#Rosemary

     I love rosemary. It is one of my favorite herbs to cook with.  A little chopped up in marinades is a pure delight.  Not only does it taste good but it has a toning and calming effect on the digestive system. Thought to help with the breakdown of fats it is often cooked with heavier meat dishes.  It is a circulatory and nervine stimulant making it helpful for tension headaches.  Externally it can be used to ease muscle pain and sciatica.
     Added to a foot bath it encourages good circulation, dilates the blood vessels in the feet and draws the blood downward away from your head often alleviating stress headaches.  This along with a cold compress on your head often stops migraines.  Combine it with lavender, sage and hops for a wonderful foot (or bath) soak.
     Rosemary is often used in skincare recipes.  It is part of the Queen of Hungary's Water a wonderful astringent lotion that has been hailed as the first herbal product ever produced and marketed.  Rosemary combined with calendula blossoms, raspberry leaf and sage make a wonderful steam for oily skin.
     Rosemary is used to stimulate hair follicles and may be used in premature baldness.  It may not reverse the process of balding but will maintain good circulation and promote healthy hair growth.  The essential oil is is used for the treatment of dandruff.  I use rosemary as a hair rinse.

Rosemary in my garden

     Rosemary is great for darker locks and helps if you have oily hair.   For light colored hair you can substitute chamomile flowers. In the summer when I can grow rosemary (I rarely can get it to over winter even in the house though I keep trying) I will cut fresh sprigs.  In the winter I use dried rosemary to make my rinse.

Rosemary Hair Rinse

Fresh rosemary 3 to 4 stalks or a handful of dried rosemary

Water

Organic  Live Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

Rosemary newly steeping

I bring the water to a simmer and pour over the rosemary.  I let it steep for a long time (all day or overnight).  I strain out the herbs and add 1 part ACV to 3 parts rosemary infusion.  I have a quart spray bottle that I keep in the shower which makes measuring really easy.  You could add a few drops (2 to 3) of rosemary essential oil at this point if you like.  I usually don't. After shampooing and rinsing my hair I spray my hair completely with the hair rinse and rinse my hair again with water.

Rosemary Hair "Rinse"