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Early Uses of Rosemary
Food, medicine and magic. Rosemary can be used for all of these. The plant is old. It was used in ancient Egypt and Greece. The Greeks and Egyptians used the herb for its medicinal purposes such as a treatment for epilepsy, to increase blood circulation, and to improve the complexion. In the Middle Ages people would use it to protect against plagues or drive away evil spirits by burning it in a smudge stick or oil lamp. The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia still lists it as a “specific” for “despressive states with general debility and indications of cardiovascular weakness.”
The use of rosemary in cooking goes back about 2,000 years ago when the Romans cooked lamb with rosemary in order to get rid of parasites. This is also where we get the name “rosemary”. It was originally called “Ros Marinus” which means “dew of the sea”.
In this post, we are going to get into some of the uses of rosemary essential oil. There are many ways it can benefit your life today.
The Basics of Rosemary Oil
Rosemary oil is extracted from the leaves of the plant by steam distillation. The scent is strong and herbaceous with hints of pine, yet it is not as overpowering as some other oils – making it perfect for use in aromatherapy blends or diffusers. Try mixing rosemary with other oils like lavender or peppermint to create a more aromatic blend.
Present Day Uses for Rosemary Essential Oil
1. Rosemary Essential Oil Known for Memory
Rosemary has been thought to improve memory for thousands of years. Current research indicates that inhaling rosemary oil helps prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a brain chemical important for thinking, concentration and memory.
2. Stimulates the Scalp and Hair Growth
Rosemary essential oil is a natural way to help with hair care. Apply a dilution directly to your scalp to stimulate hair growth. Rosemary oil may combat certain types of hair loss, including male pattern baldness and patchy hair loss. To try this; dilute the rosemary essential oil with a carrier oil and rub into the scalp. One study had men who did this twice a day for 6 months saw the same increase in hair thickness as others who used minoxidil (Rogaine), a common hair regrowth remedy.
3. Powerful Antioxidant
This makes rosemary useful for treating acne, eczema and other forms of dermatitus. Antioxidants help boost your overall immune system and help to neutralize free radicals.
4. Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Simply smelling rosemary oil or even fresh rosemary may ease your stress levels in situations like exam taking. Rosemary may reduce levels of cortisol, a hormone that can have harmful effects on your body.
5. Helps improve alertness and focus
According to research outlined in Therapeutic Advances in PsychopharmacologyTrusted Source, the aroma from rosemary can improve a person’s concentration, performance, speed, and accuracy and, to a lesser extent, their mood.
6. Helps minimize pain
In folk medicine rosemary has been historically used to help with the relief of pain. Try adding a few drops to your bath to minimize muscle aches and pains.
7. Improve Circulation
Poor circulation is a common complaint. You may notice it most in your hands and feet. If you experience cold fingers and toes — even in relatively warm temperatures — rosemary oil is worth considering.
More research is needed but some people have gotten good results from massaging diluted rosemary essential oil into their hands and feet.
8. Tones skin
It is great for misting on your face as a cooling, refreshing face toner to tighten pores and hydrate your skin. Add a few drops of rosemary essential oil into a spritz bottle along with distilled water. Shake to combine and then mist on your face.
How to Get Rosemary Essential Oil in Your Life
Topical application of the diluted essential oil
You do not want to apply rosemary essential oil neat to your skin. Dilute it first with a base oil such as apricot kernel or sweet almond. I would recommend a dilution ratio of approx. 2% rosemary essential oil in your blend and going down to 1% for children.
Sniffing the scent or using a diffuser
Using a product created with rosemary essential oil
When looking for products made with rosemary make sure it is rosemary essential oil and not just a fragrance oil. They are not the same thing and a fragrance oil will not have the same benefits.
If you would like to browse, listed here are our products that contain a significant amount of rosemary essential oil:
- Bars – Lavender Rosemary, Rosemary Mint Shampoo & Body Bar
- Shampoo – Lavender Rosemary, Rosemary Mint
- Lavender Rosemary Sugar Scrub
Cook with rosemary
Granted this is the plant and not the essential oil, so it is not as strong, but using the plant itself can also be beneficial. There are any number of recipes using rosemary. You can certainly buy it in the store but rosemary is easy to grow. Have a pot or a plant in your garden and clip some as needed.
Conclusion
We are all looking for ways to improve our hair, skin and health. Maybe you want to freshen up your complexion or healthier hair? Maybe a boost in focus or to reduce stress? Take some of these tips to bring rosemary essential oil into your life! It can help with all of those things and more by improving the function of the immune system, reducing stress, ramping up your memory and brightening up your complexion and hair. With so many benefits that come as soon as you start using it, I think this is one plant extract worth including in your routine! Please reach out if you would like help in deciding which our products to try!
References
Healthline Article “14 Benefits and Uses of Rosemary Essential Oil” by Marsha McCulloch
Medical News Today – “Everything You Need to Know About Rosemary” by Joseph Nordqvist
The Illustrated Enclyclopedia of Essential Oils by Julia Lawless