Essential Oils Might Be the New Antibiotics

What a great article! Faced with increasingly drug-resistant bacteria, scientists and farmers are now looking to plant extracts to keep people and animals healthy. Tori Rodriguez http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/01/the-new-antibiotics-might-be-essential-oils/384247/ Jan 16 2015, 7:35 AM ET Essential oils often evoke thoughts of scented candles and day spas, but their benefits beyond relaxation are less well-known. Essential oils are ultimately just plant extracts—and those are used in countless cleaning and personal-care products, and are the main ingredient in some pest-control products and some over-the-counter medications, like Vick’s VapoRub and some lice sprays. They’re used in the food industry because of their preservative potency against food-borne pathogens—thanks to their antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. Various oils have also been shown to effectively treat a wide range of common health issues such as nausea and migraines, and a rapidly growing body of research is finding that they are powerful enough to kill human cancer cells of the breast, colon, mouth, skin, and more. A handful of promising, real-life studies have been conducted with humans and other animals, though most of the research in that realm thus far has been conducted in the lab. More controlled trials will be required before some of these applications will be available to the public, but meanwhile, scientists have turned up exciting results in another area of use: countering the growing antibiotic-resistance crisis. “The loss of antibiotics due to antimicrobial resistance is potentially one of the most important challenges the medical and animal-health communities will face in the 21st century,” says Dr. Cyril Gay, the senior national program leader at the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service. Drug-resistant microbes could cause more than 10 million deaths by the year 2050. As Cari Romm previously reported in The Atlantic, livestock consume up to 80 percent of the antibiotics used in the U.S., and the amount actually jumped by 16 percent between 2009 and 2012, according to a recent FDA report. This rampant use of the drugs has led to “superbugs” that are becoming increasingly resistant to the antibiotics that are used to treat not just farm animals, but humans as well. In fact, almost 70 percent of the antibiotics given to these animals are classified as “medically important” for humans. According to Romm, “In the U.S., antibiotic resistance caused more than two million illnesses in 2013, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and an estimated 23,000 deaths,” and they’ve also amounted to an extra $20 billion in healthcare costs. And it’s only poised to get worse: a recent report commissioned by the U.K. government estimates that drug-resistant microbes could cause more than 10 million deaths and cost the global economy $100 trillion by the year 2050. While the drugs are, of course, sometimes necessary to treat infections in livestock, the real reasons they’re overused are to speed up growth and to compensate for the cramped, unsanitary living conditions the animals endure. Dr. Stuart B. Levy, a man of many titles—hematologist and professor at Tufts University; director of the Center for Adaptation, Genetics, and Drug Resistance; president of the Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics; and author of the book The Antibiotic Paradox: How the Misuse of Antibiotics Destroys Their Curative Powers—says he and his colleagues consider the misuse of antibiotics on farms to be the biggest influence on antibiotic resistance, which has been declared “an increasingly serious threat to global public health that requires action across all government sectors and society” by the World Health Organization. Levy has been warning about this impending disaster for nearly 40 years, a couple of decades after farmers discovered that putting small amounts of antibiotics in the animals’ feed resulted in increased growth. Even back then, a study led by Levy found that chickens developed resistance to the antibiotic tetracycline at a rapid pace–within a week, the animals had resistant bacteria in their gut. Months later, the stubborn bugs had spread to untreated chickens and even the farmers. And it didn’t stop there: Those resistant bacteria also became resistant to other antibiotics that the chickens hadn’t even consumed. “Antibiotics used anywhere creates antibiotic resistance, and that resistance doesn’t stay in that environment,” Levy says. “And resistance is transferrable among bacteria of different types.” What’s being done to confront this major contributor to this obvious, growing world health threat? The FDA has asked those in the agricultural industry to voluntarily reduce their use of antibiotics, but no one is keeping track of whether they do (nor has there been a record of the antibiotic use all these decades). Farmers can still say they’re using it for prevention of infections. “The lobby is so strong it’s hard to get categorical refusal to do this,” Levy says. “We really want to convince the users—the farmers—that this is a practice that should be eliminated.” "We really want to convince the farmers that this is a practice that should be eliminated." Whether farmers choose to use it or not, there is a strong alternative on the horizon. Numerous recent studies—including several done by the USDA—have shown great promise in using essential oils as an alternative to antibiotics in livestock. One of their studies, published in October 2014 in the journal Poultry Science, found that chickens who consumed feed with added oregano oil had a 59 percent lower mortality rate due to ascites, a common infection in poultry, than untreated chickens. Other research, from a 2011 issue of BMC Proceedings, showed that adding a combination of plant extracts—from oregano, cinnamon, and chili peppers—actually changed the gene expression of treated chickens, resulting in weight gain as well as protection against an injected intestinal infection. A 2010 study from Poultry Science produced similar findings with the use of extracts from turmeric, chili pepper, and shiitake mushrooms. A multi-year study is currently underway at the USDA that includes investigations into the use of citrus peels and essential oils as drug alternatives. Researchers have also