Damascus, the crossroads of civilizations in Europe and Asia. Image source｜The Reception of the Ambassadors in Damascus, 1511, the Louvre.
Everyone in Syria loves flowers, and roses are the favorite. The essential oil of the Damascus rose is famous thanks to the contribution of the great Arab physician Abyssinian to the distillation method.
Avicenna (980-1037) was an Arab alchemist, philosopher, and physician to the Sultan, and an important scientist throughout the world.
His 1025 book, The Canon of Medicine, was an early medical work, which recorded how to extract rose oil by distillation, and it was only after the Crusades in the 12th century brought the distillation method back to Europe that the technique of extracting essential oils by distillation was applied on a large scale. Therefore, Abyssinian can be called the father of essential oils around the world.
A rose oil workshop using distillation technology.
However, in addition to the widespread distillation method, Syria and a few Persian/Arabic countries have preserved the ancient tradition of making infused oils.
What is Infused Oil?
Infused oil is an ancient process that is thousands of years old. In fact, before humans invented distillation, oils were used to extract the aromatic and medicinal components of plants and then made into an ointment/cream form that was easy to store and use.
Scene from the movie Perfume: Gnu B learns to extract essential oils by liposuction in Grasse.
We Chinese are no strangers to this, as Chinese medicine practitioners are also in the habit of making medicinal oils or wines: as children, we all drank herbal wines made by our elders, and applied medicinal oils to treat bruises.
Infusion is the process of soaking the flowers, stems, or fruits of plants with medicinal value in vegetable oil (cold-pressed olive oil is usually used as the base oil in European/Middle Eastern countries), and then over a period of several months, the fat-soluble components of the plant, such as essential oils, pigments, and vitamins, and other active substances, are slowly precipitated and dissolved in the vegetable oil. This can of vegetable oil is then called infused oil.
Those who like Western food, especially those who favor Mediterranean cuisine, are no strangers to infused oils: many restaurants/chefs make infused oils, such as rosemary oil, basil oil, sage oil, garlic oil, etc., for table use.
The word "infuse" in the English word infused oil means "to infuse", which means to maximize the flavor and color of the flowers and herbs.
Simple infused oils can be made by anyone, but the traditional infusing process is not simple: freshly picked herbs/flowers have to be dried, some flowers have to undergo fermentation and special processes before they can be put into the jar, and the ratio of plant to carrier oil has to be right to ensure that a saturated concentration is reached. This can only be done by experienced old craftsmen.
In addition, to make a good infused oil can not be separated from the sun. Filled with oil and plant soaking jar to move out every morning, placed in the sun outdoors to accelerate the precipitation of the active ingredients to light energy, to the evening and move the jar back to the cool indoor. Only sufficient sunlight can ensure that the infused oils get full energy and complete aroma and potency.
This is why the tradition of infused oils is only practiced in the Crescent and Mediterranean countries, where the sun is strong and the temperature difference between day and night is large. The fact that making infused oils is so laborious and time-consuming, yet so sought-after, has its own unique value.
On the one hand, the prolonged period of time during which the oils are "oiled", together with the light energy of the sun, allows for a more complete and efficient extraction of the active ingredients of the plant, especially for species with a scarce essential oil content, such as rose, jasmine, magnolia and iris flowers.
Although, it is possible to obtain flower essential oils/primary essences by distillation or solvent methods, comparing them to infused oils, you will find that the latter have a much more natural, layered and full-bodied blend of aromas.
On the other hand, infused oils are a blend of vegetable oils and flowers/herbs, which retains the nutritional value and medicinal properties of both in a synergistic way, and can be used directly in skincare or for making balms and edibles, without the need for dilution.
Infused oils have many benefits, but are so labor-intensive and time-consuming that today, with the exception of a few common varieties, most of the ancient methods of infusing have been lost or no one is willing to make them by heart. Currently, only a few rural areas in Europe still retain the tradition of making infused oils, but due to low production, they are basically only available locally.
