Beginning with the written word as early as the fifth millennium B.C. references to rosemary were found written in cuneiform on stone tablets. – from Ad Lunam Labs
Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis)
Plant appearance: dense bush of thin branches with spike-like green leaves with grayish undersides
Parts used: leaves, twigs, flowers
It has been used throughout history for memory, used at weddings and funerals, and placed in prisoner’s dock against “jail fever”
Oil appearance: colorless to pale yellow, slightly green-tinged
Therapeutic uses: muscle aches and pains, rheumatism, arthritis, muscle weakness or injury, headaches, migraines, gastric upset, abdominal spasm, respiratory conditions, sinus congestion, fluid retention, heavy legs, edema, cellulite, detoxifier, memory enhancement, general debility, acne, pimples, boils, abscesses, dandruff, hair loss
Precautions: best avoided during pregnanacy; do not use if you have high blood pressure; GRAS Also note that adding oils to bath makes the surface slippery, so be careful!
RECIPE
Cellulite Massage Oil Blend
–from Essential Oil Sanctuary
- 20 drops rosemary
- 20 drops fennel
- 15 drops juniper
- 15 drops grapefruit
- 5 drops geranium
Directions:
- In a 5 mL (1/6 oz) glass bottle combine your essential oils and roll bottle to blend
Ways to use your Cellulite Massage Oil Blend
Below are a few ways you can make use of your massage blend.
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Dry brushing: Before taking a shower or bathing sprinkle 1-2 drops of your cellulite massage blend onto a natural-bristle body brush. Using small circular motions brush your limbs up towards the heart (stimulating and improving circulation)
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In the bath: While filling your tub with warm water take a small non-reactive bowl and combine 1 tsp (5 mL) milk (or castille soap) and 4-6 drops of your Cellulite Massage Oil. Add the mixture to the tub once it’s filled. Agitate and disperse the oils then soak for 30 minutes, massaging any floating droplets of oil into your skin. Important: wait until the bath is filled to add your oils. Don’t add under steaming, pouring water as the tub fills, to avoid evaporation of the oils.
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Massage: In a small non-reactive bowl (or glass bottle) combine 4 tsp (20 mL) of grapeseed or sweet almond oil and 10 drops of your Cellulite Massage Oil. Mix your ingredients well and massage over your body, or ask your massage therapist to perform the massage for you with your mixture. If you are getting a massage from a masseuse try seeking out regular lymphatic massages.
That’s a lot of benefits for rosemary. I never knew it helped with dandruff and hair loss too.
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Yes, it is a miraculous essential oil! I have a good-sized plant that lives outside in the summer and comes in for winter. Just rubbing the leaves and breathing in is healthful.
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And to think I have only used it while cooking!
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I haven’t tried rosemary for anything but as a food ingredient. This opened me up to several of its uses. I’m curious why most of the oils you suggest are not to be used during pregnancy. Is it because of the fragrance? Or because they have an inherently warm effect??
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Sonia, I’m not sure. I got the info from the Worwood book and it doesn’t say why.
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There is a beautiful story about rosemary in Italo Calvino’s Italian Folktales book 🙂
The Multicolored Diary
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I’ll keep it in mind!
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Oh yes, I need this Cellulite Massage Oil ;))
R is for Rayures
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🙂
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I love rosemary in cooking (the most amazing chips/fries I have ever had were rosemary and garlic, in an Italian restaurant in the Netherlands), I had no idea about all the uses of the essential oil though. So versatile.
Tasha 💖
Virginia’s Parlour – The Manor (Adult concepts – nothing explicit in posts)
Tasha’s Thinkings – Vampire Drabbles
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Yummy and easy to do at home with chips/fries.
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Mmm the smell of Mediterranean summers! The plants grow well here too.
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I have a plant probably 5 years old now that I put outside in summer and bring in in winter. It’s by the slider so gets a lot of sun. Every day at least once I rub the leaves and breathe in. It’s living aromatherapy!
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Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) – Edison Lighthouse
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Great song for a great plant.
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One of my favorite cooking herbs. (K)
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Love using rosemary while roasting vegetables, especially potatoes.
That massage sounds just the ticket after all this sitting down this month.
Question: can rosemary oil be used on its own (added to a base oil) to ease aching muscles?
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I’m guessing it can, but I know some blends depend on synergy to be most effective. Maybe experiment and see?
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That’s a great tip about adding oils to the tub after the water is in. It never occurred to me in like..well, all my life.
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I didn’t realize they would evaporate in hot water. I am reading better to put the oils on your skin and then get in the tub. Haven’t tried it yet…
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Rosemary is such a diverse ingredient 🙂
An A-Z of Faerie: Red Caps
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Once again you’ve reminded me that such plants have uses than just culinary! I love what it does to lamb!
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Rosemary is one of the top herbs in my opinion, and it’s on my buying list for essential oil.
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I love rosemary in all its guises – it’s lovely as a flowering plant; wonderful as a herb, fabulous as an essential oil. I also use it dried to burn during Samhain and Day of the Dead celebrations – rosemary is definitely for remembrance.
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Good to know, Deborah!
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Just added a few leaves to my dinner. And decided to eat them, not discard them as often is the case. Easier that way, plus the lovely twang of rosemary …yum!
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YUM!
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Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs- in the garden or in the kitchen! Lovely herb.
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Mine too! I enjoy the instant aromatherapy of it.
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Actually, people with high blood pressure should not use rosemary. Which seems interesting because edema, fluid retention, heavy legs, etc. often go hand-in-hand with high blood pressure. One other tip: When you place oils in a bath, it can make the tub real slippery. In this case, I would just add the rosemary sprigs to bathwater.
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Thank you much for the info, Alexandra. I will add it to the precautions.
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