Amouage, IFF LMR create new Omani rose

Amouage is developing a new perfumery ingredient from a unique Omani rose, in collaboration with the natural ingredients expert LMR Naturals by IFF. The project, targeting the 2027 harvest, aims to transform the region's traditional rose water production into a scalable source of high-quality essential oil for fragrance creation.

For centuries, the Damascena Trigintipetala rose has been cultivated on the terraces of the Jabal Akhdar mountains in Oman. Grown at over 2000 meters altitude, roughly two hours from Muscat, the flower develops a singular olfactory profile. Francesca Bonati, Head of Fragrance Development at Amouage, explains that the rocky soil, steep terrain, and temperatures around fifteen degrees cooler than the rest of Oman give this rose a signature that is "more vibrant, green, and mineral" than the same varieties grown in Turkey or Bulgaria.

Traditionally, these hand-harvested blooms are destined for rose water production. Distilled over a wood fire in clay alembics between mid-March and late April, this ancestral process imbues the rose water with subtle woody and smoky nuances. The essential oil is a rarer by-product of this single distillation.

From Cultural Symbol to Perfumery Ingredient

Rose water is a deep cultural symbol in Oman, though Renaud Salmon, Creative Director at Amouage, notes it has become "an almost tourist product today." In contrast, the production of the pure essential oil does not exceed about fifty milliliters. Amouage sees realistic potential for scaling this into a viable economic model, as not all mountain terraces are currently utilized. The rose has the advantage of yielding first results just two to three years after planting, and the mountains already have an irrigation system in place.

To achieve this, Amouage has partnered with LMR Naturals by IFF. Sabrya Meflah, President of Fine Fragrance at IFF, states this collaboration aligns with the vision and values of LMR's founder, Monique Rémy. The goal is to create a new ingredient by combining the traditional rose water with the precious essential oil, without resorting to petrochemicals.

The LMR Extraction Process

Bertrand de Préville, General Manager of LMR, explains the technique. The teams at LMR will recover the aromatic molecules present in the rose water distillation water. These will be recombined with the rose essence to obtain a complete essential oil, rather than a mere by-product. Naturally present alcohols in the water will also be valorized to add a petal-like facet to the Omani rose.

This approach exemplifies LMR's expertise: identifying the most interesting facets of a raw material, isolating them, and revealing them to offer perfumers increasingly differentiated ingredients. The extraction will be performed directly in Oman to protect the flowers from heat and sun. Equipment is expected to be operational for the harvest from mid-March to mid-April 2027.

A New Olfactory Signature for Amouage

Beyond enriching a perfumer's palette, this initiative aims to shape a new olfactory signature for Amouage. It follows the vision of Creative Director Renaud Salmon, which began in 2024 with a project around Wadi Dawkah frankincense. He describes the profile of Oman's Damascena rose as resonating with that oliban: "a very mineral rose, with a modern breath, its zesty notes and its rose oxide facet."

The project also seeks to valorize local farmers' work. Sabrya Meflah emphasizes that LMR brings scientific expertise to a chain of value, transparency, quality, and giving back to communities. If volumes permit in the longer term, like the Omani frankincense, Omani rose could be commercialized to contribute to the local economy and enrich the creative palette of the profession. The first volumes will be dedicated to IFF's creations for Amouage. Salmon stresses the ambition is to use it in sufficient quantity so its uniqueness can be fully expressed, not to claim an ingredient for symbolic use.