Eucalyptus Essential Oil has been used for ages for the medicinal benefits it has to offer. Eucalyptus is native to Australia and the surrounding areas of Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. It is often used as an additive to medicines as it is an extremely powerful solvent and a natural deodorizer. The oil is extracted from the leaves of the Eucalyptus tree through a process of steam distillation and cold expression. It is extracted from the leaves and sold in its liquid form.
Eucalyptus is known to have many healing properties and is used to alleviate tension, muscle pain, stress, headaches, flu, colds, congestion, bronchitis, varicose veins, sore throat, sinusitis, toothache, insomnia, lung diseases and emotional upset or depression. Eucalyptus Essential Oil has a long history as an essential oil and has recently been studied by the scientific community. It is now being researched to determine its ability to treat cancerous cells and stimulate the immune system. It has been shown to improve circulation of blood to the muscles and surrounding tissues. Using this oil in aromatherapy increases the effectiveness of essential oils and their carrier oils.
Essential oils are produced in much the same way that they are produced in plants with a few exceptions. Whereas most essential oils are extracted from the leaves using distillation, Eucalyptus is extracted using a process called steam distillation. Steam distillation involves using a high temperature, high pressure tank to boil water to evaporate the steam, then condense the boiling water into a container through an air cooler. The distillation process leaves a clear, odorless, colorless and tasteless natural product called eucalyptus oil.
The Immune System: Immune system health is the basis of good physical health as well as mental and emotional health. By inhaling eucalyptus essential oil, the Immune system can be enhanced by stimulating the cells to produce more white blood cells and to attack yeast and bacteria which are known to cause illness in the Immune system. It is thought to relieve congestion, alleviate colds and coughs, as well as help fight off cancer cells in the body. Many people who have used it as a cough suppressant report that there is no taste, making it an even better choice for treating allergies.
Menthol: Menthol is used as an artificial ingredient to help flavor many inhalable products, including cough syrups and breath freshening sprays. Because of its bitter taste, it is not utilized as often as some other essential oils, although it is found in high quantities in mentholated toothpaste. It is thought that menthol has positive health benefits, including relief of coughs and colds. More research is needed to verify these claims.
Sinus Headaches: A common complaint for those with sinuses is that they suffer from constant ear pain and are unable to sleep well at night. Many believe that the potent aroma from eucalyptus essential oil helps to treat nasal passages and reduce inflammation, as well as ease the pain of sinus headaches. Others find that just inhaling the oil relieves their symptoms. Nasal congestion is one of the symptoms which are treated successfully using the oil. It is also believed to be effective in treating minor colds and flu.
Eucalyptus essential oil is very effective as a medicinal treatment for sinus infections. Essential oil is the concentrated extract of various species of eucalyptus trees. There are many different tree species, all of which have different chemical compositions, but the most common ones are Menthae, Atlas Cedar, Poplar and Syngonium. The essential oil of each of these trees varies slightly, but each has a unique medicinal properties, some having more desirable effects than others. These include the following:
When using this oil for medicinal purposes, it is advisable to dilute it. For example, if you intend to use just a drop of the oil for an anti-inflammatory treatment, dilute it with a carrier oil such as apricot kernel oil or almond oil before applying it to the skin. Using a carrier oil will ensure that the eucalyptus essential oil does not dry out and that the oil is evenly dispersed on the skin. Other oils that work very well for diluting eucalyptus oil include cypress oil and coconut oil. Eucalyptus oil taken in this form is very effective for treating skin inflammation, colds as well as coughs.
