Eucalyptus essential oil is widely recognized as one of the most useful essential oils. It has been tested and proven time and time again, and is often referred to as one of those “cure all” home remedies. The discovery of eucalyptus essential oil is attributed to the Aboriginals, and thanks to it’s incredible antiseptic properties, it was their go-to treatment of choice for any small wounds such as cuts and burns, and they still use it to this day.
Eucalyptus essential oil is also used extensively to treat common ailments such as coughs and colds, and has to even proven itself to being effective against the more serious bronchitis and strep! Additionally, true to it’s nickname as the “cure-all” remedy, eucalyptus essential oil is a great choice for an impressively diverse range of problems, from being an excellent acne fighter all the way to promoting thick and healthy hair and beard growth. Ready to learn more?
What Is Eucalyptus Essential Oil?
Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Eucalyptus essential oil is obtained from the leaves of any of the 700 species of eucalyptus trees. Closely related to the tea tree, and sharing a similar pointed oblong shaped leaf, both types of trees belong to the myrtle family. Eucalyptus trees are indigenous to and originated in Australia, but are actually found all over the world, Recently, only about 5% of eucalyptus oil still comes from Australia, with most of the remaining 95% coming from China and other countries.
To extract this incredible essential oil, a simple yet effective process called steam distillation is used. This process extracts almost all of the rich nutrients from the leaves through steam, and when this steam settles, the result is an extremely concentrated eucalyptus oil with a strong woody and sweet smell. Eucalyptus essential oil looks like an ordinary clear liquid, but don’t be fooled by it’s humble looks; eucalyptus oil is one of the most potent essential oils out there.
Since it’s such a strong oil, the most popular version is distilled from the Eucalyptus Radiata, which is the most mild and gentle eucalyptus oil available. Although this is the most popular strain, there are 700 different species of eucalyptus trees, with different benefits and healing properties, so make sure to check the label on what you are buying to make sure you get the product and results that you are looking for. By now you’re probably wondering how to use this impressive oil, so let’s start with the most common ailment we all face on a yearly basis.
Using Eucalyptus Essential Oil To Treat The Common Cold
Using Eucalyptus Essential Oil To Treat The Common Cold
Eucalyptus essential oil is one of the most popular remedies for natural relief of common cold symptoms. The most common symptoms are congestion, sinus pressure, and headaches. For congestion and sinus relief, try standing over a large bowl of steaming water, and add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil. For a maximum of two minutes at a time, inhale slowly and deeply through the nose, and exhale through the mouth. The steam helps to thin the mucus, and the eucalyptus essential oil opens up the passageways, making it easier to expel the mucus and relieve the sinus pressure.
It also helps stimulate blood flow to the entire respiratory system, including the nasal cavities. If it’s not working effectively, try covering your head and the bowl with a towel to trap in the steam. Towel or not, make sure to keep your head about ten inches away from the water to prevent a steam burn, and do this process two or three times a day.
If you’re always on the go, try putting a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil on a handkerchief and keep it in your pocket in a ziplock bag. Take it out and sniff it throughout the day as needed. You can also keep a cloth with a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil on it next to your pillow as you sleep, and this can help keep your nose clearer throughout the night.
Eucalyptus essential oil can do more than this though. If a cold has developed further into a case of bronchitis, as well as the flu, studies show that the main component of eucalyptus essential oil, “eucalyptol”, has antibacterial properties. This means that it can be used effectively to kill the bacteria infecting the lungs which are causing the bronchitis, and may even be able to fight the virus particles causing influenza.
The treatment process is the same as for a cold: pour a few drops into steaming water and breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth for two minutes, several times throughout the day. Obviously, a doctor should be consulted before relying on a self-diagnoses and treatment with eucalyptus essential oil, especially for pregnant women, children, and people with preexisting medical conditions.
Using Eucalyptus Essential Oil To Treat A Cough
True to it’s cure-all reputation for all the common ailments, eucalyptus essential oil is a great way to control coughs and loosen the mucus in the throat and lungs, and has been scientifically proven to increase blood flow and respiratory circulation. It is actually very often used as one of the key ingredients in over the counter cough medicines and cough drops, and is what gives them that strong cooling feeling.
If you’d rather go for something more natural though, and avoid all the sugar and extra junk they put in the cough medicines, try following the same steaming water procedure that we mentioned above.
