Home › Glossary › Rosemary

Rosemary

Q: Is Rosemary natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Steam distillation of flowering tops and leaves. Yield approximately 0.5-2.8%, with typical commercial yields at 1-2%. Over 80% of the oil is recovered within the first 10 minutes; borneol, bornyl acetate, and alpha-terpineol reach their optimal concentration by minute 20. Distilling fresh-cut shoots the same day prevents turpentine off-notes from forming. Hydrodistillation yields are lower (around 0.4-0.5%). CO2 supercritical extraction produces a different profile, richer in non-volatile diterpenes (carnosic acid, carnosol). Major producing regions: Morocco (cineole-dominant, 43-57% 1,8-cineole), Spain (camphor/alpha-pinene-dominant), Tunisia, and France — Corsica specifically for the verbenone chemotype..

GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES / aromatic · herbal · camphorous

Rosemary

Category	GREENS, HERBS AND FOUGERES
Subcategory	aromatic · herbal · camphorous
Origin
Volatility	Top-Heart
Botanical	Salvia rosmarinus Spenn. (formerly Rosmarinus officinalis L.)
Appearance	colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, France (Corsica)
Pyramid	Top-Heart

Sharp, resinous, faintly medicinal. Sun-cracked garrigue scrub on a limestone hillside — pine needles, eucalyptus transparency, and a cold camphorous bite that clears the sinuses before any warmth arrives.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Sharper than lavender, less sweet than thyme, more transparent than sage. The opening is a blast of cold, camphorous air — the olfactory equivalent of stepping into a walk-in cooler. Within minutes, a woody-herbaceous warmth emerges underneath, dry and slightly resinous, like sun-baked scrubland. On blotter, the cineolic top burns off in under an hour, leaving behind a faint balsamic trace that is surprisingly warm and almost amber-like.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Cold, cineolic blast — eucalyptus-adjacent transparency with a sharp camphorous bite and green-pine clarity

After a few hours

The camphor recedes. A dry, woody-herbaceous warmth emerges, faintly resinous, less medicinal than the opening

After a few days

A faint amber-balsamic whisper on skin. Almost unrecognizable as rosemary — warm, soft, quietly persistent

The Full Story

Rosemary oil smells less like the kitchen herb than like the wild shrub clinging to limestone above the Mediterranean. The dominant note is cineolic — a eucalyptus-adjacent coolness driven by 1,8-cineole (CAS 470-82-6), which ranges from 16% in Spanish oils to 55% in Moroccan material. Beneath it sits camphor (5-25%), which supplies the medicinal bite, and alpha-pinene (9-37%), which adds a turpentine-like transparency. The balance between these three molecules shifts dramatically with terroir and chemotype: Moroccan oils lean heavily cineolic, Spanish oils carry more camphor and alpha-pinene in near-equal proportion, and Corsican material tends toward verbenone, yielding a softer, more herbaceous character.

Steam distillation of the flowering tops produces the essential oil. Yield varies from 0.5% to 2.8% depending on plant material, drying method, and distillation conditions. Over 80% of the oil is recovered within the first 10 minutes of distillation; borneol, alpha-terpineol, and bornyl acetate reach optimal extraction at 20 minutes. At least thirteen distinct chemotypes have been documented across five major cluster groups, making provenance critical when sourcing for perfumery.

In composition, rosemary functions as an aromatic modifier and lifting agent. It sharpens fougere structures, brightens hesperidic openings, and provides the herbal backbone of masculine aromatic compositions. Its camphorous quality connects it to lavender, while its pine-green aspect bridges toward coniferous accords. The molecule 1,8-cineole is also present in eucalyptus and bay laurel, which explains why these materials blend so naturally with rosemary.

This note in Première Peau. Gravitas Capitale · Nuit Elastique · Simili Mirage. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

Related notes: Basil · Fig · Immortelle · Lavender · Sage · Sclareol · Tea · Thyme

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Hungary Water (Eau de la Reine de Hongrie), dating to approximately 1370, was one of the first alcohol-based perfumes in Europe — and rosemary was its primary ingredient. The oldest surviving recipes call for distilling fresh rosemary and thyme with brandy. It dominated European perfumery for three centuries until Eau de Cologne displaced it in the 1700s.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Steam distillation of flowering tops and leaves. Yield approximately 0.5-2.8%, with typical commercial yields at 1-2%. Over 80% of the oil is recovered within the first 10 minutes; borneol, bornyl acetate, and alpha-terpineol reach their optimal concentration by minute 20. Distilling fresh-cut shoots the same day prevents turpentine off-notes from forming. Hydrodistillation yields are lower (around 0.4-0.5%). CO2 supercritical extraction produces a different profile, richer in non-volatile diterpenes (carnosic acid, carnosol). Major producing regions: Morocco (cineole-dominant, 43-57% 1,8-cineole), Spain (camphor/alpha-pinene-dominant), Tunisia, and France — Corsica specifically for the verbenone chemotype.

Molecular Formula	C₁₀H₁₈O (1,8-Cineole ~16-55%) · C₁₀H₁₆O (Camphor ~5-25%)
CAS Number	8000-25-7
Botanical Name	Salvia rosmarinus Spenn. (formerly Rosmarinus officinalis L.)
IFRA Status	Restricted by IFRA (51st Amendment). Maximum concentration varies by product category: 0.4% for lip products and toys (Cat 1/2/3C/3D/4C/10B); 1.0% for most leave-on products including fine fragrance (Cat 3A/3B/4A-D/5/6/7/8/9/10A/11B); 20% for candles and non-skin products (Cat 11A). TGSC recommends max 10% in the fragrance concentrate. Sensitization is the critical endpoint. Contains linalool, a declared EU allergen above 0.001% in leave-on products.
Synonyms	ROMARIN · ROSMARINUS · ROSMARIN · INCENSIER · HERBE AUX COURONNES
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Lasting Power	4 hours at 100.00%
Appearance	colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
Boiling Point	175.00 to 176.00 °C. @ 760.00 mm Hg
Flash Point	114.00 °F. TCC ( 45.56 °C. )
Specific Gravity	0.89800 to 0.92200 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index	1.46600 to 1.47000 @ 20.00 °C.

In Perfumery

Rosemary operates as a top-to-heart modifier in aromatic, fougere, and chypre compositions. Its primary function is structural: the cineolic freshness lifts heavy bases, while the camphorous body provides an aromatic spine that links citrus top notes to woody or amber foundations. In fougere accords, it often partners lavender and coumarin, contributing the herbal green quality that defines the family. The 1,8-cineole content also makes it a natural bridge to eucalyptus and mint notes. Perfumers use it at low doses (under 1% in fine fragrance) to add crispness without identifiable herbal character — a structural trick inherited from classic eaux de cologne. IFRA limits rosemary oil to 10% maximum in the fragrance concentrate.