Marjoram Essential Oil (Sweet Marjoram Essential Oil)
Aromatically speaking, I have a huge regret. When I first became interested in essential oils back in the 1990s, I didn't pay as much attention to Marjoram Essential Oil as I should have. Over the years since then, Marjoram Oil has proven itself to me time and time again as a wonderfully helpful essential oil for aches, pain relief, minor respiratory complaints, emotional support, stress, anxiety, loss and grief.
Aromatically, Marjoram Essential Oil has a beautiful, herbal aroma that I find blends well with a lot of other essential oils including but not limited to lavender, clary sage, rose, neroli, grapefruit, and numerous others. I'm in a somewhat "floral" mood at the moment, so that is where my mind is going in this list. Don't let my current floral fixation deter you from using Marjoram Essential Oil in blends that incorporate other essential oils.
Marjoram Essential Oil is quite balancing to the body and the mind. Emotionally, Marjoram Oil is helpful for use with stress, anxiety and grief.
I love how Robbi Zeck describes Marjoram Essential Oil: Marjoram's warm herbal aroma will strengthen your nervous system, rebuild your reserve, fortify your spirit and reduce obsessive thinking. [Robbi Zeck, ND, The Blossoming Heart: Aromatherapy for Healing and Transformation (Victoria, Australia: Aroma Tours, 2008), 96.]
Sweet Marjoram and Spanish Marjoram Essential Oils have different aromatic, therapeutic and safety profiles. This profile specifically applies to Sweet Marjoram Essential Oil, Origanum majorana. Be sure you are familiar with the botanical name of the marjoram oil you are working with.
Botanical Name
Origanum majorana
Common Method of Extraction
Steam Distilled
Plant Part Typically Used
Leaves and Flowers/Buds
Color
Clear to Faint Yellow
Consistency
Thin
Perfumery Note
Middle
Strength of Initial Aroma
Medium
Aromatic Description
Herbaceous, sweet, woody, with a delicate floral characteristic.
Marjoram Essential Oil Uses
Muscle relaxant, muscular and abdominal pain, headaches, menstrual and menopausal symptoms, bruises, gastrointestinal disorders, indigestion, spasms, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulosis, insomnia, stress, anxiety. [Valerie Ann Worwood, The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, 25th Anniversary Edition (Novato, CA: New World Library, 2016, 603.]
Aching muscles, amenorrhea, bronchitis, chilblains, colic, coughing, excessive sex drive, flatulence, hypertension, muscle cramps, neuralgia, rheumatism, sprains, strains, stress, ticks. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 56-65.]
Major Constituents
Terpinen-4-ol
(Z)-Sabinene hydrate
Linalyl acetate
Gamma-Terpinene
a-Terpineol
(E)-Sabinene hydrate
See Essential Oil Safety for more complete list of constituents.
[B.M. Lawrence, Essential Oils 1981-1987 (Wheaton: Allured Publishing, 1989), 96-97. Source cited in Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 346.]
Safety Information
Tisserand and Young do not indicate any special precautions when using Sweet Marjoram Essential Oil. Reading Tisserand and Young's full profile is recommended. [Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 346-347.]
Shelf Life
Important Information About the Profiles
The essential oil information provided on AromaWeb is intended for educational purposes only. This data is not considered complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate. The oil photos are intended to represent the typical and approximate color of each essential oil. However, oil color can vary based on harvesting, distillation and other factors. Profiles for several absolutes are included within the directory, and are denoted as such.
General Safety Information
Do not take any oils internally and do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin without advanced essential oil knowledge or consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children. It is safest to consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children. For in-depth information on oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young.
Essential Oil Book Suggestions
Click on a book's title to view details and read a full review for the book. Visit AromaWeb's Books area to find details about many other essential oil and aromatherapy books.
Own Safety Profiles for 400 Essential Oils and 206 Constituents:
Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals
Authors: Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young
The Complete Book Of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy
Author: Valerie Ann Worwood
The Complete Aromatherapy & Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness
Author: Nerys Purchon and Lora Cantele
The Heart of Aromatherapy
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