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Most practitioners of aroma-therapeutics hold this opinion: THE most effective use of essential oils for health is for the prevention and treatment of infectious illness. Aromatherapy in the USA is still mostly relegated to New Age "hocus pocus", and some pretty-smelling little bottles of liquid. However, in recent years scientific researchers have compiled HUGE amounts of data regarding the effectiveness of essential oils in combating bacterial and viral infections. The oils protect us from infection in a number of ways, and it's very simple to use essential oils at home for their protective effects. Lets look at how to use essential oils for this purpose, and which oils to choose for best results.

Why Are Essential Oils Such Effective Antimicrobial Medicines?

An essential oil is simply a form of herbal medicine, like a tincture, extract or encapsulated herd concentrate. The incredible medicine found in essential oils stems from them being the primary immune defense for plants. Just like humans and other animals, plants also must defend themselves against bacteria and viruses. And it happens that essential oils are perfectly compatible with human physiology -- they are easily and quickly absorbed, and destroy microbes in our bodies just as they would in plants. Further, they even enhance our cells in such a way as to make them more resistant to infection, and even make our immune cells more effective at removing foreign invaders -- all from these great smelling natural plant extracts.

The Science Behind Essential Oils As Agents For Immune-System Protection

For the treatment and prevention of infectious illness, essential oils are used for two purposes: the general strengthening of the immune system and the direct eradication of viruses. A great many peer-reviewed research papers have been produced showing the efficacy of essential oils for both purposes. Using the database of the National Institute of Health (www.pubmed.gov) one can review the data by searching for terms such as 'essential oil virus' (currently producing 93 results) or 'essential oil immune' (producing 143 results) and the like. Essential oils have been shown to actually increase the power of lymphocytes and increase the speed at which the immune system produces antibodies to eliminate an infection. And of course many essential oils are highly-regarded antibacterial agents (we all know about Tea Tree and Oregano), and a few of them have been shown to destroy viruses directly (Laurus Nobilis was shown to eradicate the virus causing SARS, and very recently Tea Tree was shown to be effective against the Swine Flu virus).

Using Essential Oils At Home and in Clinical Settings

So how can you employ essential oils for the health of your family and children? Or for those in clinical settings, how can oils be used to prevent the spread of infection? There are two primary features to the oils that you'll want to utilize: their direct eradication of microbes in the air, and their ability to support our immune systems to prevent infection within our bodies. There are two methods of using essential oils for these purposes: Diffusion and topical application. Both these methods are also useful if one has already caught a cold or flu, particularly in the early stages.

Diffusing Essential Oils: Aromatherapist's Favorite Immune Supporting Method

Diffusing essential oils into your environment provides three primary benefits: First, the oils are directly eliminating microbes in the air, thus reducing the concentration of live pathogens you may be inhaling or touching at any time and reducing the load on your immune system. Second, most essential oils, and particularly the strong anti-microbial ones, have an uplifting effect on the psyche. Many practitioners consider the mind-body link crucial to overall health, and specifically to an effective immune system. Finally, inhalation of essential oils is thought by aroma-therapy professionals to be THE most effective means of bolstering immune system function. Because the respiratory system is often the route of infection, inhalation is the best means to implement the cellular changes essential oils can create (one result of essential oil contact is a change in the electrical potential of cell walls, making it more difficult for pathogens to get inside the cells).

Nebulizing Diffusers: The Most Effective Style

One means to do both is using a professional-grade essential oil diffuser. For all these purposes, a high-quality nebulizing diffuser is the best choice, capable of making the highest concentration of essential oil in the air in your environment. Other diffusers will make a nice aroma for sure, but the cold-air (as opposed to 'ultrasonic') nebulizer will make a fine mist of pure essential oils, and is easily adjusted to suit the size of your environment. A nebulizer should only be used for a few minutes every hour; essential oils are very potent, and one should never feel overwhelmed by their aromas. By using a diffuser coupled with a timer, you can cycle the diffuser ON for 10 minutes, then OFF for 50 throughout the day and night. This method also conserves the oils to keep costs to a minimum.