directly compared the effects of commonly used antibiotics with those of various essential oils. One such study, from the March 2012 issue of the Journal of Animal Science, found that rosemary and oregano oils resulted in the same amount of growth in chickens as the antibiotic avilamycin, and that the oils killed bacteria, too. Additional findings have shown that essential oils help reduce salmonella in chickens, and another study found that a blend of several oils can limit the spread of salmonella among animals. One of the co-authors of that study, Dr. Charles Hofacre, a professor at the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says it’s such a new area of research that they don’t yet know exactly how the essential oils work, but “there is some strong evidence that they are functioning by both an antibacterial action in the intestine and also some have an effect to stimulate the intestinal cells ability to recover from disease more quickly–either by local immunity or helping keep the intestinal cells themselves healthier.” Lavender (Florin Gorgan/Flickr) Of course, there is also a dire need for alternatives to antibiotics for the direct treatment of infections in humans and animals, not only for illness prevention and growth-boosting in livestock. Research investigating the use of essential oils in humans has produced encouraging results, but such studies have been small and surprisingly rare, especially given the demonstrated success of their use in livestock. An Italian study found that a combination of thyme and clove essential oils was just as effective in treating bacterial vaginosis as the usual antibiotic treatment, and results of a study by U.S. researchers show that staph-infected wounds healed faster when they were treated with vapors of tea-tree oil than with conventional methods. Research published in December 2013 reported that a hand gel made with lemongrass oil was effective in reducing MRSA on the skin of human volunteers, and previous research has shown that a cleanser made with tea-tree oil clears MRSA from the skin as effectively as the standard treatments to which bacteria appear to be developing resistance. This type of simple, inexpensive fix—an essential-oil-based hand sanitizer—could be a major boost to hospitals, in particular, since MRSA infections are so common in healthcare settings. Staph-infected wounds healed faster when they were treated with vapors of tea-tree oil than with conventional methods. In the lab, scientists have been testing all kinds of combinations of essential oils and antibiotics, and they’re repeatedly finding that the oils—used on their own and in combination with some common antibiotics—can fight numerous pathogens, including antibiotic-resistant strains of E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus (which causes staph infection), and other common types of bacteria. Results consistently show that combining essential oils and antibiotics significantly lowers the amount of antibiotic required to do the job. For example, two recent studies showed that lavender and cinnamon essential oils killed E. coli, and when combined with the antibiotic piperacillin, the oils reversed the resistance of the E. coli bacteria to the antibiotic. Another recent study found that basil oil and rosemary oil were both effective in inhibiting the growth of 60 strains of E. coli retrieved from hospital patients. Other research has produced similar results for many other essential oils, both alone and in combination with antibiotics. Researchers believe that one mechanism by which the oils work is by weakening the cell wall of resistant bacteria, thereby damaging or killing the cells while also allowing the antibiotic in. Further investigation is clearly needed to advance this promising area of research, but that would require time and money. “Such investment is not likely to come from the mainstream pharmaceutical industry, which has not placed much emphasis on antibiotic development for a number of reasons, including the excessive cost in bringing a single drug to market without a commensurate return,” says Dr. Nicole M. Parrish, associate professor of pathology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and associate director of medical mycobacteriology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, who co-authored a recent review on the potential use of essential oils as alternatives or supplements to antibiotics. She says the situation is urgent: When she and her colleagues perform testing to determine the appropriate medication for a patient, they often find that there are no longer any effective antibiotics in existence to treat the bacteria in question. “We feel helpless in the face of this growing threat, and the answer as to why we have not made more progress on this front is simple: economics. Unfortunately, the 'specter' of monetary gain overshadows the perspective from 'the trenches.'” She says that essential oils contain some of the most potent antimicrobial compounds available, and that furthering our understanding of them may lead to the development of entirely new classes of drugs. “Let us all hope the prevailing wind changes to move this field of research forward,” she says. Invincible Bacteria in the Middle East -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gay explains that “phytonutrients” or “phytochemicals” are chemical compounds derived from plants that have a range of health benefits, “including promoting tumor killing and increased resistance to infectious diseases, and they have been used as health-promoting agents by many cultures for several millennia.” Their potency isn’t surprising when you consider that the plant compounds that make up essential oils exist in the first place to help plants protect themselves from infection, endure temperature variations, heal from damage, and repel pests. Still, skepticism is likely in a culture like ours that is used to lab-created synthetic medicines (not to mention the bad reputation essential oils may have gained from being frequently touted as miracle cures for everything), even though some of our most important and common pharmaceuticals originated from plants. For example, aspirin is derived from willow bark, though the key compound is now synthesized by manufacturers; the treatment for malaria (still used today) is derived from fever-tree bark; morphine is derived from the poppy plant; the