Rose Essential Oil Guide: Uses, Benefits, Studies, FAQs

Rose essential oil has long been regarded as one of the most luxurious and beneficial natural oils available. Extracted from the petals of roses through steam distillation, this oil is praised for its unique aroma and its remarkable ability to provide a wealth of health benefits. Its intense floral scent has made it a popular choice among aromatherapists and spa enthusiasts alike, while its calming properties make it an ideal choice for those looking to reduce stress and anxiety.

Rose essential oil is an incredible product that has a wide range of therapeutic benefits. It is commonly used in aromatherapy due to its uplifting, soothing scent. It has been used for centuries as a topical remedy to help treat skin issues, reduce inflammation, and improve moods. Rose essential oil also has numerous medicinal properties that can aid in reducing stress, enhancing mental clarity, and improving immunity.

Table Of Contents

Rose Essential Oil ORAC Value:
Rose Essential Oil Health Benefits
- Rose Essential Oil Scientific And Medical Studies
Rose Essential Oil Uses
Rose Essential Oil Substitute Ideas
Frequently Asked Questions about Rose Essential Oil
- Don't See an Answer to the Question You Have About Rose Essential Oil?
More Articles Including Rose Essential Oil

The information provided on this website is for educational purposes only. Nothing on this page has been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and is not intended to provide medical advice for any health condition, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Rose Essential Oil ORAC Value:

Rose essential oil has been reported to have an ORAC value ranging from around 50,000 to 585,000 μmolTE/100g.

ORAC stands for “Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity,” developed by USDA researchers to tell you the item's antioxidant capacity. It is a measurement method to note the ability of antioxidants to absorb free radicals, which are molecules responsible for aging and various diseases.

Rose Essential Oil Health Benefits

Rose essential oil offers a plethora of health benefits due to its high concentration of antioxidants and vitamins. Studies have shown that rose essential oil can be used as an effective anti-inflammatory, making it beneficial for relief from conditions such as arthritis and joint pain. Additionally, its antiseptic properties are beneficial for treating skin infections and other inflammatory skin conditions.

** PLEASE NOTE ** Don't be fooled by clever marketing. Not all essential oils are created equally. Make sure you're not wasting your money on fake or altered essential oils (even if they're labeled as “pure essential oil”). Don't miss our explosive report outlining the dirty little secrets of the essential oil industry to ensure you're not wasting your money on brands of oils that legally mislead you through deceitful marketing practices.

Rose Essential Oil Scientific And Medical Studies

There are numerous studies found on rose essential oil, whether you're searching on NIH (National Institute of Health) or Google Scholar.

** Please note, none of these studies discloses which brand is used in the study, nor do any endorse any particular brand.

Below listed are the studies I've seen and become the most excited about:

A 2015 study showed inhaling rose oil resulted in a significant decrease in pain levels. Researchers believe the rose oil may have caused the brain to release endorphins. (Source)

A 2013 study found rose essential oil to decrease menstrual pain. (Source)

A study suggests rose oil may reduce common anxiety symptoms: blood pressure, heart rates, breathing rates, cortisol levels, blood oxygen levels, and anxiousness reportedly decreased after the oil treatment. (Source)

Researchers found rose essential oil may be effective against a wide range of microbes that cause infections, including E. coli, staph infections (Staphylococcus), strep throat (Streptococcus), and candida (Candida Albicans). (Source)

Two studies found inhaling rose oil increases libido among both men and women. The first study involved male participants with a medicated depressive disorder, and the other study involved female participants with the same medicated disorder.

A 2012 study found rose essential oil to be helpful with improving depression symptoms. (Source)

Rose Essential Oil Uses

Add a few drops to your bathwater for a relaxing soak.
Mix with a carrier oil and use it for a soothing massage.
Improve your skin's natural collagen production using diluted rose oil
Diffuse in a diffuser to create an uplifting atmosphere.
Add to a facial steam for a spa-like experience.
Mix with a carrier oil and apply to the face for a radiant glow.
Add a few drops to your favorite homemade facial toner
Make your own DIY Glow Face Serum (my favorite!!)
Use in your skincare routine (as a toner ingredient or in oil cleansing) to help reduce acne (here's a study about it)
Chill your excessive nervousness with this DIY Liquid Calm roller bottle recipe: 30 drops Sandalwood, 30 drops Cedarwood, 30 drops Valarian, 30 drops Frankincense, 10 drops Humility essential oil blend, 10 drops Rose, and topped off with carrier oil
Blend with other essential oils for a personalized perfume. Of course, it is a lovely perfume by itself too.
Add to your dryer balls when doing laundry to give your clothes a lovely scent
Mix a fun-smelling foaming hand soap to pamper your hands and senses

Before any topical use of rose oil, be sure to dilute it with your favorite carrier oil. I encourage my clients to dilute one drop of rose essential oil to a pea-size amount or more of carrier oil.

