ROSEMARY

Rosmarinus_officinalis_Prostratus_Group_

Medicinal Uses

hair growth

dandruff

irritated skin

ulcers

sores

colds

headaches

fevers

poor memory

cognitive deficits

improves clarity and insight

sprains

swelling joints

rheumatic conditions

circulatory disorders

varicose veins

wound healing

flatulence

bloating

mild cramping

spasms

stomach pains

biliary upsets

constipation

healthy digestion

rheumatism

headaches

nervous tension

obstruction of bile duct

cholangitis

liver disease

gallstones

reduces stress

reduces fatigue

improves respiratory function

Not quite the relaxing nervine of lavender, nor the stimulating nervine of coffee, rosemary is somewhere in between, increasing our mental functioning without too much overt stimulation. Its action on the circulatory system can release internal pressure and gently reduce tension and has often been used to address hypertension.
This herb works by warming the interior, promoting circulation, stimulating digestion and relaxing the body.
It is both stimulating and relaxing. Herbs capturing opposing actions are usually regulating and this herb is regulating to the thyroid and the general metabolism.
It is essentially restorative. Its rising, circulating and then sinking action results in a herb that adds draining diuretic ability to its repertoire. It opens the pathways within the body and particularly opens up the skin as a diaphoretic. Its action is internal to external, flushing toxin into the blood stream.
The leaves of this plant are needle like and regular, it is evergreen. Both these qualities indicate that it is hot and is able to maintain stable metabolic heat within the body. It has a tropism for the head and also lifts stagnant moods and opens up the penetrating, forward reaching energy of the gall-bladder. It also opens the breath and brings expansion to the spirit.
Rosemary also stimulates circulation in the torso, aids digestion, clears phlegm, and promotes tissue repair and is an excellent candidate for anti-aging regimes.
Rosemary is also an excellent woundwort. It controls the flow of blood, is antiseptic and stimulates healing by its hot nature.
As a heart tonic, rosemary is used when there is fatigue, palpitations, cold limbs, shallow breathing, depression, lack of self-esteem and general debility. It stimulates arterial circulation and when combined with honey is an excellent, non-habit forming heart tonic.
Rosemary warms the womb, promotes menses and addresses sexual disinterest. This hints at its endocrine role and action as an adrenal stimulant.
This is an abortifacient herb and should not be used medicinally during pregnancy.
Rosemary warms the lungs and sinuses, and promotes expectoration and resolution of phlegm.
It increases muscle activity via the parasympathetic system strengthening arteries, stomach, intestines, gall passages and heart, whilst relaxing the sympathetic and voluntary muscles.
Stimulates thyroid and aids in the burning and consumption of blood sugars and fats, by this action it warms, stimulates and regulates throughout the entire body. This capacity makes it especially useful for the heart and brain since these organs require large quantities of blood sugar. By increasing and toning circulation and the use of fuels in the blood, relaxing sympathetic and voluntary muscles, tonifying thryroid function and its antioxidant action it tonifies across the entire body.
It relaxes the liver, increases liver circulation hence clearing liver stagnation and increases its catabolic processes. It increases liver function and expels cold and damp from it. It stimulates the gall-bladder. It is indicated where there is a pale yellowish complexion, slow digestion, a bitter taste in the mouth, a lack of energy and lack of will.
Rosemary warms the stomach, clears stomach phlegm and lubricates the GI tract will bile which is released from the gall-bladder, toning the gall reflexes. By clearing phlegm from the GI tract it promotes digestion and absorption. The combined action clears wind generally from the GI tract.
Rosemary warms and circulates the blood. It is an excellent arterial stimulant. It warms the interior and by warming the blood and stimulating circulation distributes heat around the body. It is also a heart tonic making it an excellent candidate for cases of heart and circulatory hypo-function.

