Rosemary has long been known to be a healing herb, since the ancient times, where it has mostly been used in beauty products, various foods and medicines. Rosemary, everyone’s favorite herb, is commonly found in essential oil form, like its counterparts, which include oregano, peppermint, lavender and cinnamon. This beneficial shrub has become popular over the last decade thanks to its natural anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and antioxidant properties. In fact, rosemary leaf extract has long been used for its medicinal properties. Beneficial for your health, hair, beauty, dental as well as mental health, there isn’t a single field where Rosemary Oil doesn’t play an important role. Strengthening of the immune system, providing energy to the body, and ensuring smooth circulation of blood, it’s aroma or scent helps to keep your mind calm – the list of health benefits of rosemary oil can seem endless. We can give you many new reasons to love fresh rosemary oil. Here we break down the rosemary oil benefits in a simple and informative way.
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Did you know?
Rosmarinus Officinalis is the scientific name for rosemary.
Table of Contents
Health benefits Of Rosemary Oil:
1. Promotes Immunity
Cortisol, a stress hormone present in the body, is known to inhibit the production of the immune cells (such as T-helper cells), further resulting in an immune system with a very weak response (1). However, adequate consumption of rosemary oil has been shown to reduce the concentration of cortisol hormone in the system, which makes it an absolutely great choice for the strengthening of the immune system.
Also Read:Immunity-Boosting Foods
2. Enhances Cognitive Abilities
By improving your concentration capabilities and effectively helping you in learning, inhaling rosemary oil can the brain’s activity and tackle problems such as mental fatigue and forgetfulness. Though the main reason as to why rosemary (also known as rosmarinus officinalis) aroma or scent plays such a vital role in mental health is yet to be discovered, it is well known that some of it may have to do with rosemary oil’s antioxidant properties. The antioxidant property of rosemary oil is beneficial as it reduces the risk of free-radical (free oxygen atom) induced damage to the brain cells, thus keeping certain diseases such as Alzheimer’s at bay. The aroma or scent of essential oils like rosemary oil, lavender oil, peppermint oil, etc., help in keeping your mind stress-free.
The antioxidant properties also help our bodies to fight against various diseases, further boosting our immune system. Regular usage or inhalation of rosemary oil could actually help increase the strength of your immune system.
3. Smooth Blood Circulation
Thanks to its antioxidant property, massaging of rosemary oil can, after the absorption of the nutrients by the skin cells, effectively may help in the lowering of free-radical concentration in the system. Free-radicals are the fee oxygen atoms which tend to exert oxidative stress over the walls of healthy cells, thus damaging them. However, antioxidants on the other hand combine with these free-radicals before they get a higher chance to reach the healthy cells.
Free-radical-induced inflammation is quite common; it often leads to the contraction of the blood vessels, which might result in an irregular and inadequate supply of blood. Thus, the intake of rosemary oil may help in the prevention of this blood vessel contraction and promotes a smooth flow of blood throughout the body.
4. Prevents Depression
Rosemary oil often acts as an effective mood uplifter and might even help one feel rejuvenated and energetic after a long day at work. This is also the main reason behind rosemary oil’s extraordinary cognitive benefits, for it is responsible for making the mind more active and alert. This oil is also an integral part of aromatherapy, which is a medicinal alternative in which a patient’s therapy involves inhaling of certain volatile plants rather than ingesting them. Inhaling rosemary oil may help in the lowering of cortisol concentration (as mentioned in the very first point), which is a stress hormone.
5. Rosemary Oil Helps Promote Healthy Digestion
Throughout the history of western culture, rosemary oil has been traditionally used for its extremely beneficial nature towards one’s digestive health. Known for its natural anti-inflammatory properties, adequate consumption of rosemary oil can further help in the prevention of many gastrointestinal diseases, as most of them are caused by the chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. Issues such as indigestion, constipation, bloating, and abdominal pain are some of its arch nemesis. Anti-inflammatory foods like olive oil, grapes, mushrooms, green tea, turmeric, etc., are great for keeping inflammation at bay, further keeping abdominal pain and other digestive issues in check.
Here’s a list of anti-inflammatory foods that will help you fight inflammation.
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Did you know?
Rosemary oil can actually stop or inhibit the growth of bacteria that could cause food poisoning. While it is said that it may protect from the growth of bacteria, it is suggested to not try anything on your own, especially without some supervision. (Read more here)
6. Pain-Relief
Many people experience pain in their joints due to a condition called arthritis. Arthritis is caused by inflammation in these joints. The anti-inflammatory nature of rosemary oil places it in the list of the essential oils that can help in relieving pain. By reducing the inflammatory response of various muscles and joints, rosemary oil proves itself to be quite efficient in reducing the risk of various diseases such as arthritis, which causes pain in various joints. Apart from that, its antioxidant properties further add up to its beneficial nature by effectively tackling the pain problem, which is generally caused by inflammation.
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7. Improves Respiration
Also considered to be an antiseptic compound, the inhaling of rosemary oil is linked with the prevention of conditions like cold, cough, sore throat, and flu, further proving that it can actually help in getting rid of the symptoms of various respiratory diseases (2). Acting as a cough suppressant and clearing up the nasal passage, inhaling rosemary oil can also be quite beneficial for ENT health.
8. Skin And Beauty
External application of rosemary oil, when thoroughly massaged, creates a thin film over the skin, which helps the skin in retaining its moisture, further keeping hydrated and healthy. Moreover, upon its application, rosemary oil tends to absorb the moisture from the surroundings and directs it towards the skin cells, thus nourishing them and aiding them in maintaining their structure.
