Rare Essential Oils

The "Queen of Flowers" Rules the Valley Again

The Rose Valley, Bulgaria and Chicago, USA (PRWEB) June 30, 2011

Alteya Organics, a member of Alteya Group and a leading Bulgarian rose grower, essential oil distiller, and USDA Organic skin care manufacturer, announced this weekend the successful completion of the 2011 rose harvesting campaign.

"The rose harvest was great this year. The mix of days of sunshine and rain during the blossoming period was extremely favorable, and this reflected in the excellent aroma and quality of the rose oil and rose water we distilled this season. The rose oil this year has unique and very rich, multilayered floral fragrance with slightly spicy notes" said George Kolev, Alteya's General Manager of Operations. "The actual rose blossom output was lower compared to last season, but our main focus is always on quality, not quantity so we are very proud of the outcome."

The complexity of extracting essential oil from the rose plant causes it to be a very rare, highly sought-after and expensive substance. Mr. Kolev estimates that on average, it took over 4,000 pounds of rose blossoms this year to produce just 1 pound of Bulgarian Rose Oil (rose otto). This is slightly higher than the average and coupled with increased customer demand will most likely push the price of the rose otto by about 5-10% above last year's levels. Additionally, the collective Bulgarian Rose Otto output from all producers in the Rose Valley was initially expected to exceed 3,000 lbs this year but actual production was about 20% lower than those estimates. This was mainly due to lower rose blossom output caused by cooler spring weather as well as weak economy, which lead to many small rose growers abandoning their crops due to lack of financing.

There are approximately 36,000 dka of rose fields in Bulgaria, employing over 37,000 workers during the peak of harvesting. True to its mission to operate in an Earth-friendly and socially-responsible manner, Alteya again hired over 700 Gypsies, Pomaks and other ethnic minorities from the local village communities this harvest season. "Over 80% of our rose-pickers are the same year-over- year. We really consider them part of our extended family in the region. We celebrate the magic of the Rose together and its always thrilling to learn more about the Gypsy customs, festivities and vibrant culture" said Kaloian Stoev, Head of Organic Production and Sales of Alteya Organics .

Due to growing customer demand and Alteya's own Organic Skin Care production needs, key focus for the company this season continued to be the distillation of USDA Organic rose oil and water, regardless of the difficulties associated with organic agriculture. The expenses of growing roses organically are almost twice higher than those incurred for conventional roses, while organically grown rose plants produce approximately 40% less blossoms. The extra efforts are completely worth it - organic rose oil is considered among the purest, most potent and rare essential oils in the world. Alteya recently introduced its USDA Organic Bio-Damascena ® Skin Care line , which is exclusively based on Organic Bulgarian Rose Oil and consists of a anti-ageing face creams, lotions, moisturizers, hair treatments and lip balms. They are sure to carry the magic of the Queen of Flowers, the vibrant festivities, old traditions and mesmerizing images well beyond the harvesting season.

Fragrance Oils | 2 Finneys Fragrances

This is an ongoing debate within the candle and bath/body industries as well as among consumers.  To fully understand the debate you need to know the difference between fragrance and essential.

Definition

Fragrance oils are synthetic (man made); produced by chemists in laboratories.  FDA lists guidelines for companies to follow in order to protect the consumer from toxic oils. The majority of candle fragrances are created using fragrance oils.  There is no plant or bark that naturally smells like cotton candy.

Essential oils are derived from plant matter, such as the leaves, stems, flower buds, and bark.  Orange or rosemary are naturally occuring scents produced from plants.

Which One is Better?  

Fragrance oils come in a wide variety of choices to produce a variety of aromas.  If you want the smell of beer or dirt, chemists have created it!  The synthetic properties of the oil allow it to emit a strong scent at a reasonable price.  A good example of offering reasonably priced fragranced soy candles can be found at Harvest Glow, LLC .

Essential oils are not as abdundant.  Actually, a few oils are being over-harvested due to the rising demand of essential oils. It takes aout 30 rose petals to produce one tiny drop of rose oil! The process of extracting oil from the plant actually breaks down it’s vitamin and nutrient benefits. Essential oils used in candles cannot be absorbed into the body, there are no known therapeutic benefits to burning a candle made with essential oils.  Essential oils as well as fragrance oils are known to produce psychological effects that is some cases can be just as strong as the therapeutic effects.

Pure essential oils are great for aromatherapy when used in diffusers or massage aides. The price tag is fairly steep, however; rare essential oils are as much as a couple hundred per ounce!  Fragrance oils can provide a stronger burning candle at a fraction of the cost.

It basically comes down to each individual’s preference and use requirements.

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