Thieves Oil

Came across this extremely interesting article about Thieves Oil from "No Ordinary Homestead" and will definitely give it a try... always on the lookout for herbal or natural remedies for things rather than depending on chemicals or modern medicines whenever possible...

When I started looking around for information about making your own hand sanitizer, I came across something called thieves oil. Legend has it, that thieves in the 15th century used this essential oil concoction to protect themselves against the plague. It was said to be so effective that they were able to rob the gravely ill and the deceased without becoming infected themselves.

Whether or not that’s true, the ingredients in this mixture are antibacterial, antiseptic and antiviral. That means it should keep just about any flu, cold or virus at bay. And at the moment, a lot of people who sell thieves’ oil are claiming it will even protect you from swine flu.

All you need to do is apply a drop of oil on your chest before going to bed and gently massage it in. Carry a small vial of it with you wherever you go and apply it the same way during the day. Because this recipe uses a jojoba oil base, it will not leave the skin feeling greasy. Jojoba oil also has an indefinite shelf life whereas most other carrier oils (like sweet almond or grapeseed) only last around 6-12 months.

To clear the air in your home, you only need to boil a pot of water on the stove and add two or three drops of thieves oil to the simmering water. The anti-microbial and anti-bacterial aromatherapy properties will sanitize the air.

The following recipe is from an article on ehow. There are many recipe variations out there, but all of them involve the same 5 essential oils and in theory they should all be effective.

There are also a lot of other websites with suggestions of ways to use thieves oil’, from using a few drops in your laundry to helping you to stop smoking. But be very cautious about anything that suggests putting thieves’ oil in your mouth or otherwise ingesting the ingredients. Cinnamon essential oil, for example, should never be ingested undiluted because it is quite toxic. This combination is also not recommended for small children or infants. Try this homemade natural spray disinfectant instead.

Thieves oil is also said to be very effective in combating black mold in the home...

Thieves Oil Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup jojoba oil (or other carrier oil if preferred)
• 1 tablespoon clove oil (Syzygium aromaticum a.k.a. Eugenia aromaticum or Eugenia caryophyllata)
• 1 tablespoon lemon oil (Citrus limon)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon oil (Cinnamomum verum a.k.a Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
• 2 teaspoons rosemary oil (Rosmarinus officinalis)
• 2 teaspoons eucalyptus oil (Eucalyptus radiata)

For a smaller amount of oil, try this scaled back version. It still makes about 60ml of thieves oil but you can scale it down further as needed. For reference, there are about 19 drops of oil per teaspoon.

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) jojoba or other carrier oil
• 3,75 ml (72 drops) clove oil (Syzygium aromaticum a.k.a. Eugenia aromaticum or Eugenia caryophyllata)
• 3,75 ml (72 drops) lemon oil (Citrus limon)
• 3 ml (58 drops) cinnamon oil (Cinnamomum verum a.k.a Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
• 2.5 ml (48 drops) rosemary oil (Rosmarinus officinalis)
• 2.5 ml (48 drops) eucalyptus oil (Eucalyptus radiata)

Directions

1. Measure out jojoba oil into a clean glass container. Add essential oils. Stir or shake the oil well to blend all the essential oils with the carrier oil.
2. Pour it into glass bottles for personal use. Store out of direct sunlight in dark glass bottles to retain oil strength.

... taken from www.noordinaryhomestead.com "Thanks for the information Tiffany!"