Goldene Rose mit Öltropfen, Sinnbild für kostbares Rosenöl

Why Is Rose Oil So Expensive? From the Damask Rose to the Taif Rose

In short: Rose oil is so expensive because around 3 to 4 tonnes of rose petals have to be picked by hand for 1 kilogram of oil. The harvest lasts only about 30 to 35 days a year, and picking takes place only early in the morning, because flowers harvested at midday yield up to 50% less oil. Picking alone takes around 800 working hours per kilo. The result: Bulgarian rose oil and Rose de Mai absolute cost more than €10,000 per kilogram.

For more than a thousand years, rose oil has been regarded as one of the most precious raw materials in perfumery. But what is behind the price? In this article you will learn how rose oil is made, which roses are used, what makes the legendary Taif rose from Saudi Arabia so special and why genuine rose scent can hardly be recreated in a laboratory.

Contents

3 to 4 tonnes of petals for one kilo: the numbers behind the price

The main reason for the high price is the extremely low yield. Rose petals contain only tiny amounts of essential oil. According to the reference work Scent and Chemistry (Ohloff, Kraft, Pickenhagen, Wiley VCH 2022), steam distillation of one kilogram of rose oil requires 3 to 4 tonnes of petals. Every single flower is picked by hand.

Key figure Value
Petals per 1 kg of rose oil approx. 3,000 to 4,000 kg
Working hours for picking (per kg of oil) approx. 800 hours
Length of the rose harvest in Bulgaria 30 to 35 days (mid May to mid June)
Yield loss when harvested at midday up to 50%
Price of Bulgarian rose absolute over €10,000 per kg
Price of Rose de Mai absolute (Grasse) approx. US$10,000 per kg
Global market for rose oil approx. US$15 million (second most important essential oil after patchouli)

Source of figures: Ohloff, Kraft, Pickenhagen: Scent and Chemistry, 2nd edition, 2022; Bauer, Garbe, Surburg: Common Fragrance and Flavor Materials.

On top of that, the cultivation areas can hardly grow. In the Turkish provinces of Isparta and Burdur alone, around 16,000 hectares are dedicated to rose growing, yet in 2018 Turkey exported only about 1,700 kg of rose oil. Worldwide, only a few tonnes of rose oil are produced each year.

Why roses are only harvested at dawn

The scent molecules of the rose are volatile. As soon as the sun warms the flowers, some of them evaporate. That is why the pickers start at first light. If a rose is harvested at midday instead of early morning, the oil yield drops by up to 50%. The flowers also have to reach the distillery quickly so that they do not wilt or begin to ferment.

Because the flowering season lasts only a few weeks, the entire annual production has to happen in this short window. There is no second chance in the year.

Damask rose, Rose de Mai and Taif rose compared

Of the thousands of rose varieties, only two species are grown for the production of rose oil and rose absolute: the Damask rose (Rosa damascena) and the Rose de Mai or cabbage rose (Rosa centifolia). The Taif rose is a special form of the Damask rose.

Damask rose Rose de Mai Taif rose
Botanical name Rosa damascena Rosa centifolia Rosa damascena trigintipetala
Main growing regions Bulgaria (Rose Valley near Kazanlak), Turkey Grasse (southern France), Morocco, Egypt Taif, Saudi Arabia
Main product Rose oil (distillation) Rose absolute (extraction), rose water Rose oil, rose water
Harvest season Mid May to mid June May Approx. March to April
Scent character Classic, full, honeyed Soft, honey sweet, green and fresh Intense, spicy, slightly fruity

The Damask rose probably originates from the area around Damascus. Today it is economically the most important rose. Rose oil from Bulgaria’s Rose Valley has been the quality standard of the perfume industry for around 300 years.

The Taif rose: the rose oil of Arabia

Around the city of Taif in the highlands of Saudi Arabia, roses grow on terraces at an altitude of about 2,000 metres, for example on Mount Al Hada. The cool nights and warm days at this altitude give the Taif rose its intense, spicy scent. Its botanical name trigintipetala means “thirty petals”.

  • Around Taif there are about 900 rose farms and around 70 distilleries.
  • About 550 million roses are harvested every year.
  • The bloom lasts only three to four weeks in spring, and picking takes place before sunrise.
  • Depending on the source, one tola of rose oil (approx. 12 ml) requires 12,000 to 70,000 roses.
  • Taif rose oil is traditionally used to scent the carpets of the Great Mosque in Mecca and the Kiswa, the cloth covering the Kaaba.