You should dilute one drop of rose oil per one ml of carrier oil, at a minimum. Before applying on a large area, do a small patch test first. If it irritates your skin, you didn't dilute enough and should add more carrier oil.

A carrier oil can be any cold-pressed, seed-based oil (ideally organic and unrefined). This includes most cooking oil, like coconut oil, avocado oil, and olive oil. Personally, we LOVE using sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, and the V6 Carrier oil (made by Young Living). This is the best way to dilute your essential oils for topical use.

Essential Oils That Blend Well With Rose Essential Oil

Rose essential oil blends well with:

Bergamot
Clary sage
Frankincense
Geranium
Jasmine
Lavender
Patchouli
Sandalwood
Vanilla
Vetiver
Ylang ylang

Member-Favorite DIY Rose Essential Oil Blends

Vanilla Rose Diffuser Blend: 3 drops of rose and 5 drops vanilla
Rosey Dream Diffuser Blend: 5 drops bergamot, 3 drops patchouli, and 2 drops rose
Riveting Roses Diffuser Blend: 3 drops each of sandalwood and bergamot with 2 drops of rose
Vintage Rose Diffuser Blend: 3 drops rose, 2 drops each of lavender and jasmine

Rose Essential Oil Substitute Ideas

Great alternatives to using rose essential oil include:

Geranium
Ylang Ylang
Jasmine
Neroli
Lavender
Palmarosa

You may also want to consider using rose hydrosol, which is simple to make at home, and much less expensive to purchase than the essential oil.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rose Essential Oil

Is rose essential oil safe to ingest?

Technically, roses are edible flowers. However, rose essential oil is not typically recommended for ingestion.

Is rose essential oil safe to use while pregnant?

Rose should be used very cautiously (if at all) while pregnant.

I don't recommend using rose oil without being under the care of an aromatherapist, herbalist, naturopath, or other natural-minded medical professional unless you're very well-versed in what you're doing. There are other oils you could use instead.

If you're using oils while pregnant, I highly recommend this reference guide. It contains some great advice for using essential oils while pregnant and some DIY Recipes you'll love.

Is rose essential oil safe for kids or babies?

Please only use rose essential oil on or around children over 6. For children under 12, be sure to dilute more than normal before using topically.

While essential oils may be safe for kids to use, please do not have your child use an essential oil internally as a supplement without being under the direct guidance of a naturopathic doctor.

Also, keep in mind that sandalwood essential oil is very concentrated. It is best to keep it out of the reach of children, and stored in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.

Can you be allergic to rose essential oil?

There are a few reasons why you would experience an allergy-like reaction to essential oils. Usually, this is caused by not diluting the oil you're applying (or not diluting it enough). Please refer to our essential oils and allergies article for more in-depth information.

Is rose essential oil safe for dogs and cats?

Rose essential oil is safe to use with your dogs. It can also be used with cats, but please do not use rose oil on your cat without being supervised by a natural or holistic vet, or an animal aromatherapist or herbalist.

If you're using essential oils around your family pets, be sure to allow them to access out of the room and into a room where you're not diffusing. This way they're able to escape when they feel they've had enough.

Please also consider picking up a reference guide specific to using essential oils with animals. There are also reference guides specific to Young Living's oils too.

How often should you use rose essential oil?

Whether or not to use sandalwood essential oil is also a personal question. This depends on what you're using it for and how experienced you are using it.

I recommend only diffusing for 30 minutes at a time for beginners, then giving your body an hour's break. If you diffuse too much, you could end up lightheaded.

Personally, I have a diffuser running most of the day intermittently (using the intermittent setting on our diffuser). Or I'll wear a piece of diffusing jewelry with 3 drops of oil on it throughout the day (those 3 drops usually last a few days). Check out our article about diffusing essential oils safely for more info.

Should you use rose essential oil if you're taking medication?

There are no currently known rose oil and medication contraindications that I'm aware of.

This is a very personal question and really depends on which medications you're taking. I have an entire article dedicated to known medication contraindications that I highly recommend you check out… in addition to having a lengthy conversation with your local aromatherapist or pharmacist.

Where do you purchase rose essential oil?

We purchase our rose oil from Young Living because they set a higher standard for essential oil production than what I've found throughout the rest of the industry.

Their farm-to-table type of approach and testing at every phase of their farming, distillation, and bottling processes has proven to me time and time again to be the closest thing out there to buying from your local farmer or DIYing the oil yourself, only better with their 25+ years of continual research and improvement. I also love their transparency and how they open their farms so you can see for yourself (or involve yourself in the process).