Not exactly, though the two overlap considerably. Traditional rose attar, sometimes called attar gulab, is typically distilled using an age-old method that infuses rose directly into a sandalwood or similar oil base, while rose essential oil, such as rose otto, is usually steam-distilled as a pure, standalone extract.

How the Traditional Method Differs

The classic deg-bhapka distillation process used for genuine rose attar captures rose vapour directly into a base oil during distillation itself, giving a rounder, softer result compared to a pure isolated rose oil. Rose essential oil, by contrast, is distilled to be as pure and concentrated a rose extract as possible, with no added base.

Which One You Are Buying

Modern commercial “rose attar” sometimes simply means rose oil diluted in a carrier, rather than the traditional co-distilled version, so it is worth asking a seller how their attar is actually made if this distinction matters to you. Neither version is more authentic than the other, they simply represent two slightly different approaches to capturing the same beloved flower. Our guide to attar and perfume oils explains the traditional process, and our complete guide to perfume has more on rose in perfumery generally.