Are you lucky enough to have fruitful rosemary bushes around your home? Do you have so much rosemary that you don’t know what to do with it besides throw trimmings in the green trash bin? If you don’t want to cook with rosemary, you can harvest a bunch and incorporate them into homemade candles. This project uses a mixture of beeswax and soy wax, mason jars, rosemary sprigs, and essential oils.
Rosemary Candles
Rosemary exhibits a floral aroma that has been used to aid memory and improve focus. When combined with the organic beeswax, rosemary’s scent is a bit more subtle and evergreen-like. The candles are very easy to make, so this is the perfect entry point if you are about to embark on your DIY journey. Plus, it is so much healthier to burn these candles than other scented store bought candles, which contain fragrances that have harmful toxins.
Benefits Of Rosemary Aroma
Rosemary’s aroma holds core components, or the essence, of the plant’s compounds. The same is true for rosemary essential oil. Throughout history, rosemary has been used in various medicinal practices. The following health benefits have been associated with rosemary essential oil.
Repels Certain Bugs
Rosemary makes for a great addition to your garden because many insects are deterred by the plant’s scent. The same is true for rosemary essential oil, which may help repel spider mites and mosquitoes. When measured against 11 other essential oils, rosemary essential oil provided the longest repellent effect on mosquitoes.
May Ease Stress
There are many things in this life that can cause stress, and inhaling some rosemary essential oil may help calm your mind. One study monitored nursing students who breathed rosemary oil from an inhaler before and during test time. Their pulse decreased by about nine percent, but no significant change occurred without rosemary oil. Additionally, another study monitored adults who sniffed rosemary oil for five minutes. Their saliva had 23% lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) compared to those who smelled a non-aromatic compound.
May Improve Brain Function
According to research, inhaling rosemary oil may prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a brain chemical that you need for concentration and memory. In an observational study, 20 young adults had to answer math questions in a room diffused with rosemary oil. Their speed and accuracy increased in direct proportion to the duration the oil was diffused. Similarly, nursing students inhaled rosemary oil while taking a test. Researchers noted improved concentration and information recall compared to a group that inhaled lavender oil.
Homemade Rosemary Candles
Ingredients:
- Rosemary sprigs
- 1/2 pound organic beeswax
- 1/2 pound soy wax
- HTP62 waxed and tabbed candle wicks 6”
- 6 milliliters fir essential oil
- 4 milliliters bergamot essential oil
- 4 milliliters cedarwood essential oil
- 1 milliliter juniper berry essential oil
- 2 eight-ounce canning jars
Instructions:
- After harvesting your rosemary sprigs, press them flat between two heavy books or pans. Leave them sandwiched between those heavy objects until completely dry.
- Cut the sprigs so that they will sit one inch below the rims of the jars.
- Measure out your essential oils in a glass container and swirl gently to combine. Set aside while you prepare the candles.
- In the top of a double boiler over medium-low heat, melt the beeswax and soy wax. As the wax is melting, grab some rosemary sprigs with tongs and dip the bottoms into the wax. Transfer these sprigs to the canning jars and adhere them to the insides of the bottoms with the waxy ends. You can use a wooden chopstick or paintbrush to help keep them in place as they dry.
- Cut your wicks so that they just go over the top lips of the jars. Use clothespins or a wooden down to keep the wicks centered in the jars.
- Once the wax is fully melted, remove from heat and stir in the essential oil mixture using a wooden utensil.
- Pour the wax mixture into each jar and allow the wax to harden fully. It should take about 48 hours or so, and then you can trim the wick, light, and enjoy!
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