Topical Application: Easily Absorbing the Essential Oils

Essential oils are also very effective when topically applied -- they readily pass through the skin and into the bloodstream. For this purpose, very simple blends of essential oils and carrier oils can be made. A carrier oil is just any "fixed" oil (one that does not easily evaporate) like Jojoba, Olive, Almond and the like. The dilutions are as follows: for application to the feet, use ten percent total essential oils in carrier, for other parts of the body and for a bath oil, use five percent. A soak in a warm tub, with your oil formula mixed in is an absolutely lovely way to gain all the benefits of the oils: they're absorbing into the skin and evaporating from the surface for inhalation. For blending: a one-percent concentration is equal to eight drops of essential oil per fluid ounce of carrier oil -- from there you can multiply up to whatever volume of blend you'd like to make. For children, cut these concentrations by half, for children under 7, in half again, and under 4 half again. Do not topically apply essential oils to children under two without consulting a professional or highly-knowledgeable practitioner for precise instructions.

Therapeutic Immune-Stimulating Massage

Your oil blend can be massaged into regions of the body associated with the immune system: the lymph glands are near the surface in the front of the arm pits, on the sternum, and the sides of the neck. Some folks will massage the blends into their sinus areas and temples as well. Further, the tops and bottoms of the feet are very receptive to the actions of essential oils -- by consulting a reflex point chart, you can even pinpoint spots associated with the respiratory and lymph systems. Regular, daily application to either the feet or lymph-node regions can be a highly effective means of gaining the immune-supportive benefits of oils when diffusion is not practical, such as when traveling.

Putting It All Together: The Essential Oil Formulas

A few oils are considered both very safe AND highly effective for our purposes. Niaouli is considered by some to be the most potent immune-stimulating oil available, though its "fishy-eucalyptus" smell is a challenge for some. But other oils in the same family are also very effective, and more pleasant to use: Eucalyptus Radiata, Bay Laurel, Melissa, Tea Tree, Thyme (for family use, choose only the Linalool chemotype), Ravensara, Rosemary, Rosalina, Lavender and Hyssop are excellent choices. For home or clinical use, an excellent "starter" formula can be made by choosing any of these three oils and mixing them together in equal parts. Even better, choose one from each "family" of oils shown: Eucalyptus from the "cineol" oils, Lavender from the florals, and Melissa from the herbs. (Because of the high cost and exceptional potency of Melissa, it can be used at about 1/5th portion of the other oils).

Taking into account both the scientific research AND the safety of oils for use with all-ages, Bay Laurel, Eucalyptus Radiata, Tea Tree and Lavender may be the most effective, safe, and affordable oils available. These oils generally have pleasant aromas and are readily available. (Note: Tea Tree MUST be from a fresh, high quality source for a pleasing scent -- otherwise its aroma can be so medicinal that you, and particularly your children, will avoid using it. If the aroma is not to your liking, try Rosalina, another highly-regarded antimicrobial Australian oil with a more pleasant scent). For diffuser use, try equal parts of these oils. For topical application, use 10 drops of each oil in Coconut oil (you can double the concentration for application to the feet) -- this same mixture can be added to the bath. Again, for children, reduce the concentration appropriately for their age, and for diffuser use, there should only be enough aroma in the air so the scent can JUST be detected and no more.

Essential Oils: Simple Treatments for Maximum Health

Regular use throughout the Fall and Winter months is an excellent way of supporting immune function and providing antimicrobial protection for your whole family, co-workers or clients and customers. The oils work in so many ways: through disinfection, immune system stimulation, and supporting overall well-being which then strengthens our immunity to infectious illness. They're easy to use, have scientific backing for their efficacy, and even provide a doorway to tapping into the vast medicinal potential of aroma-medicine. These wonderful features really make them worth a try!

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Beyond their use in skin care, essential oils truly have medicinal effects. Aroma-medicine practitioners even prescribe means of using essential oils for the prevention of swine flu.

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