Floral essential oil
Rose otto
Rosa damascena
Rose otto essential oil is steam distilled from the petals of Rosa damascena, a member of the Rosaceae family. Its aroma is floral and sweet, an intense, concentrated rose scent that sits as a middle note. People choose it for calming blends, skin-care preparations, perfume and mood blends, and it pairs well with marjoram and neroli. The safety point that matters most is methyleugenol. Rose otto can contain it, so Tisserand and Young suggest no more than 0.6% of a blend on skin, and EU and IFRA rules set lower limits on methyleugenol itself in cosmetics. When buying, check the label, because rose absolute is a different, solvent-extracted product.
Safety at a glance
- Pregnancy Generally well tolerated
- Children From age 2
- Dogs Generally well tolerated
- Cats Use with caution
- Sunlight Not phototoxic
- On skin Up to 0.6%
Reference
| Botanical name | Rosa damascena |
|---|---|
| Plant family | Rosaceae |
| Plant part | Flowers (petals) |
| Extraction | steam distillation |
| Main origins | Not given in the references we use |
| Aroma family | Floral |
| Note | Middle note |
| Aroma | Rich, sweet and concentrated rose |
| Main constituents | citronellol, geraniol, nerol, linalool and methyleugenol |
| Common uses | calm, skin, perfume and mood |
| Suggested maximum on skin | 0.6% of the blend |
| Phototoxic | No |
| Shelf life once opened | 2 to 3 years |
| Pregnancy | Generally well tolerated |
| Children | From age 2 |
| Dogs | Generally well tolerated |
| Cats | Use with caution |
| Safety notes | Rose otto can contain methyleugenol, so Tisserand and Young suggest at most 0.6% on skin; EU and IFRA rules set lower limits on methyleugenol itself in cosmetics. Rose otto is on the IFPA list of oils used in pregnancy, which names the centifolia rose. Rose absolute is a different, solvent-extracted product. Pet poison lines do not flag it. |
Blends well with
Sources
- Rose Essential Oil, Absolute and CO2 Extract, AromaWeb. Accessed October 26, 2026
- Marjoram Essential Oil, AromaWeb. Accessed October 26, 2026
- Neroli Essential Oil, AromaWeb. Accessed October 26, 2026
- Aromatherapy and pregnancy guidelines, International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (hosted by NAHA). Accessed October 26, 2026
- Essential oil shelf life (Robert Tisserand's guideline), AromaWeb. Accessed October 26, 2026