Marjoram Essential Oil
Origanum majorana
Description
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.
Marjoram Essential Oil Benefits and 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
Source: 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.]
Botanical Name
Plant Family
Common Method of Extraction
Steam Distilled
Plant Part Typically Used
Color
Clear to Faint Yellow
Consistency
Thin
Perfumery Note
Middle
Strength of Initial Aroma
Medium
Aromatic Description
Marjoram Essential Oil smells herbaceous, sweet, woody and has an underlying delicate floral note.
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 typical constituents.
Source: 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.
Marjoram Essential Oil 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.]
Marjoram CO2 Supercritical Select Extract
In addition to being available as an essential oil, this botanical is available from a small number of reputable sources as a CO2 extract. CO2 extracts offer many advantages. However, they can have differing safety precautions than essential oils because the natural chemistry of CO2 extracts can differ from their essential oil counterparts. Not much safety information is documented from trusted sources for CO2 extracts. Use CO2 extracts with great care and do not assume that every CO2 extract has the same safety precautions as its essential oil counterpart.
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. For general dilution information, read AromaWeb's Guide to Diluting Essential Oils. 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 and be sure to first read the recommended dilution ratios for children. Consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children, the elderly, if you have medical issues or are taking medications. Before using this or any essential oil, carefully read AromaWeb's Essential Oil Safety Information page. For in-depth information on oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young.
Shelf Life
Important Information About the Profiles
The essential oil information provided on AromaWeb is intended for basic educational purposes only. The references to safety information, test results, constituents and percentages is generalized information. Essential oils can vary greatly in composition. The data is not necessary complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate. The essential oil photos are intended to represent the typical and approximate color of each essential oil. However, essential oil composition and color can vary based on harvesting, distillation, age of the essential oil and other factors. Profiles for several CO2 Extracts and absolutes are included within the directory, and are denoted as such.
