Rosa demoscena is often grown and harvested for its pleasurable scent. This scent is due to the presence of an essential oil that is present in the plant. This essential oil possesses a number of phytochemicals that may explain its medicinal effects. These include β-citronellol (14.5 to 47.5 %), nonadecane (10.5 to 40.5 %), geraniol (5.5 to 18 %) and henicosane (7 to 14 %) as major components of the oil. Other minor components included linalool, citronellyl acetate, methyl eugenol, cis-farnesol and disiloxane. The content of these chemicals within the petals and whole flower differ and there is variation between plants. However the total amount of of essential oils they contained (around 95 %) is consistent. A number of flavonoids are also present in the flowers of Rosa damascena and these include quercetin and kaempferol. Kaempferol and kaempferol 3-O-glucoside predominates (around 80 % of total) but quercetin 3-O-galactoside and quercetin 3-O-xyloside are also present (16 grams per kg of dry weight of flowers).
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