Rosemary essential oil is a highly concentrated oil extracted from the rosemary herb. It’s typically made using steam distillation of the plant’s flowers and leaves.

What is Rosemary Essential Oil

The essential oil has many therapeutic benefits, which we explore later in this article. Indeed, the rosemary herb itself has been used since ancient times. To learn more about the herb see our previous article all about it!

Benefits of Rosemary Essential Oil for Hair

 

Did you know that rosemary oil has been proven to help increase hair growth? In a study in which men with male-pattern baldness massaged diluted rosemary oil onto their scalp twice a day, researchers found that after six month the participants’ hair had become thicker and the increased thickness was comparable to a popular hair regrowth treatment.[1]

Other studies, where rosemary oil has been used alongside other essential oils, have also shown the oil’s ability to reverse hair loss.[2]

Cognitive Functions Induced by Rosemary Essential oil

Rosemary has long been revered in different cultures for its benefits to brain health and memory. Well, the essential oil is no different.

In a study in 2012, researchers found that when participants inhaled rosemary oil, they experienced improved performance at tasks designed to test their cognitive function,[3] and the participants experienced improvements in both speed and accuracy.

Rosemary oil could even be beneficial for serious cognitive issues. Research has suggested that regularly inhaling rosemary oil could help improve cognitive performance in people with Alzheimer’s.[4]

Rosemary Essential oil for Pain Relief

If you’re experiencing muscle or joint pain, it might be worth including some rosemary oil as a home remedy. Traditional medicine has long utilized rosemary as a pain reliever, and now the research suggests that there is scientific support for this.

In a study in 2007, participants experiencing post-stroke shoulder pain received acupressure with rosemary oil. Researchers found that they experienced almost double the reduction in shoulder pain compared to the group that received acupressure without the oil.[5]

Certainly, at tofillo we like to use our Rosemary Essential Oil and massage into skin – diluted of course – whenever we have a muscle pain!

 

Stress and Aromatherapy With Rosemary Essential oil

When you’re next feeling stressed, why not reach for a bottle of rosemary oil? Research suggests that the oil has stress-relieving properties.

In a 2009 study, students that were given sachets of rosemary essential oil before an exam exhibited reduced levels of stress both before and during the exam.[6] Similarly, in a study in 2007, researchers found that when participants inhaled rosemary oil for a few minutes, samples of their saliva showed a 23% decrease in cortisol (the stress hormone) compared to a neutral ingredient.[7]

 

Indeed, at tofillo we love to use our Rosemary Essential Oil to take a deep breath and a break when we’re feeling stressed…

 

Ηow Εssential oil of Rosemary helps Coughs and Colds

Did you know that rosemary contains a compound that can help ease your cough and cold?

The compound is called cineole, and research has found that it is effective at breaking up mucus and having an anti-inflammatory effect, particularly for chest infections.[8]

An easy way to get the benefits of rosemary oil in this way would be to create a steam bowl and add a few drops of the essential oil to the bowl to inhale.

How to Use Rosemary Oil

One key step in using rosemary essential oil on the skin is using it in a diluted form, so it becomes a gentler type of rosemary oil.

Using a diluted form of essential oils is necessary whenever you’re applying it to your skin to avoid irritation.

So how do you make a diluted form of rosemary oil? We make the following suggestions:

1. Find a neutral oil – like jojoba oil – to act as the carrier oil
2. To make diluted rosemary oil for your face, use 1 drop of the essential oil to 1 teaspoon of the carrier oil. Scale up the amount as needed, keeping the same ratio of ingredients
3. For skin on your body, use 2 drops of the essential oil to 1 teaspoon of the carrier oil
4. And for your hair and scalp, use 2-3 drops of the essential oil to 1 teaspoon of the carrier oil

 

Uses of Essential Oil

Now, what about the ways you can use rosemary oil to get its benefits?

Well, there are many options to choose from! You can add a few drops of the essential oil when making a soap, to let you relax, clear your mind or provide pain relief when you need. Similarly, you can add some drops into candles you make yourself, to give you focus and calm next time you burn them.

You can also use the oil for massage – remembering to dilute it per our instructions in the previous section. Another use would be to use it in a steam bowl to help soothe any coughs you have from the cold or flu.

If you’d like to learn more about essential oils generally and their uses in aromatherapy, see our previous article on the topic.

And if you’ve been inspired to include some rosemary oil in your wellbeing routine, head over to our product page for our Rosemary Essential Oil where you can learn more about it and place an order!

 

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17388768/

[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19258850/

[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17291597/

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3842692/

[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25842469/

[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9828867/

[7] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23983963/

[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20377818/