Spring is wonderful with its aromas, freshness, colors and the awakening of new life. Therefore, we found it extremely useful and appropriate to tell a little more about absolutes and their properties. Moreover, in MaKaSa you can find an extraordinary variety, not only of the familiar absolutes of rose and jasmine, but exotics, such as tuberose, mimosa, frangipani and forest violet. It is no accident that aromatherapy is a combination of science and art – to obtain the miraculous mixtures, the scientific knowledge of plants and oils is equally applied, combining it with the art of extracting the finest aroma. Widely used in perfumery, the aroma of absoluto is closer to the original plant product than the aroma of the essential oil obtained by steam distillation.

So let's learn the difference between essential oils obtained by steam distillation or cold pressing and absolutes obtained by solvent extraction.

What actually is an absolute (ABSOLUTE)?

Absolute is a highly concentrated, highly aromatic oil that is extracted from the aromatic flowers of plants. It is similar to an essential oil, but it is extracted from a specific solvent, ethanol (alcohol). The raw materials of absolutes are either too delicate or too inert to be steam distilled. They can only get their flavor through solvent extraction. Absolutes include rose, jasmine, tuberose, ylang-ylang, mimosa, lavender, lavender, geranium, pansy, tonka bean (Dipteryx odorata), borage, narcissus, and more.

What is the difference with essential oil?

Absolutes are mainly used in perfumery - this is not an essential oil, although it contains components of it. While essential oils are produced by distillation or cold pressing, absolutes are obtained by traditional extraction (anflorage*) or solvent extraction. This method is suitable for delicate plant material that is difficult to distill.

* Anflorage is a technique that extracts the scent of the plant by means of fat. No heat is used, but it is also the most ancient way to extract a subtle floral aroma. The method is very outdated and is not used nowadays as it is extremely time consuming. The petals of the plant are arranged on a thin layer of fat spread on a piece of glass. It takes 24 hours for jasmine flowers and 72 for tuberose. They are then removed and replaced with new fresh flowers, the process is repeated until the fat is saturated with the aromatic perfume.

What is solvent extraction (so-called volatile solvents)?

In this type of extraction, the solvent "draws" the oil from the plant material. In order to be able to process flowers such as Rose Damascena, Tuberose or Mimosa, experts perfected the technique, which is based on the use of volatile solutions. Distillation by steam or cold pressing can damage the delicate colors, producing an oil with an undesirable aroma or lower quality. In some cases, solvent extraction yields more oil than other production methods.

The smaller molecules of essential oils produced by steam distillation evaporate more quickly into the air and easily lose their fragrance durability. Solvent extraction, on the other hand, produces oils with heavier molecules – which is why many absolutes are often more persistent in fragrance than essential oils. Some molecules in plants are too large. When extracted by steam distillation, it is impossible for them to manifest in the essential oil, but they will manifest in the absolute.

In which cases can you use absolutes and for what?

We recommend that you only use absolutes topically added to a base/vegetable oil, as the solvents, waxes and other components contained may damage your home aroma diffuser. Floral absolutes are known for their amazing calming or uplifting fragrance. They are wonderful for various spa procedures – aroma massages, aroma bath, aroma steam bath. If you've had a stressful day, the aroma of these oils will help reduce your stress level. You can also relieve your tension with a short massage at home.

And of course absolutes are great for making homemade perfumes. You need a suitable base oil (fractionated coconut, jojoba, almond, argan). Note that absolutes have a much more concentrated scent, in most cases you will need no more than 1 drop per 10-20ml of base oil. A tip from us, you can add a drop of absolute to floral water and thus enrich its pleasant aroma!

Safety precautions and features

Can you mix absolutes with essential oils – yes, you can, but remember to follow the precautions for safe dilution of essential oils. The rules for proper and safe use of essential oils are the same when applying absolutes – in short, never apply undiluted to the skin! Dilute with a carrier/vegetable oil according to specific needs. You can read more about safety HERE.

QUEEN OF THE NIGHT – TUBEROSA ABSOLUTE

Tuberose is present in floral and oriental compositions, and its aroma is a sweet, intoxicating and magical fragrance. Part of the world's popular perfumes, such as Channel No.5, Gucci Gracious Tuberose, Amarige Givenchy, Dior Poison, Estée Lauder Tuberose Gardenia, etc. The inspiration of Karl Lagerfeld, who in 1975 created the beautiful and feminine perfume "Chloe".

We offer tuberose absolute from the company Primavera.

Tuberose is slightly reminiscent of the scent of lily and hyacinth. Its aroma is felt most strongly in the evening, and that is why it is called the "Queen of the Night". Its birthplace is Mexico, but it is also grown in France, Italy, Spain, as well as in the lands of India and Morocco. In these countries, this amazing flower grows not only for decorative purposes, but usually entire plantations are used for the production of the perfume ingredient.

Its fragrance acts harmonizing, relaxing, but at the same time intoxicating. It is suitable for massage mixtures, aroma baths and perfume compositions with base oils. Tuberose is also an effective antidepressant. It helps reduce anxiety and calm your mind. Relieves depressive states, nervousness and other neurological ailments. The oil helps to stimulate circulation and will relax you during meditation.

MIMOSA ABSOLUTE – SYMBOL OF WOMEN

Mimosa, also called silver acacia, is an evergreen tree with pinnate, blue-green, silvery leaves and bright sunny-yellow flowers that bloom in the warm climate of the Mediterranean. The tree grows up to 12 meters high and is used to make furniture. Flowers and twig tops are popular among florists as extremely exotic decorations.

