Rosebud Salve is a product of the Rosebud Perfume Co. in Woodsboro, Md. The company was started by George F. Smith in 1895 and now sells its products worldwide. Rosebud Salve is its most popular product, often called a "cult classic" both for its market longevity and dedicated customer base. The salve is used to relieve dry hands or faces and chapped lips, as a diaper rash ointment and as a salve to soothe minor burns. There are only three ingredients in Rosebud Salve; two emollients and a proprietary blend of essential oils.
Cotton Seed Oil
Cotton seed oil is one of the primary ingredients in Rosebud Salve. Cotton seed oil was first extracted in mass quantities after the invention of the cotton gin in 1794. Being able to mechanically separate and process large amounts of cotton meant that for the first time, large amounts of cotton seeds were separated out in processing. Crushing the cotton seeds leftover from cotton processing produced an inexpensive, unflavored cooking oil. Cotton seed oil has long been used in cooking---the leading shortening, Crisco, is made from cotton seed oil.
In the case of cosmetics such as Rosebud Salve, cotton seed oil has the benefit of being a relatively stable ingredient due to its tocopherol content.
Aromol™
According to Linda S. Pruitt-Michielli, vice president of Rosebud Perfume Co. Inc. and great-granddaughter of the founder, Aromol™ is the proprietary name given to the blend of seven essential rose oils obtained from the great perfumery houses in Grasse, France that is used in Rosebud Salve. Each essential oil contains at least 22 components, and the blend named Aromol™ is a trade secret of the Rosebud Perfume Co.
Rose oil is one of the oldest known perfumes, but it is also known to combat depression and anxiety. The scent of rose is aphrodisiac, and the essential oils distilled from rose petals contain substances known for soothing the skin and healing wounds.
Aside from the healing properties of roses are the aesthetic ones: the scent of rose is romantic, uplifting and sweet.
White Petrolatum
The founder of the Rosebud Perfume Co. was the owner of a drugstore when he invented Rosebud Salve as an all-purpose ointment for his customers. According to his notebooks, he chose white petrolatum as the base for Rosebud Salve because he knew it had been a useful healing agent for wounds and burns suffered by soldiers during the American Civil War. The first petrolatum was refined in 1859 from the oily buildup that appeared on oil rigs.
White petrolatum helps healing by creating a barrier, preventing moisture loss from the skin while protecting it from outside contaminants. The Environmental Working Group gives it a very low hazard rating (1 on a scale of 1 to 10), and there have been very few reports of allergic reactions to the product. As a cosmetic ingredient, its usefulness also comes from the fact that it is fragrance-free and colorless.
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