A rose by any other name

The rose is the queen of flowers and its fragrance has infatuated women all over the world since Cleopatra.

But the tender flower with the thorny stem is more than just a beautiful flower with a pretty fragrance. Its properties are valued in cosmetics for their harmonizing and anti-inflammatory effects on sensitive skin. Thus the raw material, rose oil, is not only precious, but also expensive.

Very expensive, says Monika Ferdinand of Germany's association of cosmeticians. Depending on the type and where it is grown, the cost ranges between 3,000 and 8,000 euros ($4,230 and $11,277) per kilogram, she says.