Thieves’ Oil Recipe
I have been getting more into aromatherapy and herbs again lately. I had an interest in them before Mackenzie was born but when I was pregnant, I couldn’t work with most of the oils so those interests were curbed. But after reading The Complete Book of Herbs which has a section about essential oils, I decided to order a couple books and really dive in to aromatherapy.
I lot of people try to claim it’s all in the head and there are no medical or pharmaceutical purposes for essential oils, but generations and generations of people disagree. I think each person needs to consider themselves how deeply they’d like to dive into holistic methods. There are always risks with essential oils and each person should consider their own health before they begin using any aromatherapy methods. Meeting with an herbalist who can inform you about all the risks is also a wise choice.
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.
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
- 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.
- Pour it into glass bottles for personal use. Store out of direct sunlight in dark glass bottles to retain oil strength.
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where do u buy the essential oils in germany? do u get them in bulk? most recipes i use involving essential oils counts drops instead of teaspoons. some vials bought at the apotheke contain only a few tablespoons of oil at 7 euros a pop.
I get my oils from baccararose.de. They have really good prices on everything and every oil imaginable including all the carrier oils you need. I just put together a huge order from them since I’m putting together my own home aromatherapy kit. Really getting into the power of herbs. Many more details to come about that
thanks!!
I have been studying Aromatherapy for years and I find it fascinating. It’s like the soul of a plant in a little bottle. They do so many wonderful things.
You may want to check out the very best book I’ve found on the subject, “The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aromatherapy” by Julia Lawless. My local essential oil supplier uses this book almost daily.
I’m a new blogger, but I will be posting more about Aromatherapy in the future.
Here is one of my posts about essential oils in the home.
http://homemaderachel.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/aromatherapy-and-the-modern-homemaker/
I actually just bought a couple of aromatherapy books and will posting more about it in the future. I got The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood. It has tons of recipes using essential oils, from home products to beauty to actual dishes. I’ll check in to the book you mentioned though. It sounds very useful.
Looks like we have very similar tastes in posts lately lol.
after doing weekly bible reading in exodus, mentions use of oils insructed by Jehovah. I did further reading and research and see why Jehovah requried their use. I would really like to learn more, I have the complete book by valerie ann worwoodand refrence book by connie and alan higley. also where to purchase oils for now I get them from health food stores. paula
Essential oils really do have amazing properties and you can treat many different ailments with just a couple drops of oil.
I’ll be adding a few more posts soon with reviews of additional books I have recently purchased and read but I will also likely do some actual training with aromatherapy too because I’d like to get into it professionally. I think there is far too much dependence on pharmaceuticals right not and not enough on alternative healing.
I usually buy oils in America from http://www.essentialwholesale.com or http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com. Both have very reasonable prices and a really good selection. For the most pure oils, always try to buy cold pressed, organic herbs. And if you buy them in person, make sure they are always in dark colored glass bottles and NEVER in direct sunlight.
thank you so much for the information. let me know when you do training for I to think we depend on pharmaceuticals also paula
I love the recipes! Would I omit the carrier oil if i wanted a concentrated version? I am new to this and appreciate any advice. Thanks!
Hi Mich,
Yes you can omit the carrier oil and create a concentrate of just the essential oils. But you must be very careful using the oil in the concentrated form. If you are going to apply it to the body only place a dab on the bottom of your foot. It’s not generally recommended to apply straight essential oils to the body and these will burn a bit even with the carrier oil. I can verify that to be true since I spilled a bottle of the oil while mixing up this recipe. Drinking pure essential oils should also be done with great caution.
What are you planning to do with the concentrated oil? Maybe I can give you a few additional words of advice.
Thanks for your comment
I love Theives oil! It has helped so many of my clients & my family from colds and flus. Also its great traveling too!