cancer-fighting drug paclitaxel was initially derived from the bark of the Pacific yew tree; and many cold and cough medicines and muscle-relief creams have mint extract as the main ingredient. Even a newly developed Ebola treatment hinges on the use of tobacco plants. Back on the farms, some are already putting essential oils into practice. “There are a number of companies that are currently selling plant extracts as feed additive, and large integrated producers are also adding feed additives to their rations to enhance the health of animals, especially their intestinal health, during their production cycle,” Gay says. No one seems willing to readily offer that information, though—and they don’t have to. One farmer who has talked publicly about using essential oils is Scott Sechler, owner of Bell & Evans Farms, a high-end producer of antibiotic-free poultry. Back in 2012, he told the New York Times about his use of oregano oil and cinnamon to fight infection on his farms, which now number about 140 with a total of 9 million chickens at any given time. Though he says the approach worked better than all other options he had tried, he still told the Times, “I have worried a bit about how I’m going to sound talking about this,” adding, “But I really do think we’re on to something here.” He clearly knows about the stigma attached to his approach, despite the fact that it’s working. So,essential oils are truly a secret weapon, an unsung hero being used successfully but not quite openly. Cinnamon (Dennis Brekke/Flickr) It took Sechler nearly 10 years just to get the people he works with to believe in his method, including farmers, workers at the feed mills, and his own employees, of which there are now around 1,200. He has met his share of skepticism from colleagues, too. For someone who notes that he lacks a formal education, Sechler is at the forefront of some cutting-edge methods (for one, he counts Temple Grandin, the famous animal-science expert, as a friend who helped him implement a humane slaughter system). He has been on the antibiotic-free kick for about 30 years, and he describes his current method in terms of its effects on gut bacteria—another hot topic right now. “We started with a breed of chicken that wasn’t raised to be stressed and overfed and to live in sanitary conditions,” he says. They also feed the chickens high-quality grains enhanced with essential oils, and they avoid the use of toxic chemicals like hexane, which is commonly used by other farmers in processing their feed. “With our chicken breed, housing environment, and feeding program, we’re able to promote healthy gut bacteria—we use oregano oil to kill the bad bacteria and cinnamon oil to support the good bacteria.” He says his model works for him because he’s not trying to correct a problem that’s already out of control. Some farmers need more powerful weapons because they’re trying to compensate for ongoing problems caused by improper cleaning practices and unsanitary living conditions. They might put baby chickens on the remnants of manure from previous flocks because they don’t properly clean out the barn first, and then they may use chlorine to wash the processed chickens. Whatever bacteria (and antibiotics) that aren’t left at the chicken plant end up on plates. On Sechler’s farms, he says he doesn’t allow these problems to get out of hand in the first place. “You can’t just introduce essential oils into a bad environment and expect magic–—they don’t fix a screw-up,” he says. “But if you meet them halfway by doing things right, they will carry you across the finish line.” People warned him that the bacteria would become resistant to the essential oils, too, but they haven’t yet, and his farms processed over 50 million chickens last year. According to C. Norman Shealy, a Duke-educated neurosurgeon and author of The Healing Remedies Sourcebook: Over 1000 Natural Remedies to Prevent and Cure Common Ailments, it is possible for bacteria to become resistant to essential oils, but it’s unlikely because the oils contain hundreds more chemical compounds than antibiotic medications, making it difficult for bacteria to adapt to the oils. "We use oregano oil to kill the bad bacteria and cinnamon oil to support the good bacteria." Adopting healthier practices may cost a penny or nickel more per pound, which could affect stock prices of the big poultry producers. Sechler, whose company is not publicly traded, says he has been fortunate to have a loyal and ever-growing customer base that is willing to pay a bit more for better quality. Sechler says if the public starts asking for antibiotic-free meat en masse, more producers will comply, and change should come from other key players, too. “Essential-oil use by the food industry should be a hundred times bigger than it is,” he says. “Universities need to be able to speak up to some in the industry without getting their heads chopped off,” instead of tiptoeing around them because they provide research funding. He also believes the USDA and the FDA should create standards limiting antibiotic use and require everyone in the industry to comply by a certain date, similar to the way fuel efficiency standards for cars have been introduced and enforced. “Unfortunately in this industry, you have to force people. Unless everyone has to do it, many won’t,” Sechler says. Despite encouraging study results and Sechler’s proven success, the lack of regulation and record-keeping is a potential problem with the use of essential oils, too: “These products are being used every day, but I really can’t tell you how many chickens or turkeys are being given these products because I don’t think there is anyone keeping track of this across the country,” Hofacre says, and Gay notes that the feed additives are not regulated either. “However, they are being used very successfully and I think as we learn more about the various essential oils and other plant extracts we will find more effective combinations,” Hofacre says. Levy thinks the investigations into plant extracts as alternatives to antibiotics is “wonderful,” but he cautions that for any alternative, “it should be demonstrated that this practice is really useful, and alternatives should be given the same scrutiny” that antibiotics haven’t been. Tori Rodriguez is a journalist and psychotherapist based in Atlanta. Her work has appeared in Scientific American Mind, Women's Health, and Real Simple.

