Rosemary is a well-known culinary and medicinal herb with a strong, woody, fresh, herby aroma that you can easily grow in your garden and pick the leaves to use in flavouring your food. It is quite also prolific in skin and hair care products. And recently there has been a surge in interest in rosemary hair oil and rosemary shampoo in particular. But why? What are the benefits of rosemary for the hair and skin?
Rosemary for Hair Growth
Rosemary stimulates the circulation to the hair follicles, and is a powerful antioxidant, promoting a healthy scalp and hair growth.
Rosemary for Strength and Shine
Rosemary also offers an arsenal of nutrients that support hair repair, helping it to be stronger and shinier.
Which Rosemary Extract Has the Most Benefits?
There are different ways to extract the nutrients from rosemary into a usable form for hair care and skin care. Rosemary sprigs can be distilled to yield the essential oil, or an extract can be made either by an infusion of the leaves in oil, or by a process called super-critical CO2 extraction. CO2 extraction is a cold process which conserves all the precious constituents and thus benefits of the whole rosemary herb. This is the form we prefer for its purity, freshness and consistent high potency.
And this is how we use rosemary herb in all Odylique’s organic shampoos. Each shampoo is packed with a generous serving of rosemary extract to promote strength and shine. Our new Reviving Rosemary Shampoo incorporates an extra helping of organic rosemary CO2 extract, as well as organic rosemary essential oil to maximise the benefits of rosemary for the hair.
There are more options for incorporating rosemary into your hair care routine.
Rosemary Hair Tonic
You can make your own infusion at home as a rosemary hair tonic to refresh dull, lifeless hair: Simply infuse fresh rosemary leaves in hot water and allow to cool. Alternatively, you can add 2 - 3 drops of rosemary essential oil to warm water as a final rinse after washing your hair to leave it shiny and freshly scented. Always discard DIY water-based products after 24 hours as they will attract microorganisms and go bad.
If you want to make a rosemary hair oil, you can likewise add a few drops of the essential oil to a nice light hair-friendly oil like jojoba or sunflower. If you really want to get creative, put some sprigs of fresh rosemary into a bottle of sunflower oil, leave in a warm place and infuse the oil over a period of a couple of weeks.
Rosemary Essential Oil Skin Benefits
Rosemary herb contains powerful antioxidants and other bioactive constituents which have aroused particular scientific interest for neutralising cancer-causing and skin-aging free-radicals. These antioxidants not only help to protect skin but also help to maintain the freshness of other precious plant ingredients, which is why the fresh organic herb features widely in our products including our Organic Avocado Replenishing Cream.
Other Benefits of Rosemary Oil
The essential oil of rosemary has additional unique characteristics. Extracted by steam distillation of the leaves and flowers, it is known to boost mental clarity and relieve mental fatigue - just the thing when your concentration is flagging and great for students at exam time! In fact, Shakespeare remarked that rosemary is for ‘remembrance’, relating to its reputation to sharpen concentration and improve the memory.
In massage, Rosemary essential oil aids the circulation and removal of metabolic waste products and lactic acid build up from exercised muscles. Simply add 2-3 drops of rosemary essential oil or 4-5 drops of a blend like Revive to a bath or alternatively, massage Muscle Ease directly into the affected parts for effective relief of muscular aches and pains. Rosemary's additional ability to relieve mental and physical fatigue makes rosemary a key ingredient in our Revive essential oil blend.