COVID-19, popularly known as the Wuhan coronavirus, has spread at a dizzying pace around the world and all countries are on alert. The outbreak of this disease, considered a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) [1] , broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019 and has spread over the months to the rest of the planet. The contagion of the coronavirus has multiplied in recent weeks all over the world. To prevent further spread of the virus, disinfecting the most inhabited spaces is essential along with proper body hygiene, especially with continuous hand washing.
Specific products to disinfect, such as disinfectant gels, have sold out in many supermarkets and, therefore, more and more people are turning to a variety of natural alcohol-based products, such as rosemary alcohol.
Coronavirus COVID-19: does rosemary alcohol disinfect?
This coronavirus, according to the WHO [2] , does not have a specific treatment to treat it, since only the symptoms are treated, nor a vaccine to prevent it. This is the premise from which you must start at all times, so any medicine or product that you can take or apply to the body will not help you to prevent contagion 100%, there is no infallible product against 2019-nCOV. However, there is advice from the WHO to prevent contagion as much as possible, above all you have to avoid crowds of people, wash and disinfect your hands several times a day [3] and [4] to reduce germs as much as possible, etc. .
So what is rosemary alcohol for? Precisely as a method to disinfect hands , other parts of the body and household surfaces, eliminating bacteria and various germs , which is recommended to help prevent COVID-19, as well as other gastrointestinal, flu or cold viruses. In this sense, the properties of rosemary alcohol also argue its effectiveness as a disinfectant product and with many more properties that you can benefit from. However, remember that the use of disinfectants is one more preventive measure, not the only one.
Rosemary alcohol: properties and uses
The main reasons why rosemary alcohol disinfects and is a good ally to prevent infectious diseases of some types are found in the properties of the product. According to the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) [5] , the main properties of rosemary alcohol are the following.
Properties of rosemary alcohol
- The main pharmacological action of rosemary alcohol is analgesic (eliminating or calming effect of pain) derived from the rubefacient effect (reddening of the skin due to the activation of blood circulation). The application of rosemary alcohol on the skin causes an excitation of the nerve endings. Consequently, it reduces the sensation of pain and cutaneous vasodilation.
- Helps treat bruises, sprains, bruises, myalgias and contractures due to its vasodilator action (increase in the capacity of a blood vessel thanks to the relaxation of the fibers found in the muscles).
- Ethyl alcohol is found in the composition of rosemary alcohol, providing the product with very powerful antiseptic and disinfectant properties . In addition, the rosemary plant itself is also antiseptic, among other aspects.
Rosemary properties
Apart from the properties of rosemary alcohol already mentioned, we want to indicate the properties of rosemary as a medicinal plant , some of which are used through this alcohol-based product. This plant contains active ingredients, such as essential oil with borneol, pinene, camphene, cineol and camphor, rosmarinic acid, rosmaricin, ursolic acid, flavonoids, tannins and bitter diterpenic principles such as rosmanol, which give it these properties.
- Antiseptic.
- Anti-inflammatory.
- Carminative.
- Digestive.
- Appetizer.
- Antispasmodic.
- Stimulating tonic.
- Astringent.
- Expectorant.
- Hepatoprotective.
- emmenagogue
- Choleretic.
Uses of rosemary alcohol
As we have indicated before, rosemary alcohol is used to disinfect both the hands and other parts of the body and surfaces. Therefore, it is used to disinfect hands, disinfect wounds that have begun to heal and thoroughly clean areas such as floors, bathrooms, kitchen, etc. Also, this alcohol is used to rub in areas of the body with pain and to give massages. Another use of this product is as a stimulating tonic, not only at the skin and muscle level, but also olfactory.
How to make homemade rosemary alcohol
It is not always easy to find this product for sale in pharmacies or other businesses, but it can be easy to do it at home. For this reason, at we consider it necessary for you to know how to make homemade rosemary alcohol step by step:
Ingredients
- Ethyl or sanitary alcohol at 96% or 96º.
- 50 grams of fresh rosemary leaves and flowers (you can use dried but fresh is better).
- 20 drops of rosemary essential oil (optional).
- A plastic or glass container that is dark and closes very well.
Steps to make rosemary alcohol
- Put the alcohol up to half the bottle.
- Add the drops of rosemary essential oil if you are going to use it.
- Add the fresh rosemary.
- He just filled the bottle with alcohol.
- Store the container in a dark or protected place so that it is not exposed to sunlight on a regular basis and it will macerate.
- You can start using it earlier if necessary, but filter the alcohol after 2 weeks to remove the remains of the plant.
To use rosemary alcohol to disinfect your hands, you will have to pour an amount of alcohol on your hands that covers more or less one palm and rub it in all corners: fingertips, nails, wrists, spaces between fingers, palms and backs of hands.
Here we leave you more information on How to make rosemary alcohol at home .
Contraindications of rosemary alcohol
Throughout this article you have been able to discover that rosemary alcohol disinfects , eliminating bacteria and other germs and thus helping to prevent the spread of some viruses. Its multiple properties make it effective, but it also has certain contraindications that you should take into account. The contraindications of rosemary alcohol are as follows:
- Avoid if you have hypersensitivity or allergy to certain components of rosemary alcohol, ethanol or the rosemary plant itself.
- It is not suitable for ingestion and is contraindicated to apply on wounds, burned or irritated skin.
- Avoid contact with eyes, mouth and other mucous membranes at all times.
- Do not use in periods of pregnancy and lactation. There are not enough studies [6] that contrast the safety of this product in these periods.
