Five Reasons to Love Rosemary Essential Oil
Let's play a little word association game. If I say the word aromatherapy what comes to mind?
Perhaps lavender? Tea Tree? An essential oil company? A spa?
Most likely not rosemary essential oil. Or any of the lesser known oils either. Today I want to shine the spotlight on rosemary. It's one of my favorite essentials oils. It smells wonderful and is an incredibly versatile oil that's a great addition to your apothecary. It is available in several different chemotypes so you can really hone in on which rosemary is best for you. Here are my top 5 reasons to love rosemary essential oil.
1. Rosemary is great for focus and fights mental fatigue: I love my cup of coffee and my rosemary to get me going in the morning. Inhaling rosemary essential oil or when used in massage can increase feelings of alertness, increase attentiveness, and increase circulation and blood pressure (1). Rosemary especially the 1,8 cineole chemotype can boost conginitive performance (2) and act as a central nervous system stimulant.
2. Rosemary is awesome for skin and hair: Rosemary has a reputation for being naturally astrigent and the verbenone chemotype is ideal for skin care (as well as it's mucolytic effects). Research has shown rosemary essential oil is a promising alternative for hair growth promotion (3) and can be added to shampoos for an uplifting effect and to promote circulation in the scalp as well as combat dandruff.
3. Rosemary soothes sore muscles and joints: Rosemary essential oil is highly effective for achy joint and muscles. It increases circulation and warmth and has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. It is used in folk medicine for its reported antispasmodic effects as well. (4)
4. Rosemary is excellent for respiratory support: The 1,8 cineole and camphor chemotypes probably have expectorant and anti-inflammatory activies based on the known activity of these compounds. These compounds create feelings of open airways. The verbenone chemotype is reported to have mucolytic action (thins mucus to help clear away). Rosemary can be rather stimulating and the verbenone chemotype is best to use for decongesting at night.
5. Rosemary can soothe feelings of stress and supports adrenal health: Rosemary is known to be a CNS stimulant and help with feelings of fatigue. Research supports the use of rosemary to counteract some of the symptoms of stress such as low mood and fatigue.
If you need a morning or mid day boost try diffusing rosemary along with one or two citrus oils or peppermint.
As I mentioned above rosemary essential oil is one of my favorites. I use it for respiratory support, muscles and joint aches, and for a mental boost and physical boost. It's fresh, herby, and blends well with juniper berry, citrus oils, and can often soften bold spicy scents such as black pepper, clove, or ginger.
If you'd like to try one of our therapeutic aromatherapy products containing rosemary visit my online store. If you'd like to learn how to incorporate rosemary into a product for you, your massage practice, your spa, or store contact me to learn how.
Tricia
References:
1. Hongratanaworakit,T. (2009) Simultaneous aromatherapy massage with rosemary oil on humans. Scientica Pharmaceutica 77, 375-387.
2. Moss, M. and Oliver, L. (2012) Plasma 1,8-cineole correlates with cognitive performance following exposure to rosemary essential oil aroma. Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology 2, 3, 103-113.
3. Tisserand Insititue, Rosemary Helps Hair Growth article retrieved August 30, 2017, http://tisserandinstitute.org/learn-more/rosemary-essential-oil-hair-growth-promotion/
4. Takakai, I., Bersani-Amado, L.E., Vendruscolo, A., Sartoretto, S.M., Diniz, S.P., Bersani-Amado, C.A., Cuman, R.K. (2008) Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil in experimental animal models. Journal of Medicinal Food 11, 4, 741-746.