The Respected & Revered Cedarwood

Cedar trees have played a central role in aromatics from ancient times to the present. From ancient Egypt, to India, Tibet, the Mediterranean, and North America, the cedar tree has been respected and revered.

The tree is native to North America and grows up to 30 meters (100 feet) and ages up to 1,000 years. This is the tree Solomon used to build the Temple in Jerusalem. Cedrus libani or Lebanon cedar, from which the first essential oil was extracted, is very scarce due to over use.

The Egyptians used the oil in the mummification process, in cosmetics and as an insect repellent, while native Americans used Cedar oil in medicine and burnt it for purification. These days the wood is often used in the making of pencils and boxes.

Cedarwood oil benefits the skin by its sedating ability which relieves itching. Its astringent action is great for acne, oily skin, as well as for hair and dandruff. It helps with chest and urinary infections, acts as a general tonic and has a pronounced effect on mucus membranes.

It has a calming and soothing effect on the mind and is of great help in conditions associated with anxiety and nervous tension. It is also of value in cases of arthritis and rheumatism.
There are several types of Cedarwoods:

Atlas Cedarwood origin is Morocco and has a more woody fragrance that appeals to many men. Whereas the Himalayan Cedarwood is a softer, more subdued fragrance.

Virginia Cedarwood essential oil is actually from a Juniper tree, however the aroma is that of Cedar - woody and smooth, and reminiscent of an old cedarwood chest. Virginia Cedarwood oil is a beautiful dark reddish color.

