Benefits
Skin moisture in women with dry skin
In 44 healthy Japanese women aged 40 to 50 who were aware of dry skin, 100 mg a day of a blue rose petal extract powder for 4 weeks raised skin surface water content more than placebo, one of two main outcomes. Water loss through the skin, the other main outcome, did not improve and favored placebo, which the authors put down to a baseline imbalance. The maker funded the trial and employed its authors.
Skin wrinkles, elasticity and hydration over 12 weeks
In 100 healthy adults aged 25 to 65, one 300 mg tablet a day of an anthocyanin-containing Rosa chinensis petal extract for 12 weeks improved wrinkle measures, roughness, elasticity, hydration and skin barrier readings compared with placebo, according to the abstract, which names no main outcome. Most authors worked for two companies, and the result has not been repeated.
Mood and feelings of stress after menopause
In two placebo-controlled trials in postmenopausal women without known psychiatric illness, 1.5 g a day of dried petal capsules for 40 days, or 1 g a day of extract for 8 weeks, lowered depression and anxiety questionnaire scores more than placebo, and stress scores in the 8-week trial. In the registered trial these were secondary outcomes, and its main outcome has not been reported.
Sexual function after menopause
In 82 postmenopausal women, rose extract capsules taken every 12 hours for 8 weeks raised total sexual function scores more than placebo at 4 and 8 weeks, a secondary outcome of a trial whose registered main outcome is unreported. Oral rose oil trials in people taking antidepressants are drug co-treatment results.
Comfort during menstrual periods
In 130 Taiwanese adolescents with painful periods, those assigned to drink rose tea reported less menstrual pain, distress and anxiety than a control group over 6 months; the abstract does not describe a placebo or the dose. A pooled analysis of seven trials of oral Damask rose products for acute pain found a reduction that was not statistically significant.
Liver enzymes and blood lipids in a 12-week trial
In 72 adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease given diet and walking advice, 3 g a day of Damask rose petal powder for 12 weeks lowered the liver enzyme ALT by a larger percentage than placebo, the main outcome, and improved cholesterol, triglycerides and waist size. This was a disease population and the trial has not been repeated.
Mechanism of action
Flavonol glycosides, phenolic acids and tannins
Chemical analysis of a Damask rose flower extract identified 14 kaempferol glycosides, 12 quercetin glycosides, galloyl glycosides and 7 ellagitannins, and the extract and its phenolic-rich fraction showed antioxidant activity in lab tests. Total phenolic content varies widely between rose species. Which compounds, if any, act in people is not known.
Anthocyanin metabolites and skin (mouse study)
In hairless mice given an anthocyanin-containing rose petal extract by mouth for 12 weeks, UVB-induced wrinkles, water loss through the skin and moisture loss were reduced. The anthocyanins were broken down to protocatechuic acid, which was measured in the blood. This is animal and cell work, not a human finding.
Slowing carbohydrate digestion (rat study)
A methanol extract of Damask rose flowers inhibited the starch- and sugar-digesting enzyme alpha-glucosidase in lab tests, and 100 to 1000 mg/kg by mouth lowered blood glucose after a maltose load in normal and diabetic rats. This has not been tested in people.
Clinical trials
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial; 500 mg capsules of shade-dried, powdered Damask rose petals or dried bread powder placebo three times daily for 40 days; no primary outcome labeled, sample size based on depression scores; registered IRCT20190305042936N1; sponsored by Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences; not indexed in PubMed (Riazi et al. 2021, Evidence Based Care)
110 postmenopausal women aged 45 to 60 in Tehran without known psychological disease; 104 analyzed (49 rose, 55 placebo).
Beck depression scores fell from 18.31 to 12.16 on rose and stayed near 17 on placebo; the groups did not differ at day 20 (p = 0.10) but did at day 40 (p = 0.001). Anxiety scores fell from 45.14 to 35.67 on rose versus 47.76 to 48.40 on placebo (between-group p < 0.001 at days 20 and 40). Six women on rose reported nausea or diarrhea.
Triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial; 500 mg Damask rose extract (hydroalcoholic, per the registry) or placebo capsules twice daily for 8 weeks; registered IRCT20210208050295N1, where the primary outcome is menopausal symptom severity (Menopause Rating Scale) and DASS-21 scores are a secondary outcome; funded by Mashhad University of Medical Sciences per the registry (Gholinezhad et al. 2025, Maturitas)
82 naturally menopausal women aged 45 to 60 without serious medical conditions.
