Young Living Essential Oils » antiseptic essential oils

The Difference between Lavender and Lavandin

Melissa Boice — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:13:22 +0000

For thousands of years, one of the many uses for lavender has been for purification. In fact, the word lavender literally means “to be washed” or “to wash”. During World War I lavender was widely used as an antiseptic. It was also used to treat wounds and burns. Like with many plants, there are many different species of lavender. Some are more suited for certain applications than others. (Kind of like people!) For example, three of the most common species of lavender are Lavandula angustifolia (“true lavender”), Lavandula latifolia (“spike lavender”), and lavandin (Lavandula x hybrida). Lavandin is a hybrid plant developed by crossing true lavender with spike lavender. Lavender, in general, is antiseptic. Lavandin, however, has a higher percentage of the molecule camphor which makes it a stronger antiseptic than the others. It has been used to sterilize animal cages in veterinary clinics and hospitals throughout Europe.

A side note is because of the higher level of camphor, lavandin is NOT suited for treating burns. Frequently, lavender essential oil sold in the United States is actually distilled from the hybrid lavandin. The 5 – 12% camphor content in lavandin would actually irritate a burn instead of take the pain away and assisting healing as would Lavender angustifolia. The reason why I mention this is that sometimes well intentioned people have heard that lavender is good for burns, so they get some at their local healthfood store. When applied to the burn, it actually made it worse. What happened?! The lavender in the bottle was likely the hybrid lavandin!

Lavandin has its good points. It is in a blend that I love called Purification. This antiseptic blend is great for cleaning and deodorizing. I have even eradicated a few pimples by using Purification on location. I would never consider Purification for a burn. It is also in the blend Release. Young Living does not sell Lavandin as a single oil. The lavender that we carry is from the Lavandula angustifolia species.

Antiseptic Essential Oils:

Single Oils: Thyme, clove, oregano, rosemary, tea tree, mountain savory, eucalyptus (all types), lavandin, cinnamon, cassia, ravensara

Blends: Purification, Melrose, Christmas Spirit, Thieves, ImmuPower, Raven, RC

Thyme to Stay Healthy

Melissa Boice — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 03:53:05 +0000

With so much information in the news about the dangers of this winter’s coming flu season, I thought I would share a healthy option. I usually expound on the benefits of Thieves, and believe me, I am stocking up, just in case. Actually, I plan to have a little stash of several different essential oils that have powerful antiviral properties. Thyme is one of those. I found the following article in a 1999 Essential Edge magazine, published by Young Living. I think you will be as impressed as I was about the value of thyme oil!

The Ideal Antiseptic: Thyme Linalol

It is common knowledge among aromatherapists that the essential oil of thyme (Thymus vulgaris CT thymol) is one of the most potently antiseptic essential oils known. Its chief constituent, thymol, is a phenol that has been extensively documented for its antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal action. According to Jean Valnet, M.D., thyme oil kills the anthrax bacillus, the typhoid bacillus, meningococcus, and the agent responsible for tuberculosis. The oil is also a stronger antiseptic than phenol, which was widely regarded for years as the ultimate germ killer.

However, because thymol is caustic and can be very irritating to the skin and mucus membranes, the thymol chemotype of thyme oil is not suitable for all applications. It is best used highly diluted and is not suitable for infants or children.

In contrast, the linalol chemotype of Thymus Vulgaris is far less irritating to the skin and mucus membranes, while exerting powerful anti-infectious and antimicrobial effects. Why? Because Thymus vulgris CT linalol is very low in thymol and high in linalol, a strong antiseptic that is minimally irritating to the mucus membranes or skin. This makes the oil far more versatile than traditional thyme oils, enabling it to be used in a greater variety of applications and on more sensitive skins with less dilution. It is even suitable for children and can be administered in topical, oral, enema, douche, and diffusing applications.

Daniel Penoel, M.D., recommends thyme linalol for tuberculosis, bronchitis, pneumonia, intestinal parasites, psoriasis, cistitis (bladder infection), nephritis (kidney infection), candida infections, and intestinal tract infections.

