Steam-distilled from the leaves and flowering tops of Rosmarinus officinalis, verbenone chemotype, grown in South Africa. Fresh and herbaceous with delicate camphor notes rather than the full camphorous blast of the other rosemarys — softer, rounder and noticeably more expensive.
Why the chemotype is the whole point
Rosemary is the classic example of a plant that produces genuinely different oils depending on where it grows. Same species, same distillation, different chemistry:
-
ct. camphor — highest in camphor, sharpest, most restricted.
-
ct. 1,8-cineole — eucalyptus-like, opening and clean.
-
ct. verbenone — this one. Richer in verbenone and bornyl acetate and lower in camphor, which makes it both the gentlest and the least common, since fewer growing regions produce it.
If a recipe simply says "rosemary", it is not specific enough to follow safely.
What an essential oil may and may not claim
Verbenone rosemary is often described as "reputed to be reparative and purifying" and as "a fortifying, clarifying oil for body and mind alike". That wording does not appear here. "Reparative" implies healing, which is a medicinal claim; "purifying" implies an antimicrobial action on a person; and a claim about the mind is a claim about a psychological state. No health claim is authorised in the EU for any essential oil.
Note the tell in that wording: "reputed to be". Attributing a claim to reputation does not make it permissible, and it does not make it true.
Cautions
Lower in camphor than the other rosemarys, but not camphor-free, and verbenone is a ketone.
- Do not use it in pregnancy or breastfeeding.
-
Not for young children, and do not diffuse it around a baby.
-
Caution with epilepsy — ask a professional first.
- Dilute to one to two per cent in a carrier oil (6–12 drops in 30 ml). Never neat. Patch test and wait 24 hours.
- Not around pets — cats especially.
What it is genuinely good for
It is the rosemary to reach for when you want the herb without the sharpness — in a face oil, in a hair oil, or in a blend where camphor would take over. It sits well with lavender, cypress, cedarwood, geranium, petitgrain and citrus, and it gives depth to a blend without shouting.
-
Diffusion: a few drops in a ventilated room, twenty to thirty minutes at a time.
-
In a carrier oil for hair and scalp: a low dilution, massaged in before washing.
Safety — the essentials
-
Never swallow essential oils without the direct supervision of a qualified health professional.
- Keep out of reach of children, in the original bottle with the child-resistant cap.
- In eyes: flush with plain vegetable oil rather than water.
- Accident or swallowing: in Portugal call CIAV on 800 250 250 — free, 24 hours. In an emergency, 112.
Storage: cool, dark, tightly closed, upright.
Propos'Nature
Propos'Nature
Propos'Nature
Propos'Nature
