.

General Information

Store below 10°C / 50°F, away from heat and direct sunlight. This hydrolate is 100% natural — slight variation in colour or fine sediment between batches is normal and does not affect quality. Refrigerate after opening.