Rosemary

Salvia rosmarinus

Rosemary has been used as medicine as far back as Ancient Egypt. It is native to the Mediterranean basin, but has since been spread all over the globe. This is for good reason! Rosemary’s medicinal attributes are due to the presence of carnosol and carnosic, rosmarinic, ursolic, oleanolic, and micromeric acids. It is anti-inflammatory. Carnosic acid is a strong nitric oxide inhibitor; this is important because nitric oxide can begin, or increase the inflammatory process. Carnosol treatment in mice was able to reduce the number of skin lesions caused by atopic dermatitis. This was very cool as the study was able to show a reduction in several inflammatory markers (immunoglobulin E, neutrophils, and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β)) in the blood of the mice. This means the treatment is not just “skin deep”. What is more exciting, is rosemary extends its ability to be absorbed through the skin to other pharmacologically active substances. This makes the topical application of pain medicine, or cosmetically relevant products more effective.   

The use of rosemary essential oil is linked to increased wound healing. This is due in part to its antimicrobial action. It is incredibly effective as an antifungal treatment inhibiting the growth of a wide rage of yeast and dermatophytes.The oil also has vasodilatory and antioxidant effects. Antioxidants can aid in the anti aging process. They inhibit cell death, and combined with rosemary’s ability to increase the permeability of substances, results in better moisturisation. This reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Rosemary also has Ultraviolet (UV) protection abilities. It also has the ability to increase the UV protection properties of other substances (the cumulative effect was greater than that of either substance combined).

This makes rosemary an essential inclusion for us. It has amazing attributes, and it enhances the attributes of our other ingredients. 

References

~Trigger Warning: Some of the studies used in assessing the efficacy of these products involve distressing animal testing. 

de Macedo, L. M., Mendes dos Santos, E., Militao, L., Tundisi, L. L., Ataide, J. A., Barbosa Souto, E., & Mazzola, P. G. (2020, May 21). Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L., syn Salvia rosmarinus Spenn.) and Its Topical Applications: A Review. Plants, 9(5), 651. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9050651

Gonzalez-Minero, F. J., Bravo-Diaz, L., & Ayala-Gomez, A. (2020, October 03). Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Rosemary): An Ancient Plant with Uses in Personal Healthcare and Cosmetics. Cosmetics, 7(4), 77. https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics7040077

Kim, S.-H., Yi, M.-R., Kim, C.-S., Kim, J.-M., & Bu, H.-J. (2018, September 20). Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects of Jeju rosemary essential oil against skin flora. Journal of Oil & Applied Science, 35(3), 744-756. https://doi.org/10.12925/jkocs.2018.35.3.744

Nobile, V., Michelotti, A., Cestone, E., Caturla, N., Castillo, J., Benavente-Garcia, O., Perez-Sanchez, A., & Micol, V. (2016, July 01). Skin photoprotective and antiageing effects of a combination of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) polyphenols. Food & Nutrition Research, 60(1), 31871. DOI: 10.3402/fnr.v60.31871

Lizzy Farrington

Lizzy (they/them)

Co-Founder of The Halfling Herbalist

Eczema sufferer

Scientist (MSc, PGDipSci, BApSci)

Autistic

Cat Person

Plant Lover

By the time I was 10 I was prescribed cortico-steroids for the eczema on my hands. I am allergic to soap, chlorine, salt (water), alcohols (yes the pandemic was great), fragrances, all plant juice… You get the idea, anything wet. 

I have a Master’s in Biodiversity and Conservation. Having a master’s means you are willing to work very hard, for free, and enjoy spending long hours researching obscure topics. You would not believe how many papers are written on beetle toes. My area of expertise is molecular genetics; focusing on beetle systematics. Turns out there are limited jobs in this field, so I found myself working in a medical laboratory at Middlemore Hospital. We are also talking about the covid pandemic times, so there was extra hand washing. This combined with a large amount of pipetting, destroyed my hands. As we all know, high quality hand creams are super expensive, and the government doesn’t pay very well. I knew I was capable of making something high quality for a much lower price. 

Thus began my skincare journey. Early attempts involved unrefined beeswax (cheap), in equal quantity to shea butter and sweet almond oil. It was reasonably thick , but a great moisturiser, emollient, and barrier cream. As the recipe refined itself, so did my goals. What if this balm could soothe and treat my eczema, and what other opportunities could this present? 

I was not immune to the craze of kawakawa, nor rosemary, so began my research there. I am fortunate to have a thorough herb garden and started extracting their essential oils to include immediately. One study discussed rosemary in conjunction with marigold, and one thing led to another… Chamomile snuck in sideways whilst researching ways to help my husband sleep. Both also in the garden. Combining herbs that I was growing, with my skincare felt extra magical. I shared it with my family and they thought so too. And so the seeds for The Halfling Herbalist were sown. 

In another life I was a traveler and a hiker. I still love to get out when the opportunity presents itself. I lived in Nepal teaching English and maths. Hiked all over Europe and Asia. Met many wonderful people, and then found my way back home. There must be some Brandybuck in me. I enjoy all things Halfling, but most importantly second breakfast, and a cup of tea. 

I have the two most wonderful children, the two most terrible cats, and one long suffering husband. 

Hannah Smith

Co-Founder of The Halfling Herbalist

Scientist (MSc, PGDipSci, BApSci)

Autistic/ ADHD

Plant hoarder

Geek

I have had many really negative experiences with skincare in general. It felt that no matter what I was buying, I was being sold an idea of a “better me”, or “that beauty was attainable, but that it comes at a cost (pain, money etc…)” . I think skincare should be holistic, simple and that it shouldn't hurt. 

So I started looking into what I actually wanted from my products and what I wanted was some control: both of whatever is going on with my face, but also with what I am choosing to put on it. I decided to start with reading the literature, of which there was plenty. Excited with all this knowledge I had obtained, I went to info dump on Lizzy, who turned out to be 3 steps ahead of me and was already making an early recipe of our Hand and Body Balm. A few adaptations and we had it, our signature blend of home grown essential oils and a lifelong fellowship. Like any self respecting halfling I believe in working with nature rather than against it. This means that I am happiest when my garden feels balanced, just enough insects to keep my plants happy, not enough to eat all my strawberries. 

My Partner and I have one beautiful dog Violet, and a delightful creature of chaos Asami.