Rose

Historical and Traditional Uses:

Perfume and topical vulnerary; rose water for mucosal/skin irritation; rose oil for calming/aromatherapy; rosehips as a vitamin-rich food/tonic.

Chemical Composition:

Rich in monoterpene alcohols citronellol, geraniol, nerol, linalool, plus phenethyl alcohol (more abundant in rose water), and long-chain alkanes (nonadecane, heneicosane). Profiles vary by cultivar and distillation.

Pharmacological Properties:

Antimicrobial & anti-inflammatory (rose oil): terpinenoid/phenethyl-alcohol–rich fractions disrupt microbial membranes and down-regulate inflammatory mediators in vitro and in models.
Anxiolytic/analgesic (aromatherapy): inhaled rose oil modulates autonomic markers and subjective anxiety/pain in clinical settings.
Cartilage/anti-inflammatory (rosehip): standardized R. canina powders contain galactolipids (e.g., GOPO) and polyphenols that reduce CRP and pain scores in OA trials (non-ulcerogenic).
Dermatologic barrier/repair (rosehip seed oil): high PUFA + antioxidants support barrier lipids and wound/scar remodeling in preliminary clinical/experimental work.

Evidence-Based Uses and Benefits:

1. Primary dysmenorrhea (pain relief; aromatherapy):

Randomized controlled trial(s) show inhalation of R. damascena oil during menses reduces pain vs. control. Effect sizes are modest to moderate. 2. Anxiety & sleep (adjunct):
In hospitalized/burn and procedural settings, rose oil inhalation reduced anxiety and improved sleep quality vs. control in RCTs; broader meta-analyses of inhalation aromatherapy support a small but significant anxiolytic effect. 3. Osteoarthritis symptoms (rosehip fruit powder; oral):
Meta-analyses and RCTs (2–3 months) with standardized R. canina hip powder show reduced pain and improved function compared with placebo; heterogeneity exists across preparations. 4. Scars/wound care (topical rosehip seed oil):
A small body of clinical and translational evidence indicates improvements in post-surgical scar quality and wound healing, though high-quality RCTs are few; treat as promising adjunct.

Counter Interactions:

Pregnancy/lactation: Culinary rose/tea is fine; avoid medicinal-dose aromatherapy and high-dose rosehip supplements due to limited data.
History of fragrance allergy/atopy: Higher risk of contact dermatitis to oxidized rose oil components; patch test leave-on products. Cosmetic safety assessments support use within IFRA limits.
Kidney stone history (calcium oxalate): high vitamin-C rosehip products may increase oxalate burden; use cautiously.

Side Effects:

Rose oil (topical/aroma): Headache or nausea with intense aroma exposure; contact dermatitis possible, especially with aged/oxidized oils. Adhere to IFRA category limits.

Drug Interactions:

Sedatives/anxiolytics: Aromatherapy may have additive calming (usually mild); monitor subjective effects.
Anticoagulants/antiplatelets: Standardized rosehip powders have not shown clinically significant platelet inhibition like some botanicals, but monitor bleeding risk when combining multiple supplements; data are limited and preparation specific.
Topical actives (retinoids/AHAs): Combining with rosehip seed oil is common; watch for irritation from other actives rather than the oil itself.

Research and White Papers with Links:

1. Rose oil composition & variability: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10758878/ 2. Cosmetic safety & rose water composition: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7587601/ 3. Dysmenorrhea/anxiolysis aromatherapy: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27502800/

Conclusions:

Rose spans flower-based aromatherapy (R. damascena) and fruit/seed-based nutraceutical/derm applications (R. canina). Best-supported uses are: Aromatherapy for dysmenorrhea pain and situational anxiety (modest but consistent RCT signals).