Constituents

Rosemary leaf contains phenolic acids (23% rosmarinic, chlorogenic, caffeic acids)
phenolic diterpenoid bitter substances (up to 4.6% carnosol, rosmaridiphenol, rosmanol)
triterpenoid acids (oleanolic acid, ursolic acid)
flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin, nepetin, nepitrin)
1.22.5% volatile oil, of which 1550% is 1,8-cineole, 1525% a-pinene, 1224% a-terpineol, 1025% camphor, 510% camphene, 16% borneol, 15% bornyl acetate
tannins

Energetics/ Organoleptics

SMELL: strong, pleasant, woody, herbaceous, powerful and camphorous
TASTE: strong, oily, bitter, pungent, astringent, sweet, and aromatic
COLOR: clear to pale yellow
NOTE: Middle
ENERGETICS: warm, drying, aromatic.
MERIDIANS: lung, liver, spleen, heart, kidney
TCM: moves blood, clears wind cold/ stops cough/ clears damp/ resolves phlegm/ supports lungs, strengthens spleen, calms Ssen, tonifies yang, builds Qi
MAGICAL USES: Good for the “three P’s” of Purification, Protection and Passion. Used for blessings, water rites/sea rituals, weddings, new moons, remembrance rituals for the dead, transformation, invocation, to attract elves and faeries, and for meditation. Rosemary is believed to chase away nightmares by putting some of the herb beneath your pillow. Rosemary under the pillow also helps you to remember your dreams and thus can be useful when doing lucid dreaming or journey work.
PLANET: sun
ELEMENTS: air and fire elements
FENG SHUI ELEMENT: wood

Contradictions

Rosemary contains two toxic constituents, borneol camphor and pinene. Camphor in high doses can aggravate asthma and epilepsy.
Rosemary should be avoided during the first trimester of pregnancy. Rosemary should not be administered to children under the age of four.
Rosemary should be tested via a skin patch test prior to topical application.
Follow dosage recommendations for the essential oil carefully. Rosemary can impact blood pressure.

History

References to rosemary were found written in cuneiform on stone tablets dating back to the 5th millenium B.C.E.
Rosemary is a fragrant herb that is native to the Mediterranean and receives its name from the Latin words “ros” (dew) and “marinus” (sea), which means “dew of the Sea.”
In folklore it was said that a healthy rosemary plant grew where a woman was head of the family.
Rosemary is associated with goddesses, especially of the sea. According to legend, it was draped around the Greek goddess Aphrodite when she rose from the sea.
Catholic healers associated it with Mary. The legend says its flowers were once white, until Mary laid her cloak over them while resting. When she picked up her cloak again, they were blue. In fact, the flowers can be white, pink, blue or purple, depending on the cultivar.
In the 13th century it is thought that a hermit gave the recipe called Hungary Water to Queen Isabella of Hungary, whose legs were crippled with rheumatism. Daily bathing with rosemary water restored her legs and also her youthful beauty.
Human fascination with rosemary dates back to the ancient Persian and Greek medical texts and to the poetic works of Shakespeare. It is called “the herb of remembrance” for its ability to strengthen memory and a sense of clarity.
In Europe and the Middle East, rosemary was utilized at weddings to bestow good luck, friendship, and joy. Kings and emperors had it woven into their crowns. And at funerals, it was thought to ease the sad memories of mourners and to bestow protection and clarity upon those present.
The Greeks wore Rosemary garlands around their heads while studying, as it was believed to improve memory, and both the Greeks and the Romans used Rosemary in almost all festivals and religious ceremonies.
Rosemary has been used to combat disease since ancient times. Before refrigeration, it was added to sausage and other meats as a preservative.
Nurses brewed rosemary tea and used it as an antiseptic wash and to sterilize medical instruments. Dried leaves were burned as an incense to fumigate hospitals.
When the bubonic plague raged in 17th century France, four famous thieves managed to dodge the disease as they looted rich people’s houses. When they were caught and sentenced to death, they shared a remedy that warded off the terrible disease: vinegar infused with herbs including rosemary, angelica, sage, mint, and lavender. Their lives were spared and the remedy is still popular today as “thieves vinegar.”
After thousands of years in the limelight, rosemary still has not fallen out of fashion. It is prominent in body care products, haute cuisine, and current medical scientific studies on some of the most pernicious modern diseases including cancer, arthritis, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.

