Sweet marjoram, the herb so delicious for culinary flavoring, is a strong medicine when extracted as an essential oil. It is used for colds, coughs, muscle aches, nervous tension and insomnia.
Origanum majorana, a member of the family Lamiaceae, is the primary herb used for the distillation of the essential oil. It is a warm penetrating oil with a scent that is sweet, herby and slightly spicy with camphor undertones.. It blends well with lavender and bergamot.
Marjoram is grown in herb gardens around the world, but is indigenous to Asia and the Mediterranean. It is commercially produced primarily in Spain, Egypt, North Africa and Hungary. The essential oil is produced by steam distillation of the plant when it is in flower.
Marjoram was grown at least as far back as ancient Egypt. The Greeks and Romans used it to weave crowns for the newly married. According to mythology, Aphrodite, the goddess of love, picked marjoram on Mount Ida to heal the wounds of Enea. Many ancient writers recommended it. Dioscorides claimed that it toned and warmed the nerves, Pliny recommended it for poor digestion and a weak stomach. Culpeper recommended it for diseases of the chest that hindered breathing.
Its medicinal properties include analgesic, anaphrodisiac, antispasmodic, arterial vasodilator, calming sedative, digestive aid, hypotensive and it is considered narcotic in high doses.
It is used for: spasms (digestive, pulmonary), colds, coughs, insomnia, headaches including migraine, nervous tension, anxiety, hypertension, dyspepsia, flatulence, sore muscles, arthritis and rheumatic pain.
Marjoram oil makes an excellent steam inhalation that will clear the chest and ease respiratory difficulties very quickly. A hot bath containing 6 drops of the oil will help with the miseries arising from the common cold and will relieve sore, achy muscles. It can be massaged into the throat and chest to soothe tickly coughs due to its warming, analgesic and sedative nature.
It is used to treat high blood pressure and heart conditions, as it dilates the arteries, thereby reducing strain on the heart. The same action affects tiny capillaries just beneath the skin and produces a feeling of local warmth when it is used in massage oil, which helps tired, tight and painful muscles. It helps clear the muscles of toxic waste and helps to reduce the pain or arthritis and rheumatism. It will ease cramps of both digestion and menstruation.
Marjoram is used for its warming effect on the mental and emotional level also and can be comforting for people who are lonely or suffering grief. It is a calming sedative that is used as aid to induce sleep. It should not be abused however, because it can have a deadening effect on the emotions, dulling the senses and in large amounts is stupefying. Due to its action in lessening both emotional response and physical sensation, it has the effect of being anti-aphrodisiac.
Marjoram oil is used topically for bruises, burns and inflammations. It is also used on fungal and bacterial infections.