Depression scores fell from 10.1 to 3.9 on rose and rose from 8.7 to 9.6 on placebo; anxiety fell from 14.6 to 6.2 versus 12.9 to 12.2; stress fell from 19.0 to 7.6 versus 15.9 to 17.6 (all between-group p < 0.001). The registered primary outcome, menopausal symptom severity, was not found in any PubMed paper from the trial team.
Triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial; one Damask rose extract capsule every 12 hours for 8 weeks; Female Sexual Function Index at 4 and 8 weeks; same authors, size and schedule as registered trial IRCT20210208050295N1, which lists sexual function as a secondary outcome (the abstract gives no registry number) (Gholinezhad et al. 2025, Explore (NY))
82 menopausal women randomized to rose extract or placebo.
Total FSFI score improved more than placebo at 4 weeks (P = 0.016) and 8 weeks (P < 0.001). Arousal, lubrication, satisfaction and pain scores improved at both times, and desire and orgasm at 8 weeks.
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel trial; one 100 mg capsule a day of KRE-101, a hot-water extract of petals from a crossbred blue rose variety diluted with maltodextrin to 3% total polyphenols, or maltodextrin for 4 weeks; co-primary outcomes were skin water content and transepidermal water loss; registered UMIN000050470; funded by the maker, Kinjirushi Co., Ltd., which employed all three authors (Aoyagi et al. 2025, J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo))
48 healthy Japanese women aged 40 to 50 aware of dry skin; 44 analyzed per protocol (21 extract, 23 placebo).
Stratum corneum water content rose 10.24 units on the extract versus 1.54 on placebo (between-group p < 0.001). Transepidermal water loss did not improve (+0.18 versus -0.82 g/h/m2), and a between-group difference in favor of placebo (p = 0.007) was attributed by the authors to a baseline imbalance. Some secondary measures, including the melanin index, favored the extract.
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial; one tablet a day with 300 mg of NOVAROSE® (anthocyanin-containing Rosa chinensis petal extract) or placebo for 12 weeks; skin measured at weeks 6 and 12; the abstract names no primary outcome and the full text was not available; four authors are from NOVAWells Co., Ltd. and three from Mariedm Co., Ltd., the authors declared no competing financial interests, and the publisher record lists a grant from the Korean Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Kim et al. 2026, J Med Food)
100 healthy men and women aged 25 to 65.
Wrinkle indices, skin roughness, elasticity, dermal density and sagging improved more than with placebo, as did hydration, transepidermal water loss and skin flaking. Compliance exceeded 95% and no serious adverse events were reported. The abstract gives no group-level numbers.
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial; two 500 mg capsules of dried, crushed Damask rose petals or toasted flour placebo three times daily (3 g/day) for 12 weeks, with diet and walking advice for both groups; primary outcome ALT; registered IRCT20191006044994N1; supported by Iran University of Medical Sciences (Moravej et al. 2021, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med)
74 adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (mean age 40, mostly men); 72 completed.
ALT fell by a larger percentage on rose petal powder than on placebo (p = 0.042). Waist circumference, triglycerides, total and LDL cholesterol, HDL and ultrasound fatty liver grade also changed more favorably than with placebo, while fasting glucose did not change significantly. No serious adverse events; blood counts, BUN and creatinine stayed normal.
Randomized controlled trial of drinking rose tea versus a control group, with outcomes at 1, 3 and 6 months; the abstract does not give the rose species, the tea dose, blinding or what the control group received (Tseng et al. 2005, J Midwifery Womens Health)
130 female adolescents in Taiwan with primary dysmenorrhea (70 rose tea, 60 control).
Compared with controls, the rose tea group reported less menstrual pain, distress and anxiety and greater psychophysiologic well-being at 1, 3 and 6 months. No placebo drink is described.
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial; 2 mL a day of oral Damask rose oil drops (17 mg citronellol, made by Barij Essence) or a scented oil-water placebo added to ongoing antidepressant treatment for 8 weeks; registered IRCT2013100814333N10; the authors declared no conflicts (Farnia et al. 2015, Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat)
Men (mean age 32) with major depressive disorder and antidepressant-related sexual dysfunction; the abstract reports 60, the full text 68 randomized and analyzed by intention to treat.
Sexual function scores improved more on rose oil than placebo (significant time by group interactions), with the groups differing at week 8, and depression scores fell more on rose oil. No side effects were reported. A companion trial in 50 women found only a small effect. This is a drug co-treatment result in a diagnosed condition.