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Proper Use

Unless otherwise prescribed: 4-6 g of cut leaf for infusions, powder, dry extracts, and other galenical preparations for internal and external use; 10-20 drops of essential oil.

Doses can be taken three to four times a day.

Infusion: 3 to 5 tablespoons

Tincture: 5 to 20 drops

Essential Oil: ½ to 3 drops

Internal:

Infusion: 2 g in 150 ml water, three times daily.

Fluid Extract 1:1 (g/ml): 2 ml, three times daily.

Tincture 1:5 (g/ml): 10 ml, three times daily.

Dry normalized extract 4.5-5.5:1 (w/w): 0.36-0.44 g, three times daily.

Rosemary wine: Macerate 20 g cut leaf in 1 liter wine for 1 to 5 days, stirring occasionally.

External:

Bath additive: Decoct 50 g of leaf in 1 liter water, let stand covered for 15 to 30 minutes, strain, and add to one full bath.

Embrocation or fomentation: Saturate a cloth with hot semi-solid preparation containing 6-10% essential oil; fold and apply firmly for a moist-heat direct application to skin.

Ointment: Semi-solid preparation containing 6-10% essential oil in base of petroleum jelly or lanolin spread on linen for local application, applied as a liniment.

Rosemary can also improve the shelf life of perishable foods .

Formulary

Blends well with: Basil, Bergamot, Cedarwood, Lavender, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Frankincense and Tea Tree

DIFFUSER

Used in aromatherapy, Rosemary essential oil is reputed to improve alertness, eliminate negative moods, and increase the retention of information by enhancing concentration. The scent of Rosemary essential oil is often used to stimulate the appetite, boost the immune system, and to reduce the level of harmful stress hormones that are released during tense experiences.

Diffuser Formula

Rosemary Essential Oil 6 drops

Lemon Essential Oil 3 drops

Lavender Essential Oil 3 drops

Witch Hazel 1 Tbsp

Distilled Water ½ cup

Use this blend to invigorate the mind and body to prevent the sluggish feeling of fatigue.

IngredientAmount

Rosemary Essential Oil - 4 Drops

Grapefruit Essential Oil - 4 Drops

Lime Essential Oil - 4 Drops

RESPIRATORY SUPPORT

Rosemary Essential Oil - 5 drops

Frankincense Essential Oil - 5 drops

Pine Essential Oil - 5 drops

Grapefruit Essential Oil - 5 drops

Carrier Oil - 1 tsp (15 ml)

MASSAGE OIL

Used in a massage, Rosemary essential oil’s detoxifying properties are reputed to help facilitate healthy digestion and to relieve flatulence, bloating, cramps, and constipation. Through massage, this oil is said to stimulate circulation, which allows the body to better absorb nutrients from food.

MASSAGE BLEND FOR ACHES AND PAINS

Rosemary Essential Oil - 5 drops

Nutmeg Essential Oil - 5 drops

Lavender Essential Oil - 5 drops

Carrier Oil - 1 Tbsp

REDUCE THE APPEARANCE OF CELLULITE

Rosemary Essential Oil - 5 drops

Benzoin Resinoid - 5 drops

Fennel Essential Oil - 5 drops

Lemon Essential Oil - 5 drops

Carrier Oil - 4 tsp

REDUCE THE APPEARANCE OF VARICOSE VEINS

Rosemary Essential Oil - 10 drops

Basil Essential Oil - 10 drops

Grapefruit Essential Oil - 5 drops

Geranium Essential Oil - 5 drops

Shea Butter - ½ cup

Coconut Carrier Oil - 1/4 cup

Jojoba Carrier Oil - 1/4 cup

Vitamin E Liquid - 1 Tbsp

ROSEMARY AND ALOE BLEND TO MOISTURIZE, ENERGIZE, AND COOL ACNE-PRONE SKIN

Rosemary Essential Oil - 6 drops

Aloe Vera Gel - 1 Tbsp

ROSEMARY AND CASTOR OIL BLEND FOR HAIR TREATMENTS

Use this blend to condition hair for strength and resilience.

