Roses for fragrances and cosmetics

People attempted to capture the perfume of roses very early on. The Babylonians, for example, dipped rose petals in fat to preserve them in around 1500 BC. The distillation of rose oil, in contrast, came from Persia and was also a familiar technique later in Ancient Rome.
Since the perfume of roses is a stimulant and “bewitches the senses”, it was hardly surprising that courtesans also discovered it.

In those circles, the excessive use of rose perfume was almost proverbial. Even in the 17th century, bordellos in Germany were still called “rose houses” for that reason and ladies who sold their affections were “ladies from Rose Lane”. In the 18th century, the rose reached the peak of its popularity and featured in a huge variety of formulas for fragrances. In those days, rose water not only flowed from “perfume fountains” where people could refill their bottles and was sprayed to give rooms a pleasant scent:

smelling bottles also came into fashion, with essences consisting of nine parts vinegar and one part rose oil. Today, it is impossible to imagine fragrances and cosmetics without the scent of roses.

Talking of perfume: the word is derived from “per fumum” (through smoke) and goes back to the fact that aromatic substances were disseminated by fumigators from early times.