Rose Fragrance: Myth Or Reality?

Roses are renowned for their fragrance, with their scent being used in perfumes for thousands of years. The flowers' fragrance is so potent and intoxicating that it is said the Egyptian Queen of the Nile, Cleopatra, filled a room more than a foot deep with rose petals while having a passionate love affair with Marc Anthony. The scent of roses is also said to have the power to transport you back to a moment in time, soothe and make the stresses of a day feel insignificant.

The wide range of rose fragrances

Roses are exceptional in the plant world. There is no other plant that has such a wide range of completely different fragrance types. There are five main groups: Old Rose, Tea, Myrrh, Fruit and Musk, but within each group, there is huge variation.

The fragrance of red and pink roses comes the closest to the true scent of rose. Generally speaking, darker-coloured roses are known for their thick and velvety petals and they have the most memorable scents. Roses have been spreading their fragrances around for thousands of years. Their first appearance in artistic motifs was in Asia, dating back to about 3000 BC. It is said that Cleopatra filled a room more than a foot deep with rose petals while having a passionate love affair with Marc Anthony.

Roses are also known as Rosa Damascena and the Rose of Castile. The flowers of this hybrid are renowned for their fine fragrance and have symbolised beauty and love for many centuries. They range in colour from light to moderate pink to light red and are commercially harvested for rose oil to make rose water and "rose concrete". The petals are also edible and used as food flavouring, garnish, herbal tea and even as a sugar preservative. Chicken with rose is a recipe that is well known in modern Iranian cuisine. Rose water is used as a perfume due to its potent, sweet scent, but it has medicinal and culinary values as well.

The use of rose in perfumes

Roses have been used in perfumes for thousands of years, with the earliest archaeological record of their appearance dating back 35 to 32 million years to the Paleolithic era. Their first appearance in artistic motifs was in Asia, dating back to about 3000 BC.

Roses are exceptional in the plant world, with a wide range of completely different fragrance types. There are five main groups: Old Rose, Tea, Myrrh, Fruit and Musk, although within each group there is huge variation.

Master perfumers are well aware that using the notes of roses in a fragrance renders a scent that is potent and intoxicating. The fragrance of red and pink roses comes the closest to the true scent of rose, and darker-coloured roses are known for their thick and velvety petals and memorable scents.

The Rosa Damascena and the Rose of Castile are renowned for their fine fragrance and have symbolised beauty and love for many centuries. They are commercially harvested for rose oil to make rose water and “rose concrete”. Rose water is used as a perfume due to its potent, sweet scent, but it also has medicinal and culinary values.

The use of rose in food and drink

Roses are renowned for their fragrance, with a wide range of different scent types. The flowers are commercially harvested for their oil, which is used to make rose water and rose concrete. The petals are also edible and can be used as a food flavouring, garnish, herbal tea, or even as a sugar preservative. Chicken with rose is a well-known dish in modern Iranian cuisine. Rose water is used as a perfume, but it also has culinary and medicinal values.

The fragrance of red and pink roses is said to come the closest to the true scent of rose. However, darker-coloured roses have the most memorable scents, with thick and velvety petals.

Roses have been used in fragrances for thousands of years, with the earliest archaeological record of their appearance dating back 35 to 32 million years to the Paleolithic era. Their first appearance in artistic motifs was in Asia, dating back to about 3000 BC. It is said that Cleopatra filled a room more than a foot deep with rose petals while having a love affair with Marc Anthony.

The scent of roses is processed in the same part of the brain as where memories are stored, and can therefore transport you back to a moment in time. Scents can soothe and make the stresses of a day feel insignificant.

The emotional power of rose scents

Roses have been spreading their fragrances around for thousands of years. The earliest archaeological record dates their appearance back 35 to 32 million years to the Paleolithic era and concerns rose leaves discovered in the Colorado Rockies. Their first appearance in artistic motifs was in Asia dating back to about 3000 BC.

The fragrance of red and pink roses comes the closest to the true scent of rose, with darker-coloured roses known for their thick and velvety petals and memorable scents.

Scents are processed in the same part of the brain as where memories are safely stored. They are emotional and can transport you back to a moment in time. They can soothe and make the stresses of a day feel suddenly so insignificant.

Master perfumers are well aware that using the notes of roses in a fragrance renders a scent that is potent and intoxicating. Rose water is used as a perfume due to its potent, sweet scent, but it has medicinal and culinary values as well.

The history of rose fragrances

The rose is a symbol of love, passion and beauty, and its fragrance has been used in perfumes for centuries. The history of rose fragrance dates back to ancient times, when rose water was used as a perfume by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Rose oil was also a popular ingredient in medieval European perfumes, and rose fragrance was used in ancient China and India for religious ceremonies and as a medicine.

Rose fragrance was said to be the first perfume in history, created by the goddess of beauty, Venus, when she pricked her finger on a thorn of a white rose. Legend has it that Cupid immediately fell in love with the red rose and kissed it, infusing it with an exquisite and eternal fragrance.

In the 12th and 13th centuries, Crusaders brought back Damask rose from the Middle East because of its lush fragrance. The rose became a sign of perfection and was the most popular scent of the Renaissance during the reign of King Francois First. Rose extracts were also used in the first modern perfume, created by Queen Marie Antoinette in the 18th century.

Frequently asked questions