Spotlight On: Marjoram Essential Oil

Botanical Name: Origanum marjorana

Type of Plant:  Flowering Herb

Method of extraction: steam distillation of the dried flowers

Marjoram has a very herby, camphor-like scent.   It blends well with most other essential oils, and is a wonderful addition to a blend when you are looking for something to add a relaxing element.

This essential oil is excellent for calming a person, lowering blood pressure, and generally bringing someone down into a parasympathetic state (rest & repair).  As I mentioned in my post about Clary Sage, I use those two oils (plus Lavender) in my standard “relaxation” blend.   It’s also great for general muscle strain.  For respiratory problems, when a client is not able to handle the stronger essential oil of Camphor, I’ll use Marjoram instead.

Marjoram also has emmenagogic properties, and I’ve used it successfully in a blend to help ‘jump start’ scanty menstruation.  For this reason, one should avoid this oil while pregnant.

This is an oil that you are sure to want in your medicine chest, especially if you have a lot of stress in your life, or trouble sleeping.