Holistic Stephanie Rowe

Herbal spotlight: rosemary 🌱

Rosemary, Rosmarinus officanalis, is a plant in the Lamiaceae (mint) family. It is considered aromatic, spicy, warming, and drying. One of its main constituents is rosmarinic acid. It also contains iron, calcium, and vitamin B6.

Rosemary is used medicinally as a nervine, astringent, diuretic, anti-spasmodic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antidiabetic, and cognitive enhancer. Rosemary helps soothe the nervous system, and can be useful for stomach aches, headaches, circulatory, weakness, and low blood pressure. The essential oil can be used as a circulatory stimulant.

Rosemary is said to “gladden the heart” and it helps people think more clearly. (It’s ability to decrease inflammation helps the brain.) A research study with mice using rosemary tincture showed an antidepressant effect that appeared to be mediated by the monoaminergic system. A separate study with mice showed that drinking rosemary tea for four weeks also showed antidepressant effects. Rosemary has also been shown to interact with dopamine receptors and it elevates the brain’s dopamine level.

Using rosemary medicinally is contraindicated during pregnancy, due to a potential emmenagogue effect. (It can stimulate blood flow to the uterus, encouraging menstruation.)

This rosemary plant is in my lil herb collection on my front porch because I love rosemary and use it often. 😊

I think it’s so fun to get my ears candled that I decided to get certified to candle other peoples ears too! My 6 year old son, Henry, is now obsessed with having his ears candled. Have you ever tried it? What did you think??

Some people think that the point of ear candling is to remove ear wax. And while it can - due to the vortex action of the smoke - the real reason ear candling has been used for centuries is because of its relaxing ability. It can shift your brain into a relaxed and calm state, activating your parasympathetic nervous system, commonly known as the “rest and digest” system.

At , we only buy the best ear candles made from double wrapped organic cotton, food grade wax, and a patented safety tip. 🩷

*Do not have your ears candled if you have a ruptured or perforated eardrum or if you have an acute ear infection.