The Scientific Journey of a Rose Distillate: Akita’s Research from 2003 to the Present

The Scientific Journey of a Rose Distillate: Akita’s Research from 2003 to the Present

From the development of Non-Deoiled Rose Distillate to chemical characterization, cosmetic performance assessments, and exploratory RF research.

Rose water has been part of Anatolian culture and traditional skincare practices for centuries. Yet not all rose waters derived from the same botanical species are produced in the same way, nor do they necessarily share the same chemical composition.

In 2003, Akita began developing its Non-Deoiled Rose Water approach, guided by a fundamental question about the distillation process:

What kind of rose distillate could be obtained if, instead of separating the rose essential oil from the distilled water, we sought to retain as much of the rose-derived material as possible within the same distillate?

Over time, this question evolved beyond a production concept and became the starting point for several lines of scientific investigation.

Akita's distillate, obtained from fresh Rosa damascena flowers, has been examined for its chemical composition, microbiological characteristics, stability, cosmetic performance, and eye irritation potential. Subsequent work has also addressed its identification within cosmetic ingredient nomenclature and its electromagnetic response in the radio-frequency range.

This article explores the development of Akita Non-Deoiled Rose Distillate from 2003 to the present, examining the reported research findings, their scientific significance, and the questions that remain unanswered.

1. The Beginning of a Research Concept: Treating Rose Water as the Primary Product

In conventional distillation processes designed primarily for rose essential oil production, the condensed distillate is collected and the essential oil phase is separated. The remaining aromatic water is then used as rose water.

Akita approached this process from a different perspective.

Rather than making rose essential oil the primary objective, the distillate itself became the focus of production.

The aim was to obtain a rose distillate that retained, as far as technically possible, both water-soluble aromatic constituents and the fraction associated with the naturally occurring essential oil.

According to Akita's technical documentation, the production method involves a single, extended steam distillation of fresh Rosa damascena flowers. The process, described as lasting approximately 8–11 hours, incorporates specific cooling conditions, and the oil fraction formed during distillation is not subsequently separated.

The technical documents also state that the process does not involve decantation, centrifugation, redistillation, solvents, ethanol, or added preservatives.

The resulting material is therefore described as a Rosa damascena flower distillate from which the naturally formed oil fraction has not been separated.

The scientific significance of this approach lies in the relationship between production conditions and the chemical characteristics of the finished material.

Distillation time, temperature, the ratio of water to flowers, cooling conditions, and whether the oil phase is removed can all influence the composition of the resulting distillate.

However, a different production method does not, by itself, demonstrate superior effectiveness or safety. Such questions require analytical characterization and appropriate experimental evaluation.

Akita's subsequent research began to address these questions.

2. From Production Method to Chemical Identity: GC-MS Analysis

One of the first steps in scientifically characterizing a botanical distillate is identifying its chemical constituents.

A widely used analytical technique for this purpose is Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), which enables the separation and identification of volatile and certain semi-volatile compounds under suitable analytical conditions.

GC-MS analyses conducted on Akita Non-Deoiled Rose Distillate at different times have provided information about its volatile constituent profile.

Phenethyl Alcohol and Other Aromatic Constituents

2-Phenylethanol, commonly referred to as phenethyl alcohol, is one of the characteristic aromatic constituents associated with Rosa damascena.

Its solubility characteristics make it particularly relevant to the chemical characterization of rose distillates and other aromatic waters.

Akita's GC-MS analysis dated July 2, 2024, reported the following major relative peak areas:

These figures do not represent the percentage concentrations of these compounds in the total liquid product.

For example, a relative peak area of 79.54% for phenethyl alcohol does not mean that 79.54% of the liquid inside the bottle consists of this compound.

Rather, the figure represents the relative size of the chromatographic signal obtained under the analytical method used.

Determining actual compound concentrations requires appropriately calibrated quantitative analysis, with results expressed in units such as milligrams per litre (mg/L).