At the first sign of a cold or flu, a drop of oil should be added to a tablespoon of honey and taken every half hour. A drop or two of oil may also be sprinkled on a handkerchief or washcloth and inhaled directly as needed to treat respiratory or sinus conditions. In cases of serious respiratory conditions, systemic candidiasis, or local yeast infections, an enema or douche may be needed.

Add 1-2 drops of essential oil to 2-4 tablespoons of grape seed oil or massage oil base.

Reprinted with permission of Young Living, Lehi, UT, 84043 U.S.A.

A Well Oiled Machine

Melissa Boice — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:59:01 +0000

That’s what I am. I use essential oils all the time. Frequently, I take them internally: I either put them in a capsule OR scoop out a teaspoon of virgin coconut oil, make a little well with my finger, and add a couple of drops to the indentation. Sometimes simply rubbing a few drops of an essential oil directly inside my cheek is the easiest and quickest way to benefit internally from therapeutic-grade essential oils.

One of my favorite oils is the blend called Thieves. It’s a blend of cinnamon, clove, lemon, rosemary and eucalyptus. It smells and tastes good, and it is so powerful! When these oils are combined, they work synergisticly to kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

I don’t know how many times I have warded off getting sick by starting to use Theives or other essential oils at the first sign that I am coming down with something. I usually hit the oils (or virus?) really hard, along with Mineral Essence and vitamin C, especially at first. Putting several drops on my feet is also an excellent way to protect myself from any germs or bugs that are going around.

Following is a list of the individual oils in Thieves and some of their beneficial actions:

Cinnamon: Antibacterial, antifungal, helpful in the treatment of candidiasis

Clove: Anti-infectious, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, and antiseptic

Rosemary: Effective against staphylococcus aureus, antifungal, disinfectant

Eucalyptus Radiata: Antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, decongestant, anti-infectious

Lemon: Kills germs that cause meningitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, staph infections, inhibits mold growth, repels insects

These are just simple therapeutic-grade essential oils. Just imagine the power they have when they join forces!

For more information on Thieves essential oil blend, to to www.thieves-oil.com.

At this point I must remind you of what you already know. What works for me may not work for you. I am not prescribing or telling you what you should take. It is always good to learn as much as we can about whatever is available to us, and then make an informed decision based on the facts.

Essential Oils – Nature’s Powerful Anti-Viral Weapons

Melissa Boice — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:35:00 +0000

Science is now beginning to acknowledge the value of the healing substances found in essential oils. Clinical research has shown that essential oils are highly antiviral and anti-infectious. In 1995, Dr. Jean C. Lapraz discovered that there are two essential oils in which no bacteria or virus could survive. This is a significant breakthrough since there are so many life threatening viruses and drug resistant bacteria. A recent study done at Weber University has proven that four essential oils will kill 100% of the bacteria and virus in any room where they are diffused.

Doctors once predicted antibiotics would vanquish infectious diseases. But the bugs are rapidly overwhelming today’s medicines. Bacteria naturally evolve to avoid antibiotics, a process first spotted just five years after penicillin’s debut in the 1940s. But resistance appears to have speeded up in the last decade, largely because antibiotics are being overused giving the germs more chances to mutate.

Dr. Valnet points out that pathogenic microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria do not become resistant to essential oils as they do to modern-day synthetic antibiotic drugs. He states, “Infectious microbes do not appear to become accustomed to the essential oils as they do to the many forms of treatment using antibiotics.” One reason virus and bacteria cannot mutate with the essential oils is because of the chemical constituents that make up essential oils. One essential oil can have anywhere from 200-800 chemical constituents. It is impossible for a virus to mutate and adapt to that many chemical constituents. Drugs are made by isolating one or two constituents. A virus can easily mutate and adapt to the drug, making it useless.

Although the powerful medicinal value of essential oils is only now being rediscovered by modern medical science, it has actually been known for centuries. In fact, essential oils were considered more valuable than gold by ancient cultures, due to their phenomenal healing properties. Dr. Valnet states, “In recent years both doctors and the public have re-discovered the medical value of essential plant oils, but the idea of using their properties to maintain or regain health goes back to antiquity… The Romans had their knowledge of essential oils from the Greeks, who in turn had received it from the Egyptians… “Hippocrates, for example, tackled the plague epidemic in Athens by fumigating the whole city with aromatic essences of plant oils. Later, in the 19th century, it is known that perfumery workers always showed an almost complete immunity during cholera outbreaks.”

