Rosemary or Rosmarinus, which means “sea dew” in Latin, developed a reputation for being a sacred plant that wards off evil spirits. The oil was also used as protection from the plague. The Romans and the Greeks used it for all sorts of things. Rosemary was always around during wedding ceremonies, religious rituals, and family gatherings. The Egyptians liked it and burned it as incense, and the French burnt it in hospitals during the Middle Ages.
In the 16th century, Paracelsus said that rosemary oil strengthened the entire body. He believed the oil had the ability to heal the liver, heart, and brain, and modern medicine agrees with him. Rosemary is used for flatulence, stomach cramps, and other digestive issues, plus it stimulates hair follicles, and prevents premature hair loss.
Rosemary oil is great for boosting mental awareness and brain activity. Students use it to concentrate during exams, and when used as an aromatherapy oil it helps with depression, mental fatigue, and short term memory loss. When rosemary oil is inhaled it lifts the spirits and removes feelings of boredom. A surge of energy quietly infiltrates the innate senses as the vapor is inhaled.
A diluted rosemary oil bath or massage can alleviate headaches when blended with lavender, as well as the agony and pain of arthritis and rheumatism when blended with ginger and marjoram. A regular rosemary massage will remove dryness and tone the skin. The oil is also a great disinfectant and can be used as a mouthwash.
The chemical constituents of rosemary oil give it the ability to boost mental alertness and to act as a hormone stabilizer. Those constituents are limonene, 1,8-cineole, borneol, a-pinene, b-pinene, bornyl acetate, camphene, and camphor.
The therapeutic properties are: nervine, digestive, analgesic, astringent, carminative, cephalic, diuretic, cholagogue, antidepressant, cordial, tonic, emmenagogue, and hepatic, as well as hypertensive, rubefacient, sudorific, and stimulant. The diuretic properties of the oil also help reduce water retention and cellulite, and it may even be used to assist with obesity.
Rosemary oil helps ease congestion, swelling and puffiness, and is effective in cases bronchitis, sinusitis, and sagging skin. One of the main things that rosemary does is increase circulation throughout the body. More oxygen gets to the organs, especially the brain, and this helps increase mental functions. Rosemary oil is one of the most important essential oils in aromatherapy because of the many beneficial effects it has on both physical and mental well-being.
