Latin (Botanical) Name: Rosmarinus Officinalis
Plant Family: Lamiaceae
Common Extraction Method: Steam distillation
Typically Used Plant Part: Leaves and Flowers / Buds
Color: Clear
Aromatic Characteristic: Fresh, herbaceous, camphor, slightly floral and medicinal fragrance
The Latin name for rosemary means "sea moisture". Because rosemary usually grows by the sea. Its homeland is the Mediterranean basin and it is a perennial, shrub-like plant that grows on the Western and Southern Anatolian coastlines in our country. It likes sandy, loamy soils and is a temperate climate plant. It is grown as an ornamental and hedge plant in gardens because it can grow up to 2 m and does not shed its leaves in winter. Its small flowers, which open from March to July, are blue or purple.
Rosemary is an important medicinal and aromatic plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family and widely cultivated and used all over the world for a long time.
Historically, rosemary was considered sacred and used for many purposes by the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Hebrews, and Romans. The Greeks wore garlands of rosemary around their heads while reading, as they believed it improved memory. Both the Greeks and Romans used rosemary at nearly all festivals and weddings as a reminder of life and death. In the Mediterranean, rosemary leaves and rosemary oil were widely used in cuisine. In Egypt, the plant and its extracts were used for incense. In the Middle Ages it was believed that rosemary could ward off the plague. With this belief, rosemary sprigs were often sprinkled on floors and left in doorways to keep disease at bay.
It has been used throughout civilizations in cosmetics and traditional medicine for its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant characteristics. Although the people of the 16th century were unaware of the concept of microbes, they used rosemary to destroy harmful bacteria, especially in the rooms of people suffering from illness. For thousands of years, folk medicine has also used rosemary for the purposes of improving memory, soothing digestive issues, and soothing aching muscles.
Today, it is used for many health benefits as well as being a culinary herb used to add a spicy or slightly medicinal flavor to some foods.
KEY COMPONENTS / ACTIVE INGREDIENTS
BENEFITS
In addition to its germ-killing feature, it helps to reduce acne. [3]
It helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines, which are a sign of aging, and helps your skin to be nourished, tightened and shine.
You can use it as a massage oil for sore muscles.
If your hands or toes are cold, massaging them with diluted rosemary oil can help warm them up. [6] [7]
In ancient Greece and Rome, rosemary was thought to enhance memory. Rosemary oil is a good choice for long distances and long training sessions with its invigorating, refreshing and stimulating properties [12]. Studies show that inhaling rosemary oil helps prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a brain chemical important for thinking, concentration and memory [13] and helps increase concentration and information recall [14]. By dripping 6-10 drops into the water in your censer or electric diffuser, you can spread the scent to your environment.
Sniffing rosemary oil helps reduce your stress levels in stressful situations [15] [16].
WARNINGS
ACADEMIC STUDIES
[1] L. Faleiro, G.M. Miguel, C.A.C. Guerrero and J. Brito. Antimicrobial activity of essential oils of Rosmarinus officinalis L., Thymus mastichina L. ssp. Mastichina and Thymus albicans. In: Proceedings of the II WOCMAP congress on medicinal and aromatic plants; Part 2: pharmacognosy, pharmacology, phytomedicine, toxicology; Mendoza, Argentina, (1999).
[2] B. Bozin, N. Mimica-Dukic, I. Samojlik and E. Jovin, Antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of rosemary and sage (Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Salvia officinalis L., Lamiaceae) essential oils. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 55, 7879–7885 (2007)
[3] Tsai T.H., Chuang L.T., Lien T.J., Liing Y.R., Chen W.Y., Tsaicorresponding P.J. (2013). Rosmarinus officinalis Extract Suppresses Propionibacterium acnes–Induced Inflammatory Responses. J Med Food. 2013 Apr; 16(4): 324–333.
[4] Shin B.C., Lee M.S. (20/07). Effects of aromatherapy acupressure on hemiplegic shoulder pain and motor power in stroke patients: a pilot study. J Altern Complement Med. 2007 Mar;13(2):247-51.
[5] Raskovic A., Milanovic I., Pavlovic N., Milijasevic B., Ubavic M., Mikov M. (2015). Analgesic effects of rosemary essential oil and its interactions with codeine and paracetamol in mice. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2015 Jan;19(1):165-72.
[6] Angerer T.S., Deckers B., Henes J., Helmert E., Vagedes J. (2017). Effect of topical rosemary essential oil on Raynaud phenomenon in systemic sclerosis. Complement Ther Med. 2018 Oct;40:191-194
[7] Lahlou S., Figueiredo A.F., Magalhães P.J.C., Cardoso J.H.L. (2002). Cardiovascular effects of 1,8-cineole, a terpenoid oxide present in many plant essential oils, in normotensive rats. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2002 Dec;80(12):1125-31.
[8] Murata K., Noguchi K., Kondo M., Onishi M., Watanabe N., Okamura K., Matsuda H. (2013). Promotion of hair growth by Rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract. Phytother Res. 2013 Feb;27(2):212-7.
[9] Panahi Y., Taghizadeh M., Marzony E.T., Sahebkar A. (2015). Rosemary oil vs minoxidil 2% for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: a randomized comparative trial. Skinmed. Jan-Feb 2015;13(1):15-21.
[10] Harries M. Ji, Sun J., Paus R., King Jr L.E. (2010). Management of alopecia areata. BMJ. 2010 Jul 23;341:c3671.
[11] Hay I.C., Jamieson M., Ormerod A.D. (1998) Randomized trial of aromatherapy. Arch Dermatol, 1998 Nov;134(11):1349-52.
[12] Sayorwan W., Ruangrungsi N., Piriyapunyporn T., Hongratanaworakit T., Kotchabhakdi N., Siripornpanich V. (2013). Effects of inhaled rosemary oil on subjective feelings and activities of the nervous system. Sci Pharm. Apr-Jun 2013;81(2):531-42
[13] Moss M., Oliver L. (2012). Plasma 1,8-cineole correlates with cognitive performance following exposure to rosemary essential oil aroma. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol, 2012 Jun; 2(3):103-13.
[14] McCaffrey R., Thomas D.J., Kinzelman A.O. (2009). The effects of lavender and rosemary essential oils on test-taking anxiety among graduate nursing students. Holist Nurs Pract. Mar-Apr 2009;23(2):88-93.
[15] Smith T.W., Houston B.K., Zurawski R.M. (1984). Finger pulse volume as a measure of anxiety in response to evaluative threat. Psychophysiology. 1984 May;21(3):260-4.
[16] Atsumi T., Tonosaki K. (2007). Smelling lavender and rosemary increases free radical scavenging activity and decreases cortisol level in saliva. Psychiatry Res. 2007 Feb 28;150(1):89-96.
[17] Takaki I., Bersani-Amado L.E., Vendruscolo A., Sartoretto S.M., Diniz S.P., Bersani-Amado C.A., Cuman R.K.N. (2008). Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil in experimental animal models. J Med Food. 2008 Dec;11(4):741-6
[18] Metin Z.G., Ozdemir L. (2016). The Effects of Aromatherapy Massage and Reflexology on Pain and Fatigue in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Pain Manag Nurs. 2016 Apr;17(2):140-9.
