I remember the day someone suggested rosemary essential oil to me. I was a little surprised having only used the herb in my yummy roasted red potatoes recipe.
I frequently have joint and muscle pain due to auto-immune disease. A friend who is quite the expert in essential oils recommended I use rosemary for pain relief. At this point in my journey with essential oils, I had only ever used lavender for this purpose.
In my research and ultimate trial of rosemary essential oil for pain relief, I discovered that not only is it a “warm” oil that is quite soothing for aching joints and muscles, it is also anti-inflammatory. This is doubly beneficial for someone like me.
I also discovered it is one of the ingredients in most thieves oil-type recipes, including Immune Strength. We have used these formulas to both shorten the duration of and to prevent the flu.
It is safe to say that rosemary essential oil deserves a spot in my list of 10 Best Essential Oils for Everyday Use and has become one of my favorite “medicinal” essential oils.
The most common benefits of rosemary essential oil include:
Hair Growth When used on the scalp, rosemary essential oil helps stimulate hair growth. Many people also claim that it can prevent baldness, slows graying, and can be used to treat dandruff.
Memory The memory strengthening ability of rosemary dates back to ancient Greece. Did you know that ancient Greek scholars used rosemary to improve their performance on tests? Rosemary essential oil has also been used to treat Alzheimer’s.
Pain Relief Applying rosemary essential oil topically may help relieve joint, nerve, and muscle pain, headache, and inflammation.
Reduce Respiratory Problems Inhaling or diffusing rosemary essential oil aids in the relief of congestion, allergies, colds, sore throats, upper respiratory infections, or flu, as well as boost your immune system.
Treat Infections Rosemary essential oil is excellent for treating many types of infections, especially staph, strep, and cystitis. When diffused, the antiseptic properties of rosemary help prevent the spread of airborne infections.
Digestive Aid Rosemary essential oil reduces the frequency and severity of muscle spasms that can contribute to digestive discomfort, making it a useful remedy for intestinal gas and accompanying discomfort.
Here are some everyday uses for rosemary essential oil:
Mix 3 drops of rosemary oil with a tablespoon of carrier oil and rub on neck and chest area, or add a few drops of rosemary oil to your diffuser for an hour each day to improve memory.
Add 5 drops of rosemary oil to your shampoo when washing your air (or use my homemade herbal-mint shampoo recipe below) to for healthier hair.
Add 2 drops of rosemary oil and 2 drops of peppermint oil to 1 tsp of carrier oil and rub on sore muscles and painful joints.
Add 2 drops of rosemary oil, 2 drops of helichrysum oil, and 2 drops of cypress oil to 1 tsp of carrier oil and rub on area of neuropathy or neuralgia.
Add 10 drops of rosemary oil and 10 drops of peppermint oil to a cup or purified water. Store in a glass jar and use as a mouthwash to help with bad breath.
Add a few drops to your diffuser to disinfect the air, especially when someone in your home as a cold or flu.
To help with occasional digestive upset, add 3 drops of rosemary essential oil to 1 tsp of carrier oil and rub in a clockwise fashion over the abdomen.
Warnings
Rosemary Essential Oil should not be used with epileptics.
Essential oils are highly concentrated, strong, and powerful liquids that can be harmful if not used carefully and properly. This is an especially potent blend of essential oils which could cause irritation when applied to the skin, even in diluted amounts. Use caution when using them. Please keep essential oils out of reach of children. Please do not use this essential oil on babies, toddlers, or children under the age of 10.
I’ve talked before about my goal to strip my home of chemicals, especially the ones I put on my body. The one thing that has been nearly impossible to give up is my Aveda Rosemary-Mint Shampoo. I have loved this shampoo for many years. But have you read the ingredients on the back of your shampoo bottle lately? Accept for the peppermint and rosemary part, I can barely pronounce most of the ingredients.
Aveda proports that this shampoo is “formulated with peppermint to awaken your senses and rosemary to help protect from environmental damage.” Well, I decided if that’s the purpose, then perhaps I could come up with a recipe myself that contains ingredients I can actually pronounce and are also good for my hair. Besides there’s that prevention of hair loss and decreasing the rate of going grey thing. Most of us will be happy about help in that area as we grow older.
Keep Reading if you’d like my Herbal-Mint Shampoo recipe to try.
