Simple Methods To Use The Antiviral Properties Of Essential Oils
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The antiviral activity of essential oils is one of their most intriguing effects. Many respected aromatherapists believe the greatest potential of the oils used in aromatherapy is to treat infectious illness — and while bacterial infections are a significant health issue, it is viral pathogens that are spread the most rapidly. Whether you’re interested in managing through “cold and flu” season, or preventing and treating other sorts of viral infections, essential oils may hold your answer.
Scientific researchers the world over have been experimenting with essential oils to find which oils have, if any, antiviral activity, and how strong this action is. This area of research is certainly still growing, though the available data certainly makes a statement. Research has generally involved one of two conditions: the treatment and effect of oils on the herpes viruses both in human subjects and in petri dishes, or the ability of oils to inactivate other viruses in petri dishes alone. The data shows that certain oils succeed in all conditions.
Herpes simplex virus infections are very simple to investigate — so many people carry the virus, and suffer occasional outbreaks, that gathering test subjects is easy. The appearance of the outbreaks is obvious, and so is whether an essential oil has been effective at healing it. And the bottom line is that many essential oils have been shown to speed healing of the outbreaks, and actually prevent new ones from occurring.
What makes this so important is really three-fold: First, the oils show the ability to directly inactivate the virus. Second, they also show the ability to alter our body’s cells in certain ways as to prevent the spread of the virus from cell to cell. Oils actually “immunize” each cell individually, making it more difficult for a virus to infect a healthy cell. Finally, this result has occurred with several essential oils, not just one, which makes the theoretical extrapolation of the data to other viral illnesses much more realistic — if several aromatics inactivate herpes viruses and increase cell immunity, it makes it far more likely that this same activity occurs with other viruses as well.
Several essential oils have been shown effective in treating herpes outbreaks and preventing their re-occurrence. The most thoroughly investigated are melissa, geranium and tea tree, with melissa leading the group with the most enthusiastic praise from a scientist. One German researcher thought it possible to prevent all future outbreaks with the consistent use of the oil when one feels an outbreak to be imminent. Melissa is considered exceptionally potent, and can be diluted to very low concentrations (less than 2%) and still be effective. Users will create a dilution that works for them and apply topically several times daily.
Viruses which cause influenza are inherently harder to examine “in-vivo”, yet data is accruing noting the ability of essential oils to eradicate these types of viruses “in the test tube”. Bay laurel was noted in one study to be effective against the virus causing SARS (sever acute respiratory syndrome), and tea tree has been shown effective against viruses which cause influenza.
Kurt Schnaubelt, author of Medical Aromatherapy, notes in his texts that essential oils distilled from the needles of evergreen trees are particularly potent antivirals. Certainly the experience of professional aromatherapists world-wide is a worthy indicator of an oil’s potential in this arena. The most frequently noted antiviral essential oils in the literature for respiratory infections include eucalyptus radiata, ravensara, bay laurel and hyssop.
The use of these oils is really quite simple. The most effective way to protect ones self from airborne contagions is through the use of an aromatherapy diffuser. A diffuser makes a mist of the oils so that one can inhale higher concentrations than just inhaling straight from the bottle. A blend of three or more oils with antiviral properties may be most effective, and equal parts of each should prove reasonably effective. For example, one can create a diffuser blend using equal parts bay laurel, pine and eucalyptus radiata. This formula could be run in a nebulizing diffuser in their home or office, providing an effective means of both preventing infection and reducing pathogens in the air.
The same formula can be diluted to between five and ten percent and applied topically. Apply two or three times per day, massaging the tops and bottoms of the balls of the feet (considered energetic endpoints related to the respiratory system), as well as areas where lymph glands are close to the surface of the skin (the armpits, groin area and neck, for example).
This is a brief look at the possibilities of utilizing the antiviral actions of aromatherapy and essential oils. One really need not get more complicated than this to achieve the desired results (keeping well!), and at the same time, one may be more precise with their oil selection and application techniques through learning more on the subject. You’ll find a host of information on the internet, though the most valuable sources are texts by therapists familiar with the practices of medical aromatherapy (examples are Advanced Aromatherapy by Schnaubelt, and The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy by Battaglia). Good luck and stay well!
The author is a wellness director for Ananda Aromatherapy, found at www.anandaapothecary.com. Find more resources are available on aromatherapy and essential oil blends through the website.
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