These sorts of oils might be obtained from the same plant; however, the method of production is completely different.
🌹 Rose Otto Oil is produced by Hydro Distillation. Rose petals (in our case from the Rosa Damascena plant) are placed in a container with pure water then slowly heated. The warm water allows the flowers to release their essential oil. The steam and essential oil pass through a cooling process and finally to a container where the oils float on the surface. The essential oil is collected and sold as Rose Otto. Rose Otto is solid in room temperature. It has a classic rose scent - deep, rich and inviting.
🌹 Rose Absolute Oil is produced by Solvent Extraction, which happens in three stages. First, the rose petals are placed in a drum with an organic solvent, usually hexane or toluene, and rotated. This draws out the aromatic portion of the petals. When the hexane has evaporated, what remains is a thick, waxy substance called a concrete (not used by aromatherapists). Next, the waxes and non-aromatic components are filtered out of the concrete with ethanol alcohol, leaving behind an aromatic liquid called Rose Absolute. Solvent extraction gives a greater yield than distillation which is why Rose Absolute tends to be less expensive than Rose Otto. The colour of Rose absolute tends to be a dark orange to red with an intense, pungent rose aroma.