Rosemary Essential Oil 4 -5 drops

Coconut Carrier Oil - 2 tsp

Castor Oil - 2 tsp

ROSEMARY SERUM TO REPAIR AND REVITALIZE HAIR

Use this blend to naturally fortify hair for healthier growth.

Rosemary Essential Oil - 8 drops

Lavender Essential Oil - 6 drops

Clary Sage Essential Oil - 3 drops

Sweet Almond Oil - 50 ml (1.7 fl. oz.)

HUNGARY WATER

The famous recipe that rejuvenated the Queen's youthfulness and restored her crippled legs:

Infuse the flowering rosemary tops, myrtle, lavender, thyme, sage, mint, and marjoram in alcohol for 2 weeks before filtering. then add to bath water.

Cultivation

Rosemary does best in warm, sunny, and dry spots. It can be propagated by seed, cutting, or layering.

To get the most essential oil, harvest the upper parts before they flower. The flowers and upper parts can be harvested in early Spring and Summer. The leaves and flowers should be dried in the shade.

Rosemary is a perennial bush that often grows on the sea cliffs of Spain, France, Greece, and Italy. The leaves of the aromatic Rosemary bush have a high oil concentration, and it is part of an aromatic family of herbs, which also includes Lavender, Basil, Mint, and Oregano to name a few.

Rosemary is a hardy plant that can withstand frost, but it also loves the sun and thrives in dry climates where the temperature is between 20ᵒ-25ᵒ Celsius (68ᵒ-77ᵒ Fahrenheit) and does not drop below -17ᵒ Celsius (0ᵒ Fahrenheit). Though Rosemary can grow in a small pot inside a home, when grown outside, the Rosemary bush can reach a height of approximately 5 ft. Due to its adaptability to various ecological conditions, Rosemary plants can vary in appearance in terms of their colors, the sizes of their flowers, and the aromas of their essential oils. The Rosemary plant requires adequate water drainage, as it will not grow well if it is over irrigated or in soils with a high clay content, thus it can grow in the earth that ranges in soil type from sandy to clay loam soil as long as it has a pH range of 5.5 to 8.0.

Rosemary essential oil of the most superior quality is obtained from the flowering tops of the plant, although oils can also be obtained from the stems and leaves before the plant begins to flower. Rosemary fields are usually harvested once or twice a year, depending on the geographical region of cultivation.

Before distillation, the leaves are dried either naturally by the heat of the sun or by using driers. Drying the leaves in the sun results in poor quality leaves for producing oils. The ideal drying method involves the use of a forced air-flow drier, which results in better quality leaves. After the product is dried, the leaves are further processed to have the stems removed. They are sieved to remove dirt.

Rosemary Essential Oil is most commonly extracted through the steam distillation of the plant’s flowering tops and leaves. After distillation, the oil has a watery viscosity and can be colorless or pale yellow. It's powerful and refreshing smell is herbaceous and similar to mint with an undertone that is characterized as woody and balsamic.

Common Names

Rosemary, Compass plant, Romero, Romarin, Dew of the Sea, Old Man, Anthos, Elf Leaf, Guardrob, or Incensier

Botanical Name

Rosmarinus officinalis L.

