Why is Bulgarian Rose Water so special?

It takes about 5,000 petals of the Rosa Damascena flower to make just 1 gram of its essential oil. At a value of about GBP 25.00 or more, this flower can be considered a commodity as valuable as gold and it’s worth it due to the high concentration of what it holds. Rose water contains only about 1% of the essential oil, which is just the right amount for daily use. It’s enough to gain the unique benefits and makes it affordable as well.

Rose water is derived by steam-distilling the flower petals of the Rosa Damascena plant. You’re probably thinking what does this rose have that others don’t? The short answer is an environment with crazy mood swings and a strong will to live. This may be a bit dramatic, but let’s go into more detail.

The capabilities of plants, just like humans, are judged by their credentials, gained through their work experience and reflected in a carefully packed page we call a CV. What does this have to do with roses? Well, let’s say that Rosa Damascena has a killer CV. It’s a hard-working plant to say the least.

The most valuable oils contained in this precious flower work hard as they are on the move all the time. They rise into the petals at night to absorb the sun-gifted goodness collected during the previous day. At dawn they retreat back towards the roots to protect themselves from the hot sunlight during the day, which could cause them to evaporate. Once back in the roots, they continue their job of nourishment and building their potency, absorbing all the nutrients from the rich soil. 

The Bulgarian Rose Valley where Rosa Damascena grows is nestled between the Balkan Mountains and Sredna Gora Mountains (at about 500 meters above sea level). The harsh mountain weather conditions in this geographic area go hand in hand with extreme temperature fluctuation. This climate forces the plants to work tirelessly to withstand the challenge, making them very robust and efficient.

Due to this dramatic change of seasons from heavy snow and - 30℃ in winter to + 30℃ in summer, the vegetation in this area is predominantly pine or deciduous (growing large leaves in summer to collect the sunlight’s goodness, and shedding them all in winter, to avoid snow piling up). The leaves that these trees casually banish to the ground every year are packed with nutrients which turn into a very nutrient-rich soil. As a bonus, this area is very luckily blessed with underground hot thermal water springs, carrying even more water-soluble antioxidants. So, when our rose’s oils have retreated into the roots for the day, they can take advantage of all the underground benefits - from being kept warm to gaining constant nourishment and care. All these factors create the perfect environment for the Rosa Damascena to flourish, developing its precious scented oils with incredible potency and remarkable properties.

So, there you have it! Struggle, hard work and making the most out of what you get gives you top credentials and value!