Healthy Living

Eucalyptus is an amazing plant to use in your home during the long long winter as cold and flu season wages on. Most of us can't grow it fresh in our own yards to hand in the shower or any of the other great uses for eucalyptus oil but the good news is that you can make the most of this plant by using eucalyptus essential oil. Eucalyptus essential oil types Eucalyptus Radiata is made from the leaves of the Eucalyptus Radiata tree. This essential oil is best used to soothe joint and muscle pain, headaches and colds, and coughs. Eucalyptus Globulus comes from the eucalyptus globulus tree. This essential oil is great for helping to calm the cough and evacuate bronchial sputum. Eucalyptus lemon is best known as lemon eucalyptus oil is most commonly used for making insect repellents. It has a fresh and invigorating citrus undertone. Lemon eucalyptus oil comes from the Eucalyptus citriodora citronnellalifera tree and is amazing for pain relief and skincare uses. How is eucalyptus essential oil made? The tree's oval-shaped leaves are used to produce eucalyptus oil, which has a great deal of healing properties. To extract the essential oil from the leaves, they must be dried, crushed, and distilled. Like other essential oils eucalyptus, essential oil requires a great deal of the plant for each ounce of oil Eucalyptus essential oil Saftey Children Young children's lungs can also be harmed by the same properties that make eucalyptus so good for opening up your lungs and sinuses. Rather than clearing your child's lungs and making it easier to breathe, this essential oil can cause their lungs to swell and close up, causing seizures in rare cases. It is recommended that you use the fresh herb or hydrosol of eucalyptus when using it for children because these are less concentrated and will not harm them. DO NOT use eucalyptus oil around babies and children under the age of 6 unless you understand how to properly dilute it for children. Many essential oils are not safe for use around or on your pets. Because of this, you should research each oil you plan to use to check for its safety around your pets BEFORE using it. Is eucalyptus essential oil safe for dogs? Eucalyptus essential oil is safe for use around dogs. This means it can be heavily diluted for things like a flea repelling dog wash or diffused in a home with dogs safely. Is eucalyptus essential oil safe for cats? Eucalyptus essential oil is highly toxic to cats and should NOT be used around or on them. If you chose to use eucalyptus oil in the shower close the door so your cat can not enter and keep them out for at least 30 minutes after your shower. Cats should be kept out of rooms that have had eucalyptus oil diffused for at least 30 minutes. What are the benefits of eucalyptus oil? Help to release mucus in your lungs, and sinuses. Cineole, which is present in eucalyptus essential oil, has been shown in studies to help loosen mucus. A proven and effective treatment for respiratory disorders such as rhinosinusitis, asthma, and COPD is this component, cineole. Hence, Eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils are used in chest rubs like Vicks vapor rub to help clear chest congestion and improve overall breathing while fighting colds and flu. You can make your own vapor rub at home if you find yourself in need of it or want one with cleaner ingredients. Pain can easily be relieved with eucalyptus oil. As a result, menthol naturally occurring in the oil is able to penetrate deep into the tissues and soothe pains and muscle aches. To soothe muscle aches and joints, you may use eucalyptus essential oil diluted in a roller or make your own soothing hot and cold muscle rub. It is a great way to reduce your reliance on pain medications, which are damaging to your internal organs when used constantly and regularly. Eucalyptus essential oil kills germs making it a wonderful addition to your home cleaning routine. Many studies have been done that prove just how great essential oils can be for killing human pathogens and helping to keep your family healthy even during cold and flu season. Eucalyptus is a wonderful plant for repelling mosquitoes and you can use it around your home and garden to help repel insects though you should avoid getting this oil directly on plants. You can use eucalyptus oil to help make your own homemade bug spray. Uses for eucalyptus oil Eucalyptus oil is great for killing germs and can be used to make your own homemade cleaning supplies to help keep your family healthy. This oil is wonderful for cleaning your bathroom and other high germ areas for disinfecting. Make your own shower tabs. While you should never use eucalyptus oil in your bath unless you fully understand how to dilute which can lower the effectiveness of the vapor you should stick to using eucalyptus oil in the shower. I make shower tabs that melt when the hot water hits them releasing the oil into the shower. You can make your own shower tabes and use any essential oil you want on them. You can use eucalyptus essential oil for toenail fungus. Just like with tea tree oil you can rub diluted eucalyptus oil on your toenails to help kill off the fungus. Remember that if home remedies do not begin to work after a few days you should see your dr to make sure there are no underlining causes. You can use eucalyptus oil in your yard and garden. Eucalyptus is a wonderful plant for repelling mosquitoes and you can use it around your home and garden to keep insects like aphids at bay. However, you should avoid getting this oil directly on plants. Avoid using this oil near bird feeders. Making your own homemade bug spray is an amazing way to help keep your family happy and healthy all summer long. When choosing oils to use for your homemade bug spray you can use this oil as an addition to your blend. If using around children restrict this oil to 1-3 drops in this homemade bug spray recipe.