Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) is a plant belonging to the family Lamiaceae and originated from the Mediterranean region. It is an aromatic plant with needle-like leaves that is cultivated worldwide.
Rich in essential oils, polyphenols, flavonoids & linoleic acid.
ANTIMICROBIAL
Rosemary has antimicrobial properties due to the presence of flavonoids and terpenes content.
Antibacterial
Rosemary oil has antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Propionibacterium acnes) and Gram-negative bacteria (Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli).
The mechanism of the antibacterial effect of Rosemary:
Antifungal
Rosemary has antifungal activity against Candida albican.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
Rosemary exhibit the anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-stimulated macrophage due to the presence of triterpenes. It exhibits its anti-inflammatory property by inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) production and iNOS gene expression by inhibiting NF-kB activation. It also inhibits the LPS-induced upregulation of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α.
Using the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) assay, the Rosemary extract was shown to possess strong antioxidant activity, supporting its potential as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Antioxidant
Rosemary has strong antioxidant activity, which is mainly attributed to its phenolic compounds. The antioxidant activity is generally attributed to scavenging the free radicals formed as a result of oxidation to protect the cellular components from oxidation. Therefore, Rosemary protects the skin from free radicals induced skin damages such as aging, pigmentation, erythema…
FIGHTS ACNE
Rosemary has effective antimicrobial properties against P. acnes, a type of bacteria that causes acne. It causes significant changes in size and morphology of P. acnes.
Rosemary extracts inhibit P. acnes-induced inflammation through the modulation of the TLR4-mediated inflammatory response stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). It significantly suppressed the gene expression of IL-8, IL-1β and TNF-α in P. acnes stimulated THP-1 cells. This indicates that Rosemary extracts attenuates the expression of these pro-inflammatory cytokines at the transcriptional level.
Moreover, it attenuates the increased NF-kB translocation in P. acnes stimulated THP-1 cells. It also inhibits the TLR2 mRNA overexpression in P. acnes stimulated THP-1 cells.
Therefore, it inhibits the P. acnes stimulated production and mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines through the modulation of TLR2-mediated NF-κB signaling in THP-1 cells.
When formulated to be non-sensitizing, Rosemary is safe to be used in cosmetic based on the concentrations specified in this safety assessment.
https://online.personalcarecouncil.org/ctfa-static/online/lists/cir-pdfs/PRS652.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3624774/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6933203/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6165352/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17708648/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7284349/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17893831/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5750654/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6270641/