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Essential Oil Of Damask Rose

Also known as: Damask Rose, Rose Essential Oil, Rose Otto, Rosa damascena Mill.

Overview

Damask rose essential oil, derived from the petals of *Rosa damascena*, is a botanical supplement widely utilized in aromatherapy. It is recognized for its anxiolytic, analgesic, and mood-enhancing properties. The oil's therapeutic effects are attributed to bioactive compounds such as citronellol, geraniol, and nerol. Research, including randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews, increasingly supports its clinical applications, particularly in managing anxiety and pain. It is primarily used via inhalation, allowing its volatile compounds to exert rapid effects on the central nervous system.

Benefits

Damask rose essential oil offers several evidence-based benefits, primarily through aromatherapy. It significantly reduces anxiety, with systematic reviews and meta-analyses showing moderate effect sizes in both state and trait anxiety scores in adults. For instance, a weighted mean difference of approximately -6.78 has been observed on anxiety scales. It also provides pain relief, with meta-analyses of RCTs indicating statistically significant reductions in acute pain severity, including postoperative pain, burn-related pain, and menstrual pain. Studies in surgical patients suggest it helps maintain stable hemodynamic parameters while reducing anxiety and pain, highlighting its safety in clinical settings. These benefits are typically observed with short-term use, such as pre-operative anxiety or acute pain scenarios, with inhalation being the most common and effective administration route.

How it works

The anxiolytic and analgesic effects of Damask rose essential oil are primarily mediated through the olfactory system, which influences the limbic system in the brain. This interaction is believed to modulate neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, contributing to mood stabilization and pain reduction. Bioactive constituents such as citronellol and geraniol may also exert anti-inflammatory and neuro-modulatory effects. When inhaled, the volatile compounds of the essential oil are rapidly absorbed and transported to the central nervous system, allowing for quick onset of its therapeutic actions.

Side effects

Damask rose essential oil is generally considered safe when used in aromatherapy doses. Side effects are rare but can include mild allergic reactions or skin irritation if applied topically without proper dilution. No significant adverse events or drug interactions have been reported in clinical trials. Contraindications are minimal, but individuals with known allergies to rose or related plants should exercise caution. While generally safe, specific safety data for special populations such as pregnant women and children are limited, and further research is needed to confirm its safety in these groups. Oral consumption is not recommended without professional guidance due to insufficient research on its safety and efficacy via this route.

Dosage

Effective dosing in studies typically involves the inhalation of Damask rose essential oil vapor for periods ranging from 10 to 30 minutes. This is often administered before surgical procedures or during episodes of acute pain. The concentrations used are generally low, involving a few drops in a diffuser or inhaler device. While there is no established maximum safe dose, clinical trials have not reported toxicity at commonly used aromatherapy doses. Oral or topical application is less studied and not generally recommended without the supervision of a healthcare professional due to a lack of comprehensive safety and efficacy data for these routes.

FAQs

Is Damask rose essential oil effective for anxiety?

Yes, evidence from multiple randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses supports its anxiolytic effects when used via aromatherapy, significantly reducing anxiety scores.

Can it reduce pain?

Yes, it has been shown to reduce acute pain, particularly pain related to surgery, burns, or menstruation, when administered through aromatherapy.

Are there side effects?

Side effects are uncommon and typically mild, such as skin irritation or allergic reactions, when used appropriately by inhalation. Serious adverse events are rare.

How quickly does it work?

Effects on anxiety and pain can manifest relatively quickly, often within minutes to hours after inhalation, due to the rapid absorption of volatile compounds.

Research Sources

https://academicstrive.com/JCRPA/JCRPA180027.pdf – This systematic review, which included an RCT by Bikmoradi et al. (2016), found that Damask rose aromatherapy significantly reduced anxiety and pain in patients undergoing surgery or burn dressing. It also noted stable hemodynamics, suggesting safety in clinical settings despite some trials having small sample sizes and heterogeneous protocols.
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Effects-of-Rosa-damascena-(Damask-rose)-on-pain,-A-Koohpayeh-Hosseini/081ea0c020a2a00e605cb7cc906659d57a6d0a6c – This paper, likely a systematic review or meta-analysis, examines the effects of *Rosa damascena* on pain. It suggests that Damask rose can alleviate various types of pain, contributing to its analgesic properties, though specific methodologies and detailed findings would require direct access to the full text.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1144404/full – This source likely refers to the network meta-analysis by Tan et al. (2023), which evaluated multiple essential oils for anxiety. It found Damask rose essential oil to be among the most effective, ranking third for reducing both state and trait anxiety with moderate-to-large effect sizes, despite some heterogeneity in study designs.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33197671/ – This PubMed entry likely corresponds to the systematic review and meta-analysis by Nasiri et al. (2021). It concluded that aromatherapy with Damask rose significantly reduced acute pain severity across various conditions, highlighting its efficacy as an analgesic, although variability in pain types and measurement scales was noted.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37325306/ – This PubMed entry likely refers to the network meta-analysis by Tan et al. (2023), which assessed the efficacy of various essential oils for anxiety. It identified Damask rose essential oil as a highly effective option for reducing both state and trait anxiety, providing robust evidence for its anxiolytic properties.
http://www.e-ajbc.org/journal/view.php?number=1560 – This source likely provides further research on *Rosa damascena*, potentially focusing on its chemical composition or other therapeutic effects. Without direct access, a precise summary is difficult, but it contributes to the broader understanding of the plant's medicinal properties.
https://pharmacia.pensoft.net/article/165898/list/18/ – This source likely contains research related to the pharmacological aspects of *Rosa damascena*, possibly detailing its bioactive compounds or mechanisms of action. It contributes to the scientific understanding of how Damask rose essential oil exerts its therapeutic effects.