Family

Lamiaceae (formerly Labiatae)

Parts Used

Leaves, stems, flowers, and essential oil

Therapeutic Actions

abortifacient

anti- androgenic

anti-arteriosclerosis

anti-bacterial

anti-cancer

anti-diabetic

anti-diuretic

anti-depressant

anti-dermatophytic

anti-fungal

anti-inflammatory

antimicrobial

anti-oxidant (outperforms BHA and BHT)

anti-platelet

anti-obesity

anti-nociceptive

anti-septic

anti-spasmodic

anti-thrombotic

anti-tumor

anti-ulcerogenic

anxiolytic

appetite suppressant

astringent

bronchodilator

carminative

cholagogue

choleretic

cough suppressant

detoxifyier

diaphoretic

emmenagogue

expectorant

febrifuge

heart tonic

hepatic

hepatoprotective

hypertensive

mood-balancing

nervine sedative

nootropic

parasiticide

psychostimulant

radioprotective

rubefacient

revives after fainting

sedative

stimulant

tonic

vasomotor tonic

Research & References

Arabi M. H, Chabok H, Mirzapour A, Ardestani M. S, Mostafa M. Preparation of Nanoliposomes Containing Rosmarinus Officinalis L Essential Oil: a Comparative Study. Biosc.Biotech.Res.Comm. 2017;10(1).

Balick, M. J. (2014). 21st century herbal: A practical guide for healthy living using nature’s most powerful plants. V. Mattern (Ed.). New York: Rodale, 341-345.

Bone, K., & Mills, S. (2013). Principles and practice of phytotherapy modern herbal medicine. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier.

Chan, Eric W.C. (2012). Rosemary and Sage Outperformed Six other Culinary Herbs in Antioxidant and Antibacterial Properties. International Journal of Biotechnology for Wellness Industries, 2012, 1, 142-151

de Oliveira, J.R., Camargo, S.E.A. & de Oliveira, L.D. Rosmarinus officinalis L. (rosemary) as therapeutic and prophylactic agent. J Biomed Sci 26, 5 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12929-019-0499-8

Easley,T. and Horne,S. (2016). The modern herbal dispensatory: A medicine-making guide. Berkeley, CA. North Atlantic Books

Fawzia Fahim, Amr Esmat, Hoda Fadel & Khaled Hassan (1999) Allied studies on the effect of Rosmarinus officinalis L. on experimental hepatotoxicity and mutagenesis, International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 50:6, 413-427, DOI: 10.1080/096374899100987

Habtemariam S. (2016). The Therapeutic Potential of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) Diterpenes for Alzheimer's Disease. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2016, 2680409. doi:10.1155/2016/2680409

Hoffmann, D. (2003). Medical herbalism: the science and practice of herbal medicine. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press.

Ibarra, A., Cases, J., Roller, M., Chiralt-Boix, A., Coussaert, A., & Ripoll, C. (2011). Carnosic acid-rich rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) leaf extract limits weight gain and improves cholesterol levels and glycaemia in mice on a high-fat diet. British Journal of Nutrition, 106(8), 1182-1189. doi:10.1017/S0007114511001620

Lemonica IP, Damasceno DC, di-Stasi LC. Study of the embryotoxic effects of an extract of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.). Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research = Revista Brasileira de Pesquisas Medicas e Biologicas. 1996 Feb;29(2):223-227.

Nieto, Gema & Id, Gaspar & Ros, Gaspar & Castillo, Julián. (2018). medicines Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis, L.): A Review. Medicines. 5. 10.3390/medicines5030098.

Petersen, D. (2015). Herb 201 Herbal Studies. Portland, OR: American College of Healthcare Sciences

Rafie H, Soheila H, Grant E. Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary): A Novel Therapeutic Agent for Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Anticancer, Antidiabetic, Antidepressant, Neuroprotective, Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Obesity Treatment. Herb Med. 2017, Vol. 3 No. 2: 8. doi:10.21767/2472-0151.100028

Stojiljkovic, Jasmina. (2018). Antibacterial activities of rosemary essential oils and their components against pathogenic bacteria. Advances in Cytology & Pathology. DOI 10.15406/acp.2018.03.00060

Weiss, R., & Fintelmann, V. (2000). Herbal Medicine (2nd ed.). Stuttgart: Thieme