Four Thieves Recipe for Battling Bacteria, Viruses

Simple recipe!
The friendly folk at Mountain Rose have a neat blog.  Their recipe for making your own "Four Thieves" antibacterial blend can be tweaked by adding a few more oils to this quintet:
Lemon
Cinnamon
Clove
Rosemary
Eucalyptus

http://mountainroseblog.com/thieves-oil/

Bergamot, Lemon & Lime Essential Oils

My friend Buffy asked a good question about the kitchen sink scrub recipe posted earlier this week,  wondering if the lemon and lime did anything other than counteract the smell of baking soda and vinegar.
Yes!
The recipe calls for lime and bergamot essential oils; bergamot, or citrus bergamot, is a lovely green citrus fruit.  As an essential oil, bergamot is a strong antibacterial, antiseptic, anti parasitic, and anti infectious powerhouse that kills strep and staph bacteria.
Lemon and lime essential oils also have very strong antibacterial, antiviral, anti fungal and antiseptic properties.  
All three smell fresh and uplifting, and taste great.  
Here are some useful ways to harness the powers of lemon essential oil, shared by DoTERRA:

• Add a drop to a water bottle or glass of water
• Diffuse aromatic ally or apply topically, diluted, for mood elevation
• Add to a drop of honey to soothe sore throats or coughs
• Dilute with coconut oil to massage and condition fingernails
• Apply directly to cold sores for relief
• Add a drop to toothbrushes after brushing
• Diffuse in a room to neutralize odors
• Remove gum, label adhesives, grease from fabric
• Clean kitchen counters and stainless steel appliances
• Add to olive oil for nontoxic furniture polish

Resistance is Futile

We hear a lot about bacterial resistance to prescription medications.

Learn more about how essential oils can be helpful in the battle against bacteria and viruses, by reading "Resistance," in Chapter Two: The Bioactivity of Essential Oils ("The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils," Kurt Schnaubelt, Ph. D., Healing Arts Press 2011).

This is a challenging read, as a scientific review of literature and detailed analysis of how the chemical properties of essential oils work on the human body.  It's also fascinating.  Several chapters also dig into specifics about essential oils and their place in healing.


Schnaubelt's Ph.D. is in chemistry and he is the co-director and founder of the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy in California.

Kitchen Sink Scrub

From Edens Garden:

Ingredients
1/2 c. baking soda
1/8 c. vinegar
5 drops each Bergamot and Lime essential oils

Mix and scrub kitchen sink.  Wash down with warm water.