Rose essential oil - or Rose Otto: Steam distilled essential oil of rose petals is a great luxury. Otto is the term used to differentiate the steam distilled variety from the 'Absolute'. This otto is bright, alive, and richly floral. It is from the Bulgarian 'damask' Rose, cultivated since the 16th century, which is considered to produce the finest quality essence. The Rose Absolute is deeper - more middle note than high - both are intriguing. For therapeutic use, we recommend the otto; for aromatic use and perfumery, we recommend the absolute.

Rose Otto oil is a pale yellow liquid that will form white or clear crystals at a temperature of around 70 degrees F. Fahrenheit. The oil will solidify into an opaque paste at even cooler temperatures. This completely natural, and is indicative of a pure steam distillate of rose petals. By holding the bottle between your hands, the oil will soon warm and return to a completely liquid state.

There is perhaps no better essential oil for women and men than Rose oil for use in treating conditions of the reproductive system. It is highly valued in formulas for mature, dry and sensitive skin, and its tonic action on the heart appears to help relieve cardiac congestion, improve sluggish circulation, and tone the capillaries.

Rose Otto is considered more potent than rose absolute (though they do have significantly different aromas), so you can use a smaller amount to achieve the same level of odor intensity. Very small amounts should be started with when creating a blend, as the aroma can overpower that of other essential oils.

The aroma of this oil is light yet tenacious, intoxicating even to some - it should be noted, however, that the Otto may not immediately strike one of the smell of roses - it is an aroma unto itself - again, the Absolute is more accurate to the full aroma of the flower. However, Rose Otto is considered the more 'therapeutic' of the two - it may bring balance and harmony, perhaps helping one overcome insecurities. Rose can be elevating to the mind and spirit, being considered the essential oil of the 'highest vibration'. Rose otto is considered the premier essential oil for opening the heart chakra, allowing heart centered contact and outlook.

The scent is sweet, rich, and floral - exclusive to the extract of history's most revered flower. Though the rose is renown for it's fragrance, the flower actually contains very little aromatic oil by weight. Some 60,000 roses are needed to distill a single ounce of oil, or about 60 roses PER DROP, a fact which brings the seemly high cost of rose oil into perspective.

Rose oil is a gentle tonic for the heart, with the key to Rose's psychological properties being its effect on the center of emotional being. Rose calms and supports the heart, helping to nourish 'heart-yin' and restore a sense of well-being. The flower has been considered great in its ability to heal emotional wounds by bringing warmth to the soul.

Rose essential oil was first distilled by the Arabic Physician Avicenna, who wrote an entire book on its many healing properties. Rose makes a great skin oil for all skin types, and especially for dry, sensitive, or aging skin - for this we recommend a 5% dilution in Jojoba oil. Rose otto is also considered strongly anti-viral, and has been used successfully to treat herpes legions.

Rose otto is made through steam distillation of the rose flower, yielding 1 pound essential oil per 10,000 pounds of roses.

Steam distilled rose can be utilized in a number of ways; it is very gentle, being suitable for use on the skin 'neat', in massage oil, and in a bath, as well as in a diffuser. As a perfume, the absolute can be worn directly on the skin – it's 'tenacious' quality will have the aroma slowly released for many hours. For therapeutic use for the emotions, a dilution of 10% of in jojoba oil is often used, being massaged into the heart area – a diffuser is very effective for this purpose as well. The absolute can also be added in small amounts to any skin cream, though using a home-made natural recipe is often the nicest.