One of the Most Potent Germ Fighters in a Bottle-And You Don’t Need a Prescription!
As memories of summer fade into the distance families, schools, and the school nurse gear up for another school year, as the predictable list of illnesses make their rounds. Colds, flu, stomach flu, and covid, can be kept at bay by taking a few proactive steps.
The powerful germ-fighting properties of essential oils are nothing less than profound.
The Amazing Power of Essential Oils
Proven to fight drug resistant bacteria and even COVID!
With a long history dating back to ancient times, essential oils have been used throughout the centuries as one of the many natural remedies for healing and prevention of disease.
Research has revealed that lemongrass, eucalyptus, and tea tree oils show promise in fighting drug-resistant bacteria, such as methicillin resistant staphylococcus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococcus, (VRE), multi-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, ESBL-producing Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumonia, along with SARS-CoV-2. (1,2)
These powerful oils are no match against drug resistant bacteria and more, making them one of the most effective weapons against whatever crud is going around!
(Do not ingest essential oils. Some toothpastes contain tea tree oil but in very small amounts.)
Bacteria are classified as gram-negative or gram-positive. It is very important to cover all your bases with oils that can treat both types.
Tea Tree oil has been found effective against gram-negative bacteria and coronavirus. (1,2)
Examples of gram-negative bacteria are:
- Klebsiella (causes diarrhea).
- Acinetobacter-a cause of some types of pneumonia, blood infections, and urinary tract infections).
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa- can cause pneumonia and urinary tract infections usually found in hospital settings and becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics.
- Depending on strain, E. Coli can cause urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis, and diarrhea.
Lemongrass oil has been found effective against gram-positive bacteria.
Examples of gram-positive bacteria are:
- Streptococcus which can cause strep throat
- Staphylococcus can cause skin infections (Think MRSA – the multi-drug resistant staph aureus )
- Anthrax
- Listeria (the cause of many outbreaks due to contaminated food)
Don’t wait for the crud to hit your home!
Take proactive steps to protect you and your family’s health with essential oils
Essential oil recipes and how to use them
Hand sanitizer
(Make several of these bottles)
In a spray or pump bottle, ( 4 oz size)
- Water- Fill about 3/4 full of purified (preferably distilled) water
- Lemongrass Oil- 10 drops
- Tea Tree Oil- 5 drops
- Eucalyptus Oil- 8 drops
- If desired, add 5-8 drops of Lavender Oil for added scent
- Mix and apply to hands. Rub hands together until they are no longer wet.
Keep a bottle at the back and front doors of your home. Instruct everyone who comes to your home to use it before entering.
Keep sanitizer in your car or purse/bag. Use after shopping, wipe the steering wheel with sanitizer also.
Send a bottle to school with your child to give to the teacher with a clearly labeled ingredient list and how to use it.
Household cleaner
(make and store a bottle at each sink and keep a spare for around-the-home disinfecting)
An effective way to keep the bugs at bay is to clean all surfaces- countertops, bathrooms, desks (use caution around computer keyboards as some oils can melt the letters off the keys (ask me how I know!), door knobs.
To 8-ounce distilled water in a glass container add:
- 1-2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 10 drops each of lemongrass oil and tea tree oil
- Fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water, shake, and use. Shake well before each use to distribute the essential oils.
In a diffuser to clear and disinfect air
Add 2-3 drops each of tea tree and lemongrass oils. Feel free to add peppermint, lavender, or other oils to fill the room with a calming(lavender) or energizing (peppermint) scent.
The powerful antiviral effects of tea tree oil and lemongrass oil were tested and found to reduce the viral load of coronavirus and other pathogens. (1,2)
Take care of very small children and pets. The oils can irritate their small lungs.
One way to use a diffuser is to put it on a timer and run when you aren’t home during the day in empty rooms. The rooms will be disinfected and safe for young children and pets once the diffuser is off.
Don’t put off disinfecting your home and surroundings.
Our organic essential oil kit contains all the oils to protect you and your home from the germs that start circulating this time of year. This carefully curated collection of nature’s finest oils offers unique benefits far surpassing the use of cleaners and disinfectants.
A comprehensive manual on how to use each oil is also included.
References
- Kalaiselvan P, Yasir M, Kuppusamy R, Willcox M, Vijay AK. Ability of Essential Oil Vapours to Reduce Numbers of Culturable Aerosolised Coronavirus, Bacteria and Fungi. Antibiotics (Basel). 2022 Mar 15;11(3):393. doi: 10.3390/antibiotics11030393. PMID: 35326856; PMCID: PMC8944824.
- Warnke PH, Lott AJ, Sherry E, Wiltfang J, Podschun R. The ongoing battle against multi-resistant strains: in-vitro inhibition of hospital-acquired MRSA, VRE, Pseudomonas, ESBL E. coli and Klebsiella species in the presence of plant-derived antiseptic oils. J Craniomaxillofac Surg. 2013 Jun;41(4):321-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jcms.2012.10.012. Epub 2012 Nov 29. PMID: 23199627.
Written By Brooke Lounsbury