9. Healthy Hair Growth
Rosemary oil is often used as an ingredient in various shampoos and conditioners. It plays an important part in preventing hair loss and premature greying of the hair. It further helps strengthen your scalp. Moreover, as discussed before, the application of rosemary oil can be quite beneficial when it comes to boosting the blood circulation, hence by applying it on the scalp, rosemary oil can contribute to a proper circulation of blood around the hair follicles, resulting in a more nourishes scalp, which becomes the soil for a healthy hair growth.
10. Oral Health
Rosemary oil is one of the major essential oils that can promote oral health. Its antiseptic and antimicrobial properties help in getting rid of bad breath, resulting in a clean set of teeth. So if you experience bad breath, chances are rosemary oil could actually help treat this problem.
More Benefits:
Rosemary oil is also great for stimulating the release of bile juice, which further protects your liver. In fact, one of its active constituents rosmarinic acid (RA) is commonly used in medicines for treatments of liver diseases, as suggested by NCBI.
A memory booster? Rosemary oil is said to help in increasing your memory power. In fact, a study was conducted on students of the Northumbria University and it was concluded that exposure to rosemary or rosemary oil could actually up your memory power.
Things To Consider
Though the beneficial nature of rosemary oil could be quite effective in terms of treating or regulating a lot of skin, health and hair issues, there are still some precautions that must be taken while consuming it.
One major drawback of unregulated rosemary oil consumption is its ability to increase the blood glucose level. A study shows that the administration of the rosemary oil into the diet of rats inhibited the secretion of insulin, further resulting in an increased blood sugar level (3). Regulated blood sugar levels help keep diabetes in check.
Moreover, this essential and volatile oil can be quite potent and its consumption or external application might cause an allergic reaction, which can include symptoms such as difficulty to breath, swollen throat, and itchy skin. It is highly advised that if such symptoms emerge, immediately consult with your doctor.
Please remember, no herb, or ingredient can completely treat any particular disease or condition. You have to ensure taking medical advice for experts to avoid any complications.
Also Read: How To Dry Rosemary
How To Use Rosemary Oil For Skin And Hair? | Tips To Use Rosemary Oil
It is now possible to see your skin and hair shining with essential oils like rosemary oil. It is also possible to see your hair regrow using rosemary oil, as per research studies. Go ahead and check out some amazing ways to add rosemary oil in your beauty regime.
Please note that you must use a small and safe amount of rosemary oil under supervision.
How To Use Rosemary Oil For Skin? | Tips For Skin
- One of the good ideas to use rosemary oil is to mix equal parts of jojoba oil and rosemary oil and massage the solution on your skin. This will help keep your skin firm and nourished.
- If you are someone who is mostly exposed to sun, then rosemary oil is the best bet for you. Rosemary oil is said to have the ability to reduce the overall skin damage, further removing pigmentation and tanning caused by sun. There are many sunblock products that have rosemary as the main ingredient.
- Rosemary oil is said to be very effective for the scars or stretch marks on your skin. All you need to do is to dab a small amount of rosemary oil on your scars and let it be for a while. You will see see these stretch marks becoming light. You can keep a bottle of rosemary oil and use it as and when required.
- For a natural glow on your skin, you would need to take some pure rosemary oil, which is an essential oil, some curd, and a few drops of honey, and mix them all together. Apply it on your face and skin and leave it for about 20 minutes before washing it off with water. Don’t forget to moisturize your face or skin well to see the best results.
- Rosemary oil, also known as rosmarinus officinalis in scientific terms, is perfect for moisturizing your skin. In fact, there are many beauty products that have rosemary oil as the main ingredient. So apply rosemary oil on your face or skin, especially if you are mostly suffering from excessive dryness. Don’t forget to massage your skin properly so that blood circulation increases.
- You know you could also use a few drops of rosemary oil with baking soda to exfoliate your skin. Gently rub or massage your skin with these ingredients mixed together, so this mix could actually help remove layers of dead skin, only to unveil a soft and supple skin. Using essential oils like rosemary oil in your beauty regime are great for your skin, especially when mixed with other ingredients.
How To Use Rosemary Oil For Hair? | Rosemary Oil For Hair
- Turns out, quality rosemary oil has been proved to be quite useful in hair growth. As per a research study by the NCBI, rosemary oil may help in the treatment of androgenic alopecia or hair loss. (4) Androgenic alopecia is a common condition which causes hair loss in men and women. This condition could also lead to baldness. Applying rosemary oil is said to have positive effects on the hair and promotes hair growth. It helps improving blood circulation in the scalp. More studies suggest that people with androgenic alopecia or hair loss condition used the essential oils like rosemary oil and saw significant hair growth.
- If you want your hair to grow in a healthy way, then you could add a few drops of jojoba oil and rosemary oil to make it function better. Apply it on your hair and leave it for 30 minutes before washing it off using a mild shampoo with warm water. Jojoba oil helps moisturize your hair and stimulate your scalp, which further helps to grow healthy tresses. You can keep the mixture in a bottle and use rosemary oil whenever you can.
- Make sure to massage your hair and scalp with a few drops of rosemary oil for at least 15 minutes before washing off using a mild shampoo with warm or normal running water to see effective results. You will love to see your hair and scalp healthy and good to go.
- You could add some coconut oil or olive oil to rosemary oil and apply it on your scalp and hair. Keep it for at least 10 minutes before washing it off using a mild shampoo with warm or normal running water. Coconut oil will help remove dryness on your scalp and further help in promote hair growth.
Remember, it is important for you to do your research before going ahead with your decision regarding the usage of pure rosemary oil. Do not use rosemary oil without taking medical advice. Rosemary oil is one of the most popular oils that you can find in various health stores all across the world, and make sure that the one you pick is free of adulteration and of high-quality.