Using Eucalyptus Essential Oil For Skin and Acne
Using Eucalyptus Essential Oil For Skin and Acne
We’ve seen what eucalyptus essential oil can do when inhaled and used internally, now let’s see what this little magic potion can do when used externally on the skin. One of most common skin problems is acne, and while not fatal, it is at best very annoying, and at worst can rob someone of their self confidence and cause emotional insecurity, which can become a severe issue.
Acne is caused when the pores on your skin become blocked with oil, bacteria, or dead skin. Your body is always excreting moisture through your pores, so when they become blocked, the moisture builds up behind the blockage, irritates the surrounding area, and causes red bumps and pimples. Eucalyptus essential oil is able to fight acne by killing the bacteria causing the blockage, drying out the blemish, and repairing the irritated and damaged skin.
To use eucalyptus essential oil for acne, add one drop of eucalyptus essential oil to three drops of water, dip a cotton swab in the solution, and apply it generously to the acne, paying special attention the the oily spots. For more serious cases of acne such as boils and cysts, mix the eucalyptus essential oil with some apple cider vinegar and apply it to the affected area, to help speed up the drying out process.
Once the acne is gone, add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil to your natural daily moisturizer to help prevent it in the future. If you like using oils to moisturize your face, jojoba oil and eucalyptus essential oil make a great combination. Jojoba oil is a great carrier oil since it is very gentle, and is the closest oil by characteristic to the oil naturally produced by your face. The eucalyptus essential oil is excellent at healing many of the small imperfections in your skin, which will give your face a smooth and even look.
*TIP: Make sure to always dilute your eucalyptus essential oil before application! It is too potent on it’s own and can be very irritating to the skin. As with all essential oils, it is also a good idea to do a test run first by applying a small amount to just a small area of your skin, and waiting a day or two to make sure that your skin isn’t sensitive to it.
Using Eucalyptus Essential Oil For Hair, Hair Loss And Beard
Using Eucalyptus Essential Oil For Hair, Hair Loss And Beard
Are you suffering from hair loss and don’t know what to do? If you are, don’t stress. Don’t stress because stress can cause even more hair loss, and don’t stress because I have an excellent solution for you. Eucalyptus essential oil. Again. Surprised?
Eucalyptus essential oil helps strengthen the roots of the hair by stimulating blood flow to the scalp. The increased blood flow ensures that every hair follicle is receiving as much nutrient rich blood as it needs to build strong, healthy roots, and keep the hair from falling out. The increased blood flow may also promote faster hair growth, to help regenerate the hair that was lost. To achieve these results, try doing a eucalyptus essential oil scalp massage. Mix two drops of eucalyptus essential oil into one or two tablespoons of a carrier oil like jojoba oil, and systematically massage it into your scalp. Use your fingertips and apply firm pressure in circular motions to stimulate blood flow.
Let’s talk beards. Everyone who has a beard wants it to look nice and full, and eucalyptus essential oil is a great way to do that. It’s the same application procedure as hair, and the eucalyptus essential oil will help strengthen the roots of your beard, as well as nourish the hair that is already there.
Using Eucalyptus Essential Oil For Dogs
Eucalyptus Essential Oil For Dogs
Eucalyptus essential oil isn’t just good for man, it’s good for mans best friend. Eucalyptus essential oil is very effective in repelling ticks and fleas, as well as healing small wounds and bug bites on dogs. To repel ticks and fleas, you can dilute it in a carrier oil and apply it to the skin, mix some in with their shampoo, or throw a few drops into the wash when you wash their bedding. A rough guideline is to add about 3-6 drops of essential oils to 1 oz. of carrier oil, or about 18-25 drops of essential oils to 8 oz. of shampoo. Make sure to use less on a smaller dog, and make sure to ONLY use eucalyptus radiata oil, as any other eucalyptus oil will be too potent and can severely harm your dog.
Before you begin any sort of application of eucalyptus essential oil to your dog, I very strongly encourage you consult with a licensed veterinarian who has extensive knowledge in pet aromatherapy. Essential oils can be highly toxic to animals, even in very small doses, when used incorrectly. Make sure to tell the vet what species your dog is, how big it is, and any medical problem it has, as well as the application method you intend to use, to insure that your best friend stays safe and healthy! Never use eucalyptus essential oil on pregnant dogs.
Conclusion
Now do you see why they call it the cure-all remedy? And there are even more uses that we didn’t even get to in this article! I think it’s safe to say that anyone who wants to lead a healthier, more natural life, needs a bottle of eucalyptus essential oil around at all times. It’s backed by science, it’s backed by history, and it’s backed by the personal experiences of literally millions of people. Many essential oil do lots of awesome things, but eucalyptus essential oil seems to do it all and more!
