Alta Oils — rose mark Alta OilsValley of the Roses · BG
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Production

From field to flask

Three technologies under one roof — steam distillation, solvent extraction and CO₂ extraction — starting from flowers picked at dawn in the Valley of the Roses.

02

Steam distillation

The classic method for rose, lavender, melissa and herbs.

Essential oils · floral waters 03

Solvent extraction

For the most delicate flowers, captured in their full depth.

Concretes · absolutes 04

CO₂ extraction

Modern, low-temperature extraction with no solvent residues.

Clean natural extracts

01 · Harvest

It starts in the field, at dawn

Damask roses are picked very early in the morning, while the dew is still on the petals, and taken to the distillery as quickly as possible. It takes about 2 million roses to produce 1 kg of pure rose oil.

RosesWatch ↗
MelissaWatch ↗
LavenderWatch ↗

02 · Steam distillation

Essential oils and floral waters

Our essential oils →

Steam distillation is how most of our essential oils are made. Nothing is added: steam, time and the plant itself do the work.

Steam rising from a copper still loaded with herbs at the Alta Oils distillery
Unloading a copper still after distillation
  1. 01

    Fresh plant material

    Flowers or herbs are loaded into the still soon after harvest.

  2. 02

    Steam

    Steam passes through the plant material and carries away the volatile aroma compounds.

  3. 03

    Condenser

    The vapour is cooled and turns back into liquid.

  4. 04

    Separator

    Oil and water separate naturally into two layers.

ResultEssential oilFloral water (hydrosol)
  • Stainless-steel stills2 × 10 t
  • Copper stills4 × 5 t
  • Rose plantations nearby1,000 ha

03 · Solvent extraction

How rose absolute is made

Fresh rose flowers are extracted with hexane to obtain rose concrete. The concrete is then extracted with ethyl alcohol, which is evaporated to leave the pure rose absolute. Every batch passes quality control at the start and at the end.

  • Raw material
  • Quality control
  • Product
  • Solvent removed

Rose absolute specification →

  1. Raw materialRosa damascena, Rosaceae (flowers)
  2. QCQuality control check
  3. Solvent extraction (hexane)
  4. ProductRose concrete↳ Removal of solvent (hexane)
    Removal of solvent (hexane)
  5. Solvent extraction (ethyl alcohol)
  6. ProductRose absolute↳ Evaporation of alcohol
    Evaporation of alcohol
  7. QCQuality control check
  8. Packaging and labelling
  9. Storage under controlled conditions

04 · CO₂ extraction

CO₂ extraction, right here in Tazha

Our production site at the foot of the Balkan Mountains now runs one of the leading technologies for natural extracts.

CO2 extraction plant at the Alta Oils production site in Tazha
Production hall with the CO2 extraction line in Tazha

Why CO₂ extraction

Cleaner extracts, closer to the living plant

01

No solvent residues

Carbon dioxide leaves the extract completely once the process ends.

02

Low temperature

Heat-sensitive aroma compounds are preserved, so the scent stays true to the plant.

03

Alongside steam distillation

We keep our copper and stainless-steel stills for classic essential oils and floral waters.

  • LocationTazha, Bulgaria
  • ExtractionSupercritical CO₂
Freshly distilled oil and a sealed, labelled vessel ready for storage

05 · Quality

Quality control at every step

Every product is specified by physico-chemical data and GC composition, and our production is GMP, Organic, Halal and Kosher certified.

Our certificates →