Rose Absolute from Rose Petals to Expensive Perfume

Why Is Rose Perfume Containing Rose Absolute So Expensive?

Have you ever wondered why perfumes containing "Rose Absolute" tend to have such a high price tag? Behind such a steep price, there is always a memorable story. Today, we will take you into the world of rose petals to demystify the journey of Rose Absolute and the special nature of the rose that symbolizes the city of Grasse. In the world of scent compounding, unique fragrances are achieved through the blending of various essential oils. Rose essential oil, extracted from natural flowers or plants, is considered a pure oil with high concentration, commanding a very high price.

The Special Nature of May Rose and its Harvest

We invite you to discover the uniqueness of the May Rose, the symbolic flower of Grasse, which is extracted to become “Rose Absolute”. This crucial ingredient is famously used by major global brands like Chanel as a component in Chanel No. 5, the classic perfume cherished by women of all eras. In the first half of the 20th century, the May Rose cultivation area in Grasse spanned 700 hectares, but today, the planting area is only 50 hectares.

The reason for this decline is the difficulty of both cultivation and harvesting. Harvesting the May Rose must be done gently and meticulously by hand, yet quickly, to meet the annual demand. This race against time necessitates the use of skilled harvesters. To extract rose essential oil from May Rose petals, as much as 400 kilograms of petals are required to yield only 1 kilogram of concentrated essential oil.

Method of Extracting Scent from Roses to Rose Absolute

The method of extracting scent from roses to obtain “Rose Absolute” involves extracting the essential oil from the rose petals using a solvent (Solvent Extraction). This is a special technique used to draw out the aromatic substance. This method produces an essential oil whose scent closely resembles that of a real rose and is highly concentrated. It requires as many as 3,000 rose petals to extract just a single drop of this essential oil.

Compounding Rose Scents: From Natural to Synthetic Substances

In addition to using Rose Absolute to create a rose scent, in the rose perfume industry, we also have synthetic substances that allow us to compose a rose fragrance through the blending of various aroma chemicals. These blends can make you feel as if you are standing in the middle of a rose garden. Examples include the scent of Geraniol, which gives the impression of red rose petals; the scent of PEA (Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol), which has a soft fragrance reminiscent of pink rose petals; and Geranium oil, which helps boost the perfume note to create a more realistic rose scent.

There are many other ingredients that, when smelled, evoke images of rose fields, resulting in various scent tones—whether sweet rose or hot, sexy rose—all of which can be created. What about you? When you think of the scent of a rose, which type of scent comes to mind first?

Reference : https://www.botanicessence.com/essenti.../home/knowledge.jsp