Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day new line of rosemary scented products promises to boost memory via aromatherapy. It’s a big promise, but folklore backs it up, and Shakespeare immortalized rosemary’s properties via his famous girl-gone-crazy, Ophelia. “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance,” the confused ingenue earnestly explains to the royal court. Beyond high-toned literary references and promises of helping recall, the latest scent smells just plain good: fresh and crisp and vaguely evergreen, like an understated Pine Sol for a slightly more refined finish.

When I take a closer look at the label of the liquid hand soap, Mrs. Meyer reveals indeed that she’s tempered the rosemary with evergreen needles and mauve blooms. To help put their ingredient list in relief, I reach for a store brand of hand soap to compare. Mrs. Meyer’s does have some of the unpronounceables found in the store soap, but only a few. Elsewhere the label assures the reader that the whole product is biodegradable, so we’ll let them slide.

My favorite part of the label contrast comes from the color and scent portions. The store soap only cops to including fragrance; it won’t detail it. Mrs. Meyer’s throws down a list of essential oils that would make any neo-hippie swoon. Rosemary takes center stage, but peppermint, lavender, orange, ylang-ylang and patchouli are just a few of the others that make appearances. Through some voodoo the overall effect is uncluttered. It must be a trade secret. When it comes to color, the store soap used two artificial dyes, even though it’s clear. Not surprisingly by now, Mrs. Meyer’s has none.

Like all of Mrs Meyer’s other lines, this includes laundry products, dish soap, and all purpose cleaners. The cruelty-free brand retails from $3.99-$14.99 at www.mrsmeyers.com, and the site makes it possible to find stores near your home that carry it.

– Katharine McKenzie

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