A store specializing in various types of infused oils in Greece.
Syria is one of the few countries in the world that has preserved the tradition of infused oils and is able to supply Europe with them, and ancient rose oil is a rare and precious technique that has been passed down, an ancient wisdom that combines olive oil and roses, and which is especially valuable because of the elaborate production process and the rarity of the raw materials.
Olive groves and rose farms outside Damascus.
The rose infused oil in this supply comes from a century-old family business in Damascus with a rose farm, which has long been supplying ancient rose oil, jasmine oil, and other infused oil products to several European luxury spice and skincare companies, and the supply is extremely rare and seldom circulated.
Syrian factory interior photos of the infused oils sold.
As you know, Syria is currently at war, the country is in turmoil, and the people are displaced, but the traditional industry is still struggling to survive, continuing to plant roses, make olive soap, and infuse rose oil. And whether there will be a sustainable supply in the future is anyone's guess.
Let's pray for the people of Syria to be safe and to treasure even more the ancient rose oil that is not easily accessible at hand.
Shakespeare wrote, "A rose is beautiful, but more beautiful is the scent it contains."
In the crafting process, the Syrians use olive oil as a base oil to infuse the Damascus rose in perfect harmony. Because rose is the representative oil that opens the heart chakra, she echoes perfectly with olive oil, which is evergreen and evergreen and represents the color of the heart chakra, naturally blending as one.
Now, when you open this bottle of Syrian Rose Oil, you can see that the liquid has a light pink color. A gentle sniff reveals a subtle, just-right aroma, not as strong as the original rose essence, but more mellow than the rose puree.
The rose oil is pink in color, and the aroma is full, yet delicate and layered.
If you love roses, this is the perfect oil to take with you. Just apply a drop or two behind the ear or on the wrist, rub gently, and it will blend with your body fluids to give you a naturally intoxicating scent that lingers for hours or even all day long.
In skin care, rose oil and olive oil have been blended for months to provide excellent nourishment, especially for dry, wrinkled, dehydrated skin; in addition, olive oil is rich in omega 9, which is also effective in inhibiting inflammation of the skin, both in terms of aroma and therapeutic effect, rose oil can bring you a luxurious experience.
You can use this rose oil directly in your skincare regimen, or you can use it as a carrier oil in synergy with neroli, true lavender, geranium essential oils to create a wonderful combination, or add it to a cream*** and use it together.
But Rose Damascena is more than just a good smell or a skin care treatment, it's a massage oil with great harmonizing and balancing energies, and a "scent of love" complex.
You'll see: all the myths and civilizations related to roses are related to love. The power of love knows no boundaries, and the rose opens us up to it, dissolving and purifying our native fears, loneliness, betrayal, jealousy and anger.
The rose activates our heart chakra, which holds the power of regeneration, helps us to develop faith and gratitude, and can awaken the soul's powerful healing power to transform the traumas of life.
Of all the essential oils, Rose represents the aroma of the heart, activating the heart's energy and the desire to give of oneself.
In the quiet of the night, put a few drops of this rose oil in the center of your heart, brow, middle and top chakras, then place one hand over your heart, feel your heart beating, inhale and exhale slowly, and breathe in and out, letting the love be transmitted to your surroundings, and feeling the love for yourself.
In medicine, roses help the cardiovascular system, nourish the nerves and heart, and are suitable for cardiovascular diseases caused by psychological and emotional problems, opening the heart chakra and helping it to find its original rhythm.
You can also add the essential oils of Italian Perpetual Flower and Frankincense to rose oil, massage the heart chakra every morning and evening, and hold it to feel the full power of the companionship of the Damascus rose.
Blossoming in war-torn Syria, the energy of the Damascus Rose is contained in this bottle of ancient infused oil with millennia of wisdom to lead us through the transformation of our lives.
Only love leads to true freedom, love never dies, we will be happy.