Rose Water is the fragrant water produced when rose petals are distilled, and as a perfume note it describes a light, fresh, watery rose scent. It belongs to the floral family and smells of clean, dewy petals with a hint of green, closer to a spritz of floral water than to rich rose oil.

What does Rose Water smell like?

Real rose water smells soft, cool and slightly sweet, with a delicate petal note and sometimes a faint cooked or vegetal edge. It is dominated by phenylethyl alcohol, the gentle, water-soluble rose molecule that stays in the water during distillation, which is why it feels quieter and rounder than rose oil. In fragrance, a rose water note usually means a sheer, transparent rose with aquatic freshness, often lifted by citrus or aldehydes, rather than a deep, jammy flower.

Where Rose Water comes from

When damask or centifolia petals are distilled, the condensed steam separates into a small amount of oil and a much larger volume of scented water. In some places rose water is the main product rather than a by-product, notably in Iran, where Kashan and the village of Qamsar are famous for it, and in Morocco, Turkey, Bulgaria and Taif.

• Also known as: Rose hydrosol, rosewater, gulab (South Asia), golab (Iran)
• Fragrance family: Floral
• Type: Natural (in perfume, usually an accord)
• Main origins: Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, India
• How it's obtained: Water or steam distillation of rose petals
• Key aroma molecules: Phenylethyl alcohol, citronellol, geraniol

Rose Water in perfume history

Rose water is one of the oldest distilled products in the world. It was produced in Persia well over a thousand years ago, and the physician Ibn Sina is often associated with improving its distillation. Medieval traders carried it throughout the Islamic world and to Europe, where it scented gloves, linens and early toilet waters. It has also long been used in cooking, from Persian desserts to Turkish delight and Indian sweets.

Rose Water in modern perfumery

Rose water itself is too weak and too watery to be used in alcoholic perfume, so perfumers recreate the effect with rose alcohols, fresh aquatic notes and a little natural rose oil. Rose water accords have become popular in minimalist, skin-like fragrances and in body mists, and the real hydrosol remains widely used in skincare and cooking.

How Rose Water wears and what it pairs with

A rose water accord usually reads as a top-to-heart note, light and relatively short-lived unless supported by musks. It pairs well with bergamot, lemon, cucumber, green tea, lychee, iris, white musk and soft woods.