This distinction is essential when interpreting the chemical composition of botanical distillates.

A compound producing a relatively large chromatographic peak does not, on its own, demonstrate the biological effectiveness or safety of the finished product.

Acetic Acid and the Aromatic Profile

Another constituent identified in Akita's distillate is acetic acid.

Acetic acid is an organic compound with characteristic odour properties. Alongside other volatile constituents, it may contribute to the overall aromatic character of the distillate.

Some users may perceive a faint acidic or slightly vinegar-like note accompanying the rose aroma. This is a potential subject for further sensory investigation, although the existing GC-MS results alone cannot establish the precise cause of that perception.

Akita's technical documentation states that neither vinegar nor acetic acid is added to the product.

From a chemical characterization perspective, a more important question concerns the consistency of these compounds across different production years and batches.

Akita's analyses conducted over time provide an initial basis for investigating the distillate's characteristic volatile profile.

However, demonstrating quantitative differences between Akita Non-Deoiled Rose Distillate and conventional rose waters from which the oil has been separated would require controlled comparisons using consistent analytical methods.

The principal scientific contribution of the existing GC-MS work is therefore the analytical information it provides about the material's volatile constituents.

These findings can also serve as a foundation for subsequent quality and stability investigations.

3. Microbiological Quality and Stability: How Does the Product Behave Over Time?

Microbiological quality is a fundamental component of the safety assessment of water-based cosmetic products.

For a distillate formulated without added conventional preservatives, several factors are particularly important: production hygiene, initial microbial load, filling conditions, packaging integrity, and storage duration.

The elevated temperatures involved in distillation can help reduce the initial microbial load.

However, it would be scientifically incorrect to assume that a distilled product cannot become contaminated after production or will remain microbiologically safe indefinitely.

For this reason, microbiological quality and stability assessments have formed a distinct part of Akita's research programme.

The Purpose of Stability Studies

According to Akita's technical records, stability evaluations have examined the physical, sensory, and microbiological behaviour of the distillate under different conditions.

Such studies generally assess changes in:

• Appearance, colour, and odour

• Physical characteristics

• Microbiological quality

• Properties affected by storage conditions

Observations of certain unopened samples retained from earlier Akita production batches, which reportedly showed no obvious physical or sensory changes over extended periods, have also raised questions worthy of further investigation.

Nevertheless, the absence of visible deterioration in individual stored samples does not establish the shelf life of every production batch.

Shelf-life assessments must be supported by defined testing protocols, appropriate microbiological analyses, and relevant packaging and storage data.

Could the Natural Composition Contribute to Stability?

Phenethyl alcohol, organic acids, and other constituents identified in Akita's distillate represent potential variables for investigating its microbiological behaviour.

One scientifically relevant hypothesis is the possibility of a multiple-hurdle mechanism, often referred to as the hurdle effect.

In this framework, microbial growth may be restricted by the combined influence of several factors rather than by a single preservative mechanism.

The product's natural composition, pH, initial microbial load, hygienic manufacturing conditions, and packaging may all be relevant to such an investigation.

However, controlled microbiological studies are needed to determine which mechanisms, if any, explain the stability observed in Akita's distillate.

It would be premature to conclude from the existing evidence that a particular naturally occurring compound acts as the product's preservative or is independently responsible for its long shelf life.

The value of this research lies not only in observing how the product behaves over time, but also in developing testable explanations for that behaviour.

4. Cosmetic Performance and Safety Assessments

Understanding the chemical composition of a distillate does not automatically establish how it affects the skin.

Chemical characterization and cosmetic efficacy address different scientific questions.

Accordingly, an important stage in Akita's research involved evaluating the cosmetic performance and tolerability of the distillate itself.

Cosmetic Performance on the Skin

Akita's research and technical product documentation describe laboratory assessments of Non-Deoiled Rose Distillate in several areas.

Skin hydration: Evaluation of skin moisture levels and hydration-related parameters.

