What are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are organic compounds extracted from the bark, flower, fruit, leaf, seed or root of a plant or tree and have several healing properties. The oils in the plants are made up of very small molecules that can penetrate your cells, and some can even penetrate the blood-brain barrier. These oils are highly concentrated and have a strong aroma and can be used in aromatherapy and their benefits range from mental to physical healing.

What Is Eucalyptus Essential Oil?

Eucalyptus essential oil is derived from leaves selected off of the eucalyptus tree species belonging to the plant family Myrtaceae. The tree is native to Tasmania, Australia and nearby islands. Eucalyptus essential oils come from the species of Eucalyptus salicifolia and Eucalyptus globulus (also called fever tree or gum tree) even though there are over 500 eucalypti species. These 2 trees are used due to their medicinal properties.

Eucalyptus essential oils have many benefits and are used in a lot of products that we use on an everyday basis. They can be found in healing ointments, vapor rubs, perfumes and cleaning products. It contains ingredients that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. It is known to fight bacterial, viral and fungal infections due to these properties. It also has the ability to clear the respiratory tract of buildup of mucus. 

Benefits of Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Boost Mental Clarity

Eucalyptus essential oil has soothing, invigorating and purifying properties which makes it perfect to boost mental clarity and energy. When the aromas clear our airways it allows oxygen into our lungs and helps relieve brain fog.

Improves Respiratory Conditions

Eucalyptus is believed to be one of the best essential oils to be effective against a range of respiratory conditions. These conditions include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, asthma, the common cold, sinusitis, cough or the flu.

Eucalyptus essential oil helps stimulate your immune system, improve respiratory circulation and provide antioxidant protection. When you’re feeling stuffy or your nose keeps annoyingly running, eucalyptus essential oil makes it easier for your to breathe. It does so by activating you nose receptors and it can even act as a natural sore throat remedy. And, let’s face it, when we are able to breathe better, we are able to get that much needed sleep at night.

Relieves Cough

It’s springtime, the weather is getting warmer and everything is coming back to life, including our allergies. Components in eucalyptus essential oils have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects making this oil exceptional to clearing up those allergy symptoms.

Because eucalyptus essential oil works as an expectorant, it makes for one of the most effective essential oils for cough. It helps cleanse our bodies of microorganisms and toxins that make us cough and feel shitty. When we feel stuffed up and our noses are running, eucalyptus essential oil helps clear all of that up making it easier for us to breathe.

Improves Seasonal Allergies

If you are suffering from an earache, apply 2-3 drops of eucalyptus essential oil to your chest and back of the neck. You can also rub 1 drop into the outer part of your ear canal. If you are using his remedy on a child, remember to dilute the essential oil before application.

Alleviates Headaches

Eucalyptus essential oil can help relieve headaches caused by sinus pressure which can cause a lot of pain and tension. Due to the invigorating properties, eucalyptus oil can boost mind clarity and promote relaxation of tense facial muscles which can be helpful when suffering from a headache caused by stress or exhaustion. Eucalyptus oil works best at relieving headaches when it is combined with peppermint oil and a carrier oil.

Improves Earaches

When we get a cold or cough, nasal congestion, a bacterial infection, or even allergies, we can also get earaches. Eucalyptus oil works as an expectorant and because of this, it can be used to help unclogged our respiratory tract. The antimicrobial properties can help clear up an infection that may cause excess fluid in the ear canal. In return, when the excess fluid has gone, so are the symptoms and pain that are associated with it.

Fights Infection

The main component found in eucalyptus essential oil, eucalyptol, has antimicrobial effects against many strains of fungi, viruses and bacteria. When used aromatically or topically, it can effectively fight off microorganisms that make us sick. Another great benefit of eucalyptus is that it helps boost our immune system for that same reason. It can be great to fight off fungal infections such as candida and toenail fungus.

Aids Wound Care

Eucalyptus essential oil is a great tool for combating skin irritations such as wounds, cuts, burns, insect bites and sores due to its antimicrobial and antiseptic properties. In fact, eucalyptus oil has be found to fight against a numerous amount of skin conditions including, boils, cold sores, shingles, sores, ulcers, abscesses, athlete’s foot and bacterial dermatitis. This is all thanks to its antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties.

Repel Pests

If you live in an area that is prone to field mouse, but you are like me and don’t want to use things that contain harsh chemicals or kill a living thing, then you can try eucalyptus essential oils to naturally repel them. Use the oil in a room spray, or place small dishes around where they are to repel them.

Eucalyptus Oil Precautions

It is important to note that eucalyptus essential oil is NOT safe to consume and should only be used aromatically or topically. When using it for oral health, be sure to spit it out after gargling with it.

If you have sensitive skin, be sure to dilute eucalyptus oil with a carrier oi before using it on your skin. Be sure to perform a patch test before full application on your body. Also, you may want to dilute eucalyptus oil when using it on children. Avoid using it on their faces because it may be irritating. If you are unsure of the outcome, you may want to simply diffuse eucalyptus oil in your home to reap the benefits from it. 

Have you used eucalyptus essential oils before? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments below.