Texas Cedarwood and Virginia cedarwood are from junipers and are quite different in aroma and therapeutic value. Also, Cedar Leaf oil is from a type of cypress and best to use very carefully or not at all due to its toxicity.

Or my personal favorite Himalayan Cedarwood- Sanskrit, Hindi: देवदार devadāru, which means "wood of the gods." The inner wood is aromatic and used to make incense. Inner wood is distilled into essential oil. As insects avoid this tree, the essential oil is used as insect repellent on the feet of horses, cattle and camels. It also has antifungal properties and has some potential for control of fungal deterioration of spices during storage. The outer bark and stem are astringent. Its biomedical actions are reported to be criminative, antispasmodic, creates sweating, urination and is aromatic. Deodar’s Ayurvedic actions are reported to increase digestive function, remove toxins from the bowel, alleviate coughing, and cure skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis. Cedar oil is often used for its aromatic properties, especially in aromatherapy. This cedar has more of an eastern spice tone than North American cedars. Like Virginian Cedar it adds a woody middle note.

*Please avoid the use of any cedarwood oil during pregnancy.*

**Please be cautious when purchasing cedar essential oil! It is recommended only Atlas Cedar and Himalayan Cedar, as they are the safest to use, have the nicest aroma, and are the only true cedars typically available.

Thyme oil can inhibit COX2 and suppress inflammation

ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2010) — For those who do not drink, researchers have found that six essential oils -from thyme, clove, rose, eucalyptus, fennel and bergamot -- can suppress the inflammatory COX-2 enzyme, in a manner similar to resveratrol, the chemical linked with the health benefits of red wine. They also identified that the chemical carvacrol was primarily responsible for this suppressive activity.

These findings, appearing in the January issue of Journal of Lipid Research, provide more understanding of the health benefits of many botanical oils and provide a new avenue for anti-inflammatory drugs.

Essential oils from plants have long been a component of home remedies, and even today are used for their aromatherapy, analgesic (e.g. cough drops), or antibacterial properties. Of course, the exact way they work is not completely understood. However, Hiroyasu Inoue and colleagues in Japan believed that many essential oils might target COX-2 much like compounds in wine and tea.

So, they screened a wide range of commercially available oils and identified six (thyme, clove, rose, eucalyptus, fennel and bergamot) that reduced COX-2 expression in cells by at least 25%. Of these, thyme oil proved the most active, reducing COX-2 levels by almost 75%.

When Inoue and colleagues analyzed thyme oil, they found that the major component -carvacrol- was the primary active agent; in fact when they use pure carvacrol extracts in their tests COX-2 levels decreased by over 80%.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100113122306.htm

Essential oils capable of killing superbugs, research finds

MARESE McDONAGH
The Irish Times - Tuesday, December 15, 2009

FOR MANY PEOPLE essential oils are associated with sweet-smelling rooms or a relaxing bath, but their antibacterial components make them “highly efficient” in the treatment of so-called hospital “superbugs”, according to new research.

Scientists based at Sligo Institute of Technology have discovered that some essential oils are capable of killing the most resistant bacteria including MRSA as well as Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase (ESBL).

Superbugs, which have been attributed to overcrowding and poor hygiene in hospitals, are potentially life threatening, especially for people already frail due to illness.

Describing the findings as “very promising”, the research team, which includes staff from the Department of Microbiology at Sligo General Hospital, said the oils were effective against bacteria which were resistant to conventional antibiotics.

PhD student Julien Thibault said most antibiotics were “useless” in the fight against superbugs because of their enzyme content. Those antibiotics which do have an effect are so toxic that they are administered as a last resort because of risks to, for example, liver and kidney, he explained.

While essential oils are widely available in a range of outlets including pharmacies, health stores and supermarkets and are popular for use as antiseptic treatments and in aromatic oil burners, there has been little focus until now on their impact on resistant bacteria.

Essential oils are composed of plant extracts which generally contain a large number of chemicals, some of which have antibacterial properties.

