Knowledge One of the single-ingredient scent concepts for bath and body, Rosemary has a mild and complex fragrance with notes of citrus, mint, pine, and lavender.
Rosemary is an evergreen shrub, native to Mediterranean coastal areas, with a dark green foliage resembling pine needles or lavender leaves. It is one of the most common wild herbs in southern Europe, thriving on dry and rugged limestone hills close to the sea. The name – derived from the Latin words ‘ros’ and ‘marinus’ – means ‘dew of the sea’.
The scent of rosemary is mild and complex with rich buttery notes contrasted by a fresh and herbal quality; it smells of citrus, mint, pine and lavender. Rosemary oil is high in camphor, which has an intensely green and almost medicinal menthol scent. The plant has been used for thousands of years for its antiseptic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties – in cosmetics, as a preservative, in medicine, burnt as incense, and as a culinary herb. Rosemary also holds a special position in history because of the symbolism that has been attached to it through different civilisations. It was considered sacred by ancient Greeks, Hebrews, Egyptians and Romans, with a reputation of strengthening the memory. And as the leaves remain fresh and fragrant longer than any other herb, rosemary has been used as an emblem of friendship and fidelity, as well as a symbol of remembrance.