Rosmarinus means “dew of the sea,” where this Mediterranean herb loves to grow. Rosemary delights late winter with prolific blooms. The old French name incensier came from rosemary’s celebrated history as church incense. The stalks, stripped bare of the leaves, make good skewers for barbecue.

Extraction: Distilled from the flowering tops or leaves. The powerful fragrance is herby, sharp, and camphorous. The ratio of compounds in the oil depends on the stage of the plant when it was picked.

Medicinal action: Rosemary is very antiseptic. Until the twentieth century, the fragrant leaves were burned to purify French hospitals. With more antioxidant properties than most fruits and vegetables, rosemary has been developed into a food preservative through technology that isolates a fraction of the plant to produce a water-soluble extract. Rosemary is one of the best stimulants for the nervous system, adrenal glands, digestion, and poor circulation. It treats lung congestion, sore throats, and canker sores. In penetrating liniments, it eases muscle and rheumatism pain.

Cosmetic/skin use: Rosemary was the main ingredient in the fourteenth-century Hungary water, used for complexion care and as a cologne. Rosemary helps sluggish, underactive skin and is used on dry, mature, and couperose complexion types and varicose veins. It is a potent antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal for skin. Researchers found that rosemary is a beneficial antioxidant in creams or lotions to minimize free radical damage and protect the skin from cellular damage. They speculated that it even plays a role in helping genes improve skin cells’ stress tolerance to oxidation. It also helps reduce cellulite, dermatitis, scars, inflammation, and skin parasites. An age-old dandruff and hair loss remedy for all hair types, rosemary branches were even used as hairbrushes.

Emotional attributes: Rosemary is known as the “herb of remembrance,” made famous when Shakespeare’s Ophelia said, “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance …” The smoke was inhaled for brain weakness. Rosemary’s reputation for improving memory is borne out in modern scientific studies showing that its antioxidant actions slow the breakdown of acetylcholine in the brain (many Alzheimer’s patients have low levels of this neurotransmitter). The fragrance improves memory, confidence, perception, and creativity, and helps balance mind and body. It also prevents dizziness, grief, dark thoughts, and nightmares, and helps you remember good dreams. Commoners burned rosemary instead of frankincense when they prayed. Everyone carried it to symbolize both love and death at funerals. Considerations: Rosemary can be overstimulating and may increase blood pressure, although this common warning has probably been exaggerated. It is often recommended that pregnant women stick to using it as a culinary spice.

Kembali ke Halaman Essential Oil