Because the quantities are so small and demand in the Arab world is very high, Taif rose oil is considered one of the most expensive rose oils in the world. The rose has also inspired European niche perfumery. One example is the fragrance “Ta'if” by Ormonde Jayne (2004), which combines the rose with saffron, dates and orange blossom.

Rose oil or rose absolute: what is the difference?

The two terms are often confused, but they describe two different products:

  • Rose oil (also called “rose otto” or “attar”) is produced by steam distillation. It is pale yellow, clear and smells fresh and rosy. The distillation of rose oil was described in writing as early as the year 961.
  • Rose absolute is produced by solvent extraction. First, a waxy “concrete” is obtained from the petals using hexane, and the absolute is then made from it with alcohol. It is reddish, viscous and smells fuller and more honeyed. Its main component is phenylethyl alcohol (60 to 75% of the volatile fraction).
  • Rose water is a by product of distillation. In Morocco it is still made from the cabbage rose according to old Moorish tradition.

Why rose scent can hardly be recreated artificially

You might think that such an expensive oil could simply be recreated synthetically. That is exactly what chemists tried to do for decades. By 1957, all components above 1% were known, together around 83% of the oil. Even so, the reconstruction did not smell like rose.

The secret lies in the remaining 17%: around 260 trace compounds. One of the most important is rose oxide, discovered in 1959 by the Swiss chemists Seidel and Stoll. It makes up only about 0.5% of the oil, yet it is responsible for the fresh, green floral top note. Other key compounds such as the damascones work in even smaller amounts. Genuine rose oil is therefore a complex natural product that no laboratory can fully copy.

That is why the great perfume houses also use genuine rose oil, though only in tiny doses. The original 1921 formula of Chanel N°5 contained about 0.5% rose oil.

Rose in oriental fragrance: from rose water to bakhoor

In Arab fragrance culture, the rose is everywhere: as rose water to welcome guests, as attar on the skin and as a heart note in bakhoor, the traditional incense. The combination of rose and oud is considered one of the classic fragrance pairings of the Orient: the rose brings warmth and floral character, the wood adds depth.

Our Bakhoor Taef is inspired by the rose culture of the city of Taif. Rosy floral notes meet warm, woody and slightly spicy accents. On an electric bakhoor burner, the fragrance unfolds gently and fills the room with a warm, rosy atmosphere. If you would like to combine rose with oud, you will find the perfect complement in our oud collection.

Frequently asked questions about rose oil

How many roses does it take to make one drop of rose oil?

That depends on the rose and the harvest. One kilogram of rose oil requires about 3 to 4 tonnes of petals. For the Taif rose, depending on the source, it takes 12,000 to 70,000 roses for one tola (approx. 12 ml).

How much does genuine rose oil cost?

High quality Bulgarian rose oil and rose absolute cost more than €10,000 per kilogram wholesale. Taif rose oil is among the most expensive rose oils of all.

How can you recognise genuine rose oil?

Genuine rose oil is very expensive, so an extremely cheap “rose oil” is almost always diluted or synthetic. Distilled rose oil can solidify at cool temperatures because it contains rose waxes (stearoptenes). Also check the botanical name (Rosa damascena or Rosa centifolia), the country of origin and how it was obtained (distilled or absolute).

Why does the Taif rose smell different from other roses?

The Taif rose grows at an altitude of around 2,000 metres. The climate, with cool nights and warm days, and the soil give it a more intense, spicier scent than roses from the lowlands.

When is the rose harvest?

In Bulgaria from mid May to mid June (30 to 35 days), in Taif roughly from March to April. Picking always takes place early in the morning.

What is the difference between rose oil and rose water?

Both are produced during distillation. The oil floats on top and is separated off; rose water is the fragrant distillation water containing only a very small amount of dissolved oil.

Conclusion

Rose oil is expensive because it concentrates the work of thousands of hands into a few morning hours of a short spring: tonnes of petals for a single kilo of oil, and a scent that no chemistry can fully copy. Whether from Bulgaria’s Rose Valley, from Grasse or from Taif: when you smell genuine rose, you smell centuries of craftsmanship.

Discover the rose the oriental way with our Bakhoor Taef or in the Bakhoor Set.

Sources

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