In tests conducted in France by Professor Griffon, Director of the French Police Toxicology Laboratory, the antiseptic effect of a blend of essential oils—including pine, thyme, peppermint, lavender, rosemary, cloves and cinnamon—was studied in order to test the ability of the oils to purify the air of harmful disease-causing bacteria. First, Professor Griffon set up a number of Petri dishes approximately 15cm from ground level in an open room, allowing them to stand for 24 hours, the germs from the air being collected naturally as they settled into the open Petri dishes. After 24 hours he analyzed the dishes, finding them to contains 210 colonies of various microbes, including numerous molds and staphylococci. He then sprayed the mixture of essential oils in the form of an aerosol into the air in the room. After only 15 minutes, only 14 colonies of microorganisms out of the original 210 were left alive. After 30 minutes, only FOUR colonies of the original 210 were left. Importantly, ALL of the potentially harmful disease- causing molds and staphylococci had been killed within the first 30 minutes.

In another French experiment, the number of pathogenic microorganisms in various locations were measured. In a forest, there were found to be five pathogenic microorganisms in the air for every one cubic meter. In an average apartment, there were found to be 20,000 microbes in the air per cubic meter. In public stores, there were found to be nine million microbes in the air per cubic meter. On the top of a work table there were found to be five million microbes per square meter. On a carpet, nine million. And in the air of a large hospital there were found to be on average 10,000 microbes per cubic meter. According to Dr. Valnet, when an inquisitive doctor put some of the microbe-laden air from the hospital into a flask containing just a few drops of essential oils, 40% of the microbes were destroyed in only 20 minutes, 80% in an hour, and 100% in nine hours!

These scientific studies have finally jolted a small number of far-sighted researchers within the American medical and scientific community to sit up and take note of the incredible antimicrobial power of essential oils, particularly in light of today’s plague of deadly antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. As today’s growing plague of pathogenic, antibiotic resistant bacteria, mutating viruses, infectious fungi and disease causing parasites are becoming more & more of a threat, it is comforting to know we can have such powerful weapons as therapeutic grade essential oils.

Every family needs to know about them.

by Melodie Kantner

Protect yourself with the power of Thieves®

Melissa Boice — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:41:00 +0000

Thieves® Oil Blend is formulated with highly antiviral, antiseptic, antibacterial and anti-infectious essential oils. Thieves Oil Blend was created based on research of a group of 15th century thieves in France who protected themselves by rubbing themselves with cloves, rosemary, and other aromatics while robbing plague victims. This Young Living proprietary blend was university tested and found to be highly effective in supporting the immune system and good health. This proprietary blend has also been documented to kill over 99.96% of bacteria it comes into contact with.

Ingredients:

Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) has a sweet, spicy fragrance that is stimulating and revitalizing. An important ingredient in Thieves Blend due to its wonderful immune-enhancing features, its principal constituent is eugenol, an element that is used in the dental industry to numb gums. Clove is the highest-scoring single ingredient ever tested for it antioxidant capacity on the ORAC scale.

Lemon (Citrus limon) has antiseptic-like properties and contains compounds that amplify immunity. It promotes circulation, leukocyte formation and lymphatic function.

Cinnamon Bark (Cinnamomum verum) has the wonderful cinnamon scent loved around the world. Warming and stimulating, it is comforting during the cold season. Many people find it highly romantic. Historically, cinnamon was so popular it was the main reason behind the occupation of Ceylon by first the Portuguese, then the Dutch and then the British.

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus radiata) is cooling, refreshing and energizing. Lighter in smell than Eucalyptus globulus, it nevertheless has many of the same health-supporting properties. Because it is relatively gentle and non-irritating, it is the preferred choice for children. This variety is one of the most versatile of the eucalyptus oils and is suitable for topical use, diffusing, and even direct inhalation. It has long been an ingredient in some of our most popular blends.

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis CT cineol) has a fresh, herbaceous, sweet, slightly medicinal aroma. An energizing oil, it may be beneficial for helping to restore mental alertness when experiencing fatigue. It is also a popular ingredient in skin and hair care products.