How to Treat the Flu with Homemade Thieves' Oil

I must admit, I'd never heard of Thieves' Oil until I received a comment on a Swine Flu article I'd written concerning flu pandemics and aromatherapy. Armed with a healthy dose of skepticism and an even bigger sense of curiosity, I began to hunt down the legend of Thieves' Oil, how it is made, where it can be purchased and what the heck it is. After two days of research, including two personal interviews, I concluded that Thieves Oil deserves a closer look. You can buy this anti-viral/anti-bacterial treatment ready-made but by purchasing the ingredients yourself, you can be sure that the formulation is fresh. Let's get started. Legend has it that four thieves protected themselves from illness during the plague with this oil. In addition, with the Swine flu scare, it's flying off the shelves.

Things You'll Need

• Clove bud essential oil Lemon essential oil Eucalyptus essential oil Cinnamon essential oil Rