Rosemary essential oil
- Type
- Essential oil
- Botanical name
- Salvia rosmarinus
- Other names
- rosemary oil
The plant
Rosemary, Salvia rosmarinus, formerly Rosmarinus officinalis, is an aromatic evergreen shrub of the mint family (Lamiaceae).[4] It is native to Africa, Europe, western Asia and the Mediterranean and grows in dry, rocky places. Its needle-like leaves are green above and white and felted below, and its small two-lipped flowers are blue, lavender or white.[2]
How the oil is made
In the mid-20th century the oil was steam-distilled, usually with direct steam, from the flowers, leaves and twigs of wild-growing rosemary. The twigs were included only in Spanish distillations, and Tunisia distilled only flowers and leaves.[3]
At that time Spain supplied by far the most rosemary oil, but its quality ranged from the very best to the very poorest, while Tunisian oil was very uniform and of high quality. A few Spanish distillers made a fine "rosemary flower oil" from the flowering tops alone.[3]
Composition
In mid-20th-century analyses, rosemary oil consisted largely of monoterpenes and also contained a significant amount of borneol, its main oxygen-containing component.[3] Oils on sale come in different chemotypes, types of composition named after a main component: besides the camphor type there are a verbenone type, with less camphor and a more herbal smell, and a cineole type.[5]
Scent and uses
The oil is pale yellow or almost colourless. It smells strong, fresh, woody and herbal, somewhat minty and forest-like; the fresh top notes fade quickly into a clean, woody-balsamic body and a lasting dry, bitter-sweet herbal note. Poorer oils have a coarser smell of camphor and cineole.[3]
In perfumery the oil is used in citrus colognes, lavender waters and pine-scented fragrances, and also in room deodorants, household sprays, insecticides and disinfectants. As a fresh-smelling oil it masks unpleasant smells well, especially tar-like ones. It blends well with lavender, lavandin, thyme, pine-needle and cedarwood oils and olibanum.[3]
In aromatherapy the oil is described as stimulating,[5] but few uses of essential oils have been studied scientifically.[6]
Herbal medicine
Rosemary oil preparations in semi-solid form, applied to the skin, are traditionally used to relieve minor muscle and joint pain and minor circulation problems in the legs. This use rests only on long experience, at least 30 years, and not on clinical studies.[1]
Safety
Rosemary oil is potentially harmful to the nervous system, depending on its camphor content. It should not be used on or near the face of infants and children. At most 16.5% on the skin is recommended for camphor-type oil and 6.5% for verbenone-type oil.[7]
Misused essential oils can cause serious poisoning, and children may be more sensitive to them than adults. Keep the oil out of the reach of children. If a rash or other skin reaction occurs, stop using it and gently wash it off.[6]
- are not for children and adolescents under 18, or for use in pregnancy or while breastfeeding;
- are not for people allergic to rosemary or people with heart or kidney disease;
- should not be applied around the eyes or on mucous membranes;
- can cause allergic reactions such as contact dermatitis, or breathing difficulty like asthma.
Products containing it
- 33 Herbs Essential Oil Blend (E 119)
- 33 Herbs Strong Essential Oil Blend (E 144)
- Body Cream With Eucalyptus Madeira (I 143)
- Body Cream With Thyme Oil (I 875)
- Hygeia Oil Blend (E 143)
- I Am Strong “Fire” Oil Blend (E 132)
- Mama Mia Aromatic Spray, Viva Plus (E 118)
- Massage Oil, Eucalyptus Nun's Valley Madeira (I 141)
- Rosemary Essential Oil (E 114)
- Shower Gel, Eucalyptus Nun's Valley Madeira (I 142)
- Skin Cream With Tea Tree Oil (I 876)
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 European Medicines Agency, Rosmarini aetheroleum: herbal medicinal product. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 North Carolina State University Extension, Salvia rosmarinus. Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Steffen Arctander, Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, Elizabeth, NJ, 1960: Rosemary Oils.
- ↑ University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Rosemary, Rosemarinus officinalis. Retrieved 14 October 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 AromaWeb, Rosemary Essential Oil. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 National Capital Poison Center, Essential oils: Poisonous when misused. Retrieved 14 October 2026.
- ↑ AromaWeb, Rosemary Essential Oil: safety information, citing Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety, 2nd edition, 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2026.