The researchers tested a large range of oils and their components, and found that among the most effective at killing the MRSA, VRE and ESBL strains were clove, lemongrass, citronella, thyme, oregano, cinnamon while the popular tea tree oil was also found the be “quite effective”.

“The list is not exhaustive – a large majority of the oils tested showed activity at relatively low concentrations,” said Mr Thibault.

He said that while the results were promising, further work was needed to provide viable alternatives to patients. “This is a starting point,” he said, adding that caution was always needed when using essential oils.

Dr Fiona McArdle from Sligo IT, the supervisor on the project, said they were hoping to do further research so that the “huge potential” in the use of natural products in the treatment and eradication of superbugs could be exploited.

Mr Thibault said it had already been established that essential oils as vapour did have some antibacterial properties.
http://itsligo.ie/research-innovation/research/research-projects/
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2009/1215/1224260710594.html

Protection against the Flu and Essential Oils

As the bubonic plague ravaged Europe in the year 1413, the story of the four thieves arrived on the scene and the story has changed history. They were captured and charged with robbing the dead and dying victims but it was noticed that they remained free of the plague. When the thieves were tried, the magistrate offered leniency if they would reveal how they resisted contracting the infection as they performed their gruesome acts. The four thieves explained that they were perfumers and spice traders and finally exposed their special concoction of aromatic herbs, including cloves and rosemary, that they rubbed on their hands, ears, and temples. This prevented them from contracting the disease! And as a result the “bird-masks” were invented to be worn by doctors as protection against airborne bacteria. In the beak was placed a material infused in a blend of essential oils that would filter, and kill, bacteria. These masks later became the “prototype” for the well-known Venetian carnival-mask.

The essential oil blend of the Four Thieves was tested at Weber State University for its potent antimicrobial properties. Thieves oil was found to have a 99.96% percent kill rate against airborne bacteria. The oils are highly antiviral, antiseptic, anti-catarrhyal, antibacterial, anti-infectious and also help to stimulate the immune system circulatory and respiratory systems and help protect the body against such illnesses as flu, colds, sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, sore throats, cuts etc.

A study by researchers in France in 2008 tested bactericidal activity of 13 different essential oils and had similar results, with cinnamon being the most effective. At concentrations as low as 10 percent or less, cinnamon oil was also effective against several antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, such as Staphylococcus and E. coli. During this study, after only 10 minutes there was a reduction of 82% in Micrococcus luteus, 96% in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 44% in Staphylococcus aurous.

There are a few recipes floating about for the Four Thieves:

Clove oil (Syzgium aromaticum) 200 drops or 1/2 ounce
Lemon oil (Citrus limon) 175 drops
Cinnamon Bark oil (Cinnamoomum verum) 100 drops
Eucalyptus oil ( Eucalyptus radiata) 75 drops
Rosemary oil (Rosimarinus officinalis) 50 drops

And, here are two recipes for Thieves Oil. One from Karen another from Debbie.

Thieves Oil recipes:

Equal amounts of eucalyptus, rosemary, cinnamon, clove and lemon. Mix with base of olive oil. I usually put a tablespoon of each in a 2 oz. bottle and then fill the rest with olive oil. you can make a larger batch in a quart jar following the same proportion method.
Same ingredients, but measured out in different strength's. Clove Bud Oil 200 drops, Lemon Oil 175 drops, Cinnamon Oil 100 drops, Eucalyptus Oil 75 drops, Rosemary 50 drops.

Then there is also the essential oils being touted as combating the H1N1 Swine Flu of 2009: Oregano, Lemon, Cinnamon, Clove, Eucalyptus, and Tea Tree. Not so much different from the Four Thieves. I would say whatever you have on hand from any of these list would absolutely be beneficial to your immune system and to help fight off any form a cold or flu.

How to use the essential oils:
*Place in a diffuser for 10-15 minutes every hour up to 4 hours to kill airborne germs.
*Dilute 2 drops of the blend in a carrier oil and apply to chest to relieve cough, bronchitis, pneumonia, clear phlegm and to heat up the body if chilled.
*Place 2 drops of diluted blend on to the lymph nodes to attack the virus and massage gently.
* Place 1 drop on the bottom of each foot for an overall kick start to your immune system. This also allows your body to start the detox process to rid the germs and virus. This is one of the most important things you can do for yourself.

