Salvia rosmarinus formerly Rosmarinus officinalis aka R. coronarium, Rosmarini aetheroleum steam distilled from the branch, leaf, and flower, from Tunisia.
Aroma: Rosemary essential oil has a fresh, strong, clear, penetrating, woody, balsamic, herbal minty, herbaceous, sweet, slightly medicinal, camphoraceous and herbaceous scent.
History: Its name means "dew of the sea" because Rosemary naturally grows near the Mediterranean Sea. Rosemary has been used medicinally for several thousand years. Rosemary was used in Roman burial rites, and that practice continued well into the Middle Ages when it was customary to lay branches of rosemary on the coffin at funerals. Its leaves were traditionally burned in hospitals to purify the air.
Common Uses:
BODYCARE: Rosemary essential oil improves dry or mature skin, eases lines and wrinkles, and heals burns and wounds. It can also clear acne, blemishes, or dull dry skin by fighting bacteria and regulating oil secretions. It improves circulation and can reduce the appearance of broken capillaries and varicose veins. Rosemary essential oil nourishes the scalp and keeps hair looking healthy and shiny. Rosemary stimulates cell renewal and is considered effective in increasing hair growth. It normalizes excessive oil secretions and improves most scalp problems, particularly dandruff and seborrhea. Rosemary oil is also helpful in treating cellulite.
MENTAL EMOTIONAL: Rosemary Essential Oil helps to overcome mental fatigue and sluggishness by stimulating and strengthening the entire nervous system. It enhances mental clarity while aiding alertness and concentration. This essential oil balances intense emotions and controls mood swings. It lifts spirits and counters depression. It assists in managing stress and overcoming stress-related disorders and nervous exhaustion. It is also used as a gentle, non-stimulating aid to memory.
Aching muscles, arthritis, dandruff, dull skin, exhaustion, gout, hair care, muscle cramping, neuralgia, poor circulation, and rheumatism. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 56-67.]
Colour: Colourless to pale yellow liquid.
Consistency: Thin
Note: Middle to top
Strength of Aroma: Strong
Constituents: Cineole, Pinene, Borneol, Linalol, Alpha-Terpineol, Terpinen-4-ol, Bornyl Acetate, Camphor, Thujone, Camphene, Limonene, Beta-Caryophyllene [Shirley Price, The Aromatherapy Workbook (Hammersmith, London: Thorsons, 1993), 54-5.]
Safety Information: Rosemary Oil can be neurotoxic (toxic to the nerves). Avoid Rosemary Oil during pregnancy. Avoid for conditions with epilepsy, and fever (no essential oil should be taken internally without the guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner). [Robert Tisserand, Essential Oil Safety (United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone, 1995), 165.]
Avoid Rosemary Oil in cases of hypertension. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 209.]
Cautions: Rosemary essential oil is generally non-toxic and non-sensitizing. It is not suitable for people with epilepsy or high blood pressure. Avoid in the first trimester of pregnancy since it is an emmenagogue.
Photo thanks to THOR, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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