Thieves

It’s aromatherapy week, how exciting!

I thought i’d share with you my very own thieves recipe. But first a little history lesson, indulge me because I find this fascinating.

The story goes that during the 15th century when the plague was endemic throughout Europe. The traid routes through Europe and Asia were closed to try and stop the spread of this awful disease. The wealthy merchants of the time had their livelihood ruined. Four such merchants turned to a life of crime stealing from wealthy plague victims to earn their fortune. Amazingly they never contracted the highly infectious plague and became legendary. The king of the time put out a ransom for their arrest. Upon their eventual arrest he offered them a deal, their secret for their lives.

Lucky for us they took that deal and shared the secret of the spices and herbs they had once traided and now used to protect them from the plauge. The recipe was shared and Dr’s at the time used it in the beaks of their plague masks to protect themselves against infection.

In 1997, Weber State University did a study that found the Thieves essential oil blend to have a 99.96% success rate at killing airborne bacteria.

Weather of not the story is true or just legend history and now science has proven the essential oils in thieves are truly antiseptic, antibacterial and antiviral. They will stimulate the immune system benefit the circulation and respiratory systems. And help protect against disease.

Above is a traditional Thieves recipe. Since I have young children and some of these oils (most noteably eucalyptus) are not safe to use around children I researched alternative and created my own child safe thieves blend*. Which I find brilliantly effective and use (diluted) in the sick room via inhalation and as a ingredient in my homemade cleaning products (see previous posts)

You will need a small coloured glass bottle with a dropper lid or pipette to mix and store your thieves blend in. I used an old bach flower remedy bottle.

To make up my bottle which I have had almost a year now and I’ve used less than half of it you will need

• 80 drops of clove essential oil
• 70 drops of lemon essential oil
• 40 drops of cinnamon essential oil
• 30 drops of pine essential oil
• 10 tea tree essential oil

*please do your own research about essential oils before you use them. This is a blend I have designed based on the ages of my own children and the particular circumstances in my own home. Please seek advice from a trained professional if you have any doubts.

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Essential oils a simple guide.

What are essential oils? How can I use them? Are they safe? How do they differ from any other scented product?

We all know a couple of drops of lavender oils can help aid relaxation and a good nights sleep. Maybe your midwife recommended it to promote healing after you had a baby or maybe you’ve used tea tree to cure a skin condition but did you know there are 100’s of essential oils all with their own unique properties?

It’s no secret I love essential oils. I have turned to them since childhood, throughout my teens and into adulthood. As an adult I have studied and increased my learning of these potent oils, always mindful of the safety of my young family.

What are essential oils?

Essential oils have been used for thousands of years in traditional remedies to enhance health and wellbeing. Essential oils are highly concentrated plant essences each with its own unique chemistry and distinct therapeutic properties. The quickest way for the body to absorb essential oils is by inhaling their aroma which has a direct effect on the brain and allows them to be absorbed into the blood steam via the lungs. Other routes include massage and bathing.

It is the therapeutic properties of essential oils that make them radically different to other fragrance products which use synthetic compounds to create a nice smell but have no therapeutic properties.

How can I use essential oils in my day to day life?

I use essential oils every day – research has found people who use essential oils regularly have a stronger immune system than those who don’t, amazing hey! I use oils in a diffuser to scent my home and help my mood, in my cleaning products to fight germs, in my beauty products (shower gel, deodorant, face cream, soap etc) and for first aid where appropriate. They are wonderfully versatile and powerful when used correctly

Are they safe?

I am VERY big on safety so I want to be really clear on this do your homework before you start using any oil. ALWAYS dilute your oils well they are extremly concentrated and powerful! As a general rule as a beginner start with a 1% dilution of essential oil to carrier oil (good news your precious essential oils will last a LONG time).

NEVER EVER ingest oils. This sadly is a new craze promoted by some unscrupulous essential oil companies every independent aromatherapy governing body in the UK is very clear ingesting oils is not recommended.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, using oils around young children or pets please do your own research about the safety of the essential oils you are using.

Finally make sure the oils you are using are the real deal and not synthetic – they should list the Latin plant name as the primary ingredient. Buy from a reputable company. I like to buy organic where possible because to me it makes no sense to have pesticides mixing with your essential oils.

So there we have it. That’s my quick guide to essential oils. I hope you can see why I think they are so amazing and why I enjoy using them.

I wanted to finish with a quick overview of the essential oils I use most often in my natural cleaning products as I have shared quite a few recipies on this blog lately.

Lemon

A great degreaser and natural antiseptic with an uplifting and invogorating fragrance that helps promote clear thinking. I use it a lot in the kitchen

Pine

Pine is antiseptic, purifies the air and repels insects and has energising properties.

Clove

Used during World War 2 to disinfect hospitals! Clove has a warm and scent and soothing effect on the mind.

Bergamot

Antiseptic, cooling and soothing. Also an effective de-odorizer that repels insects.