Appearance of signs of ageing: Assessment of cosmetic parameters associated with visible signs of skin ageing.

Appearance of uneven pigmentation: Cosmetic evaluation of parameters related to uneven skin tone and pigmentation appearance.

Cellular renewal-related indicators: Laboratory investigation of cellular behaviour and parameters associated with renewal processes.

Akita's technical documentation reports favourable findings in these areas.

However, the interpretation of each result depends on the methodology used.

A change observed in a cell culture does not directly demonstrate that the same effect will occur in human skin.

Similarly, favourable findings in selected cosmetic parameters do not guarantee identical results for every user.

Research outcomes should therefore be considered in relation to the tested material, experimental methodology, measured endpoints, and limitations of each study.

Sensitive Skin Assessments

Botanical origin does not automatically make a cosmetic product suitable for everyone.

Akita's technical records indicate that the tolerability of Non-Deoiled Rose Distillate has been evaluated in relation to sensitive skin.

Such assessments are relevant to understanding the product's cosmetic use profile.

Nevertheless, no cosmetic test can guarantee that allergic reactions or individual sensitivities will never occur.

Claims relating to suitability for sensitive skin should therefore remain consistent with the scope, methodology, and findings of the supporting tests.

Assessment of Eye Irritation Potential Using OECD TG 491

One of the notable evaluations within Akita's safety research concerns testing conducted on Non-Deoiled Rose Distillate according to OECD Test Guideline 491.

OECD TG 491 describes the Short Time Exposure (STE) method, an in vitro assay based on cell viability.

The method is designed to help identify chemicals that may cause serious eye damage or that do not require classification for eye irritation or serious eye damage within the specified testing framework.

Akita's technical documentation reports that the tested distillate sample produced a result consistent with not requiring classification for eye irritation or serious eye damage under the conditions of the assay.

This finding provides relevant safety information within the scope of the standardized method used.

However, its limitations must be clearly understood.

An OECD TG 491 result does not establish that the product can be used as an eye drop, treats dry eye disease, or may be applied directly into the eyes without restriction.

Akita Non-Deoiled Rose Distillate is not an ophthalmic medicine or an eye-drop preparation.

The findings must be interpreted in relation to the material tested and the experimental conditions of the study.

Maintaining this distinction is essential both for scientific credibility and for responsible cosmetic product communication.

5. Defining the Product's Identity: The INCI Nomenclature Process

As Akita's research progressed, cosmetic ingredient terminology became another important consideration alongside production technology and chemical characterization.

In everyday language, products obtained through different processes may all be described simply as "rose water."

However, this common name does not necessarily communicate the technical differences between their manufacturing methods.

Akita's technical dossier for Non-Deoiled Rose Distillate provides a detailed description of its production process, including the decision not to separate the naturally formed oil fraction.

To support the identification of this material, Akita pursued the INCI nomenclature process for the name Rosa Damascena Flower Distillate.

The 2025 technical application included the following information:

• Application number: 2025-14613

• Trade name: Akita Non De-Oiled Rose Water

• Requested INCI name: Rosa Damascena Flower Distillate

• Preparation description: Steam distillation – unseparated distillate

The International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) is a standardized naming system developed to identify cosmetic ingredients consistently across international markets.

The assignment of an INCI name does not constitute official approval of an ingredient's cosmetic safety or efficacy.

Its primary purpose is to provide a standardized designation for the identity of an ingredient.

For Akita, the significance of this process lies in documenting the material's specific production approach and defining its cosmetic ingredient identity more precisely.

This stage of the research journey is therefore best understood not as an efficacy claim, but as an effort to establish a clear and technically accurate identity for the material.

6. A New Area of Investigation: Electromagnetic Characterization Using RF Measurements

One of the exploratory research directions developed by Akita in 2026 involves investigating the electromagnetic response of Non-Deoiled Rose Distillate in the radio-frequency (RF) range.

The starting point of this research was not whether the product possesses a particular "healing frequency."