My research includes but not limited to: Scent, Annick LeGuerer; The Foul & Fragrant, Alain Corbin; Aroma, The Cultural History of Smell, Classen/Howes/Synnott
http://politicolnews.com/protection-against-swine-flu/#comments http://stanford.wellsphere.com/general-medicine-article/four-thieves-vinegar-oil/801645

Natural Hand Sanitizers- Getting ready for the Flu Season

Nothing beats old-fashion soap & water, but when your out and about and that's not available, having a natural sanitizer will keep you of harms way and germ free. Here's a couple of recipes.

Start with a liquid container-fill it 2/3 of the way with water-add a tablespoon or 2of Aloe Vera Gel-you can choose between 3 & 5 of the listed essential oils and then add 5 drops each of lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, clove bud, lavender, tea tree. Add a splash of either rubbing alcohol or vodka and top off with water, shake it and gently apply to hands.

Or

10% Ravensara in Aloe Vera gel = Natural Hand Sanitizer

A Swish with Myrrh

The name Myrrh actually means “bitter” in the Arabic language. Myrrh is well known throughout history to many cultures especially traditional Arabian healers, and up to the present day is one of the most recommended medicinal herbs in Arabia.

Myrrh is known to make a difference in the health of maintaining and combating gum disease and for healing mucous membranes, including in the throat, mouth, stomach, sinuses, esophagus, colon, and more, while at the same time being good for helping to rid the body of nasty lung ailments too, including the likes of pneumonia, bronchitis, allergy (including asthma and similar problems), and almost any other type of inflammatory disease. Myrrh helps to get the phlegm out of the lungs and sinuses too.

If you are currently having issues with gum infections, bleeding gums, sore throat or gingivitis this rinse is what you are looking for, you will need:

5 oz bottle with dropper
Fill with Vodka
Add 2 drops Myrrh Essential Oil
Mix and add 1-2 drops per oz of water gargle and rinse

Direct application of Myrrh oil-use a clean cotton Q-tip apply 1 drop and apply to area of gum or tooth, it may sting a bit for a few moments, but is an excellent way to heal the affected area.

Myrrh can even be used in your neti pot as a sinus wash.

Tom's of Maine also has a Myrrh Toothpaste

Why Tea Tree Oil is a great Summer Oil

Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) is the most researched of all the essential oils.


In Chinese medicine, this is a cooling, slightly yin oil. It aids the circulation of Qi and blood, clears toxins, and reduces inflammation.

It is being used as a very effective first aid remedy and against countless skin aliments, infections, cuts, scrapes, burns, insect bites and skin spots, etc… just to name a few uses.

Trying to control the causes of acne, it is very important to keep the surfaces affected by acne as clean as possible. Infection of the skin only worsens the condition so including tea tree as a part of your skin care regime, results will follow.

Tea tree being antiseptic oil it prevents any possible infections that could arise, and almost immediately soothes the skin, clearing out any ongoing infection. It has the ability to open clogged pores so that acne can heal faster. Any acne scarring is reduced because the tea tree is effective on infection and very gentle on the skin.

Sunburns are not only aesthetically unappealing, it is painful. The complications can include sunburn swelling, peeling, nausea and fever. Appling tea tree oil prevents the skin peeling and soothes the pain of the burn, and leads to faster healing.

Other conditions and uses for tea tree essential oil include nail fungus, ringworm, athlete’s foot, dandruff, blackheads, and many types of infestations including lice, mites, scabies, and mosquitoes, etc. Tea tree oil is not just soothing and disinfecting, it is capable of penetrating into the lower skin layers with its anti-inflammatory, disinfectant, analgesic (pain-killing) and cicatrizant (wound- healing) qualities.


Tea tree oil use is so versatile, that it is a good idea to keep a bottle of tea tree oil handy at all times. While tea tree is non-toxic and non-irritant, always carry out a patch test first to check for sensitivity as it can irritate some skins.

Tea Tree oil and aromatherapy books available at www.CrimsonMoon.com