In 1946 The UDI (Unione Donne Italiane) chooses the mimosa as the symbol of International Women's Rights Day because it is one of the most beautiful plants that blooms first at the end of February. An elegant and strong plant, just like all women.

It is widely used in the perfumery industry as a fragrance fixer that balances other ingredients. It has a warm, floral, sweet scent with a slight woody undertone. In aromatherapy, it is used for calming, harmonizing, natural antidepressant. It is also often used in the cosmetics industry because of its nourishing and moisturizing properties, which complement the effectiveness of creams and serums.

FOREST PANSY LEAF ABSOLUTE – A SYMBOL OF FERTILITY AND LOVE

A truly exotic, dark green absolute that you can find in the MaKaSa store. It has an interesting green scent with a slight earthy, floral character at low dilutions. Great for home aroma compositions and perfumes and for enriching therapeutic massage blends. It mixes particularly well with essential oils from the families of flowers, herbs, and trees.

This absolute is extremely suitable for "timidity of spirit", it can help to promote our security, courage and confidence.

The ancient Greeks considered the wild pansy a symbol of fertility and love and used it in love potions. From the fresh leaves of the pleasantly fragrant violets, especially the "Victoria" variety, is obtained the dark green absolute, which is a real value among aromatic substances and serves as an accent to floral perfumes.

HER MAJESTY THE ROSE

Although we could write a whole article about the rose and its wonderful properties, here we will try to tell you very briefly about the three main products that are extracted - rose concrete, rose absolute and rose oil. Very different concepts that should not be confused.

Pink concrete

Pink concrete is a product obtained from the flowers of the Bulgarian butter rose, extracted by the method of extraction with ether. Approximately 1 kg of butter rose flowers are needed to produce 350 kg of rose concrete. It is used to make rose absolute and is an ingredient in many cosmetic skin care products as well as in perfumery.

The pink flowers are successively doused with solvent. Thus, the mixture is pumped into other vessels, called evaporators, from where, at a relatively low temperature, most of the solvent is distilled. The resulting concentrated solution is vacuum distilled to yield a solid, red-colored product called pink concrete.

The pink concrete contains all the components of rose oil, with phenylethyl alcohol being the predominant one – about 70%. The composition of the concrete includes over 166 components. It has been proven that the concrete produced by processing the flowers of the Bulgarian oil-bearing rose is of the highest quality worldwide.

Pink absolute

The rose absolute that we offer at MaKaSa is from the Bulgarian high-quality manufacturer Alteya Organics - a company popular for its cosmetic products containing the magical properties of rose oil.

Absolute is a product obtained by extraction with ethyl alcohol of rose concrete, extracted from petals of the Bulgarian rose Rosa Damascena. Extremely valued in natural perfumery. Absolute differs from rose oil, as it contains not only essential oil, but also has a more saturated color, a higher content of waxes and other components of the plant.

Rosé absolute is a viscous liquid of an orange-yellow, reddish or slightly olive-yellow color with an extremely rich, warm and floral aroma. It absolutely captivates with its rich rose fragrance, with a more or less pronounced honey note depending on the vintage.

A 100% pure product of Alteya Organics , rose absolute is a certified product from the Bulgarian government-appointed laboratory at the Institute of Rose and Essential Oil Crops, Kazanlak - the supreme authority on roses in the world.

Rose oil Rose Otto

A bit of interesting history about roses - oil roses were first cultivated in Persia and it was the first country to produce rose oil. It is believed that the soldiers of Alexander the Great brought it to the Balkan Peninsula during their campaigns. Due to its qualities and price, the oil is also known as "liquid gold". Its production is labor-intensive, and for one kilogram of rose oil, about 3 tons of pink flowers are needed.

Bulgaria is famous for its traditions in growing and distilling rose oil. The extraction of Bulgarian rose oil is accompanied by centuries-old cultural traditions. Rose picking is done by hand, and picking starts very early in the morning and continues until noon at the latest. The flower should be fresh and not fully bloomed. This is necessary to preserve its aroma and moisture as much as possible and to extract them later during the distillation.

The high-quality Bulgarian rose oil Rose Otto is obtained by distillation of the oil-bearing rose Rosa Damascena. The name "Bulgarian Rose Oil" was protected by a patent in 2014 as a Bulgarian product in the register of geographical indications protected by the European Commission.

Bulgarian rose oil won gold medals at exhibitions in Paris, London, Philadelphia, Antwerp, Milan. Bulgaria was the world leader in the export of rose oil until 1983. Nowadays, despite our centuries-old traditions and culture, the largest producer and exporter (with a share of 65%) of rose oil in the world is Turkey. Bulgarian Rose Damascena is known for its astringent and antispasmodic effect. A strong aphrodisiac, antidepressant and antiseptic, the oil has antiviral, sedative, tonic and appetite-regulating effects. Rose Oil creates a feeling of calm and well-being.

Alteya Organics Organic Rose Oil is considered one of the highest quality oils available on the market. The rich molecular structure of rose oil makes it one of the most beneficial essential oils in skin and personal care products. Alteya Organics Bulgarian Rose Oil contains powerful healing, restorative and anti-aging properties in a highly concentrated form that contributes to vitality and balance. You can add it to a moisturizing cream or lotion to rejuvenate the skin and improve its texture.