Instead, the investigation asked whether different botanical liquids exhibit distinguishable electromagnetic response patterns under controlled measurement conditions.

Broad-Frequency Measurement Rather Than a Single Frequency

Popular discussions of aromatherapy sometimes associate rose essential oil with a single frequency value, often cited as 320 MHz.

However, describing the electromagnetic behaviour of a complex liquid using a single number can overlook the measurement system and changes in its response across different frequencies.

Akita's exploratory RF research therefore examined the material's electromagnetic response over a broader frequency range of 50–900 MHz.

The studies evaluated complex S11 reflection data, including amplitude, phase, and derived features, using statistical methods and machine-learning techniques.

Research Materials and Comparisons

Akita's RF research report dated August 2026 describes a dataset comprising 40 measurements.

The dataset included:

• 15 measurements from Akita Rosa damascena Flower Distillate samples associated with production years 2023–2025.

• 25 measurements from five comparison classes: conventional rose water, lavender hydrosol, peppermint hydrosol, orange blossom hydrosol, and filtered water.

Five measurements were reported for each comparison class.

It is important to distinguish the total number of measurements from the number of independent samples or production batches.

These are not necessarily equivalent.

The statistical interpretation of the dataset must therefore take into account sample independence, repeated measurements, and the structure of the experimental design.

Observed RF Response Patterns

The research report indicates that, within the dataset examined, Akita's distillate was not characterized by a single frequency peak.

Instead, distinguishing features were observed across multiple frequency regions.

Reported regions included approximately 220–279.5 MHz, 407–458 MHz, and 517.5–636.5 MHz.

These intervals should not be interpreted as individual, fixed "resonance frequencies."

Rather, they represent frequency ranges in which potentially distinguishing information was identified under the measurement and analysis conditions used.

Principal Component Analysis (PCA) also reportedly showed clustering of Akita samples in regions distinct from the comparison liquids included in the study.

These observations suggest that electromagnetic response characteristics may be worth investigating as additional analytical variables in the characterization of botanical distillates.

However, separation within the current dataset does not establish that the method will produce equivalent results across different laboratories or all production conditions.

Measurement temperature, sample volume, instrument geometry, calibration, and other experimental factors can influence the recorded electromagnetic response.

Independent validation is therefore necessary.

What the RF Findings Do Not Demonstrate

An important scientific boundary must be maintained when interpreting these results.

Akita's RF research does not demonstrate that the product generates a specific healing frequency in the human body or possesses therapeutic effects.

The current work focuses on electromagnetic response characteristics measured using a particular experimental system.

No direct relationship has been established between these RF findings and skin hydration, cellular renewal, psychological well-being, or other biological effects.

RF characterization must therefore be regarded as a separate analytical research field, distinct from cosmetic efficacy studies and clinical health research.

Based on the currently reported observations, the appropriate scientific conclusion is:

Within the investigated 50–900 MHz dataset, Akita Non-Deoiled Rose Distillate exhibited a multiband electromagnetic response pattern and was distinguishable from the tested comparison liquids using the analytical methods applied.

These findings remain exploratory.

Further work involving larger datasets, blinded measurements, standardized experimental conditions, and independent laboratory validation will be necessary to assess their reproducibility and wider applicability.

7. The Current Evidence and Future Research Directions

Akita's research programme, extending from 2003 to the present, has examined the same botanical material through different scientific approaches.

Each method, however, answers a distinct question.

These areas are complementary, but their findings are not interchangeable.

GC-MS analysis does not demonstrate cosmetic efficacy.

Microbiological quality is not evidence of skin benefits.

Stability testing does not guarantee safety under every possible condition of use.

RF measurements cannot be used as evidence of biological or therapeutic effectiveness.

The scientific value of Akita's research lies in investigating distinct questions using appropriate methods and in the potential for findings from one area to inform future studies in another.

Where Should Future Research Focus?

Three areas are particularly relevant to the continued characterization of Akita Non-Deoiled Rose Distillate.

Confirming the chemical profile across production batches

Analyzing distillates produced in different years using consistent protocols could provide a clearer understanding of characteristic constituent concentrations and batch-to-batch variability.

Quantitative measurement of phenethyl alcohol and other selected compounds would further strengthen the material's chemical characterization.

Expanding microbiological stability and cosmetic performance assessments

Continued stability and microbiological testing across different production batches could help explain the product's behaviour over time.

For cosmetic performance, appropriately designed human use studies could help determine the extent to which laboratory observations translate into measurable effects on human skin.

Investigating relationships between chemical and electromagnetic data

Akita's RF studies introduce an additional analytical question:

Is there a reproducible relationship between the chemical variability measured by GC-MS and the electromagnetic variability observed in RF measurements?

Addressing this question would require chemical and RF measurements performed on the same samples, standardized experimental conditions, and validation using independent datasets.

Such an approach could help determine whether RF measurements may eventually serve as a complementary analytical tool for characterizing botanical distillates.

Conclusion: From a Production Concept to an Evolving Programme of Scientific Inquiry

The research history of Akita Non-Deoiled Rose Distillate began in 2003 with a fundamental question about the production process.

The decision to retain rather than separate the naturally formed rose oil fraction led to further questions about the distillate's chemical composition, microbiological quality, stability, and cosmetic performance.

Subsequent investigations included assessments of eye irritation potential and efforts to define the material's technical identity.

In 2026, exploratory RF research introduced another line of investigation focused on its electromagnetic characteristics.

The resulting findings do not all carry the same level of scientific evidence.

Some represent product evaluations conducted using established laboratory methods, while others remain exploratory and require larger datasets and independent validation.

Recognizing these differences does not diminish the value of the research.

On the contrary, it clarifies which questions have been investigated, what the available evidence supports, and which questions remain open.

At the heart of Akita's scientific journey is an effort not merely to describe a product's characteristics, but to transform those characteristics into measurable and testable research questions.

Scientific progress does not come from making stronger claims about a product. It comes from asking better questions, applying appropriate methods, and interpreting results within the limits of the available evidence.

References and Research Notes

Akita Technical and Research Sources

1. Akita. Non-De-Oiled Rose Water – INCI Technical Application Dossier. Application No. 2025-14613. Company technical documentation.

2. Akita. Rosa damascena Flower Distillate – GC-MS Volatile Profile. Analytical data dated July 2, 2024.

3. Akita. Microbiological analyses, stability studies, cosmetic performance evaluations, sensitive skin assessments, and OECD TG 491 testing documentation relating to Non-Deoiled Rose Distillate. Company research and product technical records.

4. Akita. AKITA RF Discovery White Paper™. August 2026. Exploratory electromagnetic characterization research.

International Methods and Nomenclature References

5. OECD (2025). Test No. 491: Short Time Exposure In Vitro Test Method for Identifying Chemicals Inducing Serious Eye Damage and Chemicals Not Requiring Classification for Eye Irritation or Serious Eye Damage.DOI: 10.1787/9789264242432-en

6. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI): Definitions and Nomenclature.INCI Information

7. European Commission (2013). Commission Regulation (EU) No 655/2013: Common Criteria for the Justification of Claims Used in Relation to Cosmetic Products.Official Publication

Rose Academy Scientific Note

This article is an educational research overview of investigations relating to Akita Non-Deoiled Rose Distillate, based on findings reported in the company's technical and research documentation.

Unless otherwise specified, Akita-specific test results should not be interpreted as independently published, peer-reviewed clinical evidence. Findings must be considered within the scope of the tested materials, methodologies, and experimental conditions.

The RF investigations are exploratory analytical studies and do not establish health benefits, therapeutic effects, or claims relating to healing frequencies.

The results discussed in this article relate to specific Akita product samples and research materials and should not be generalized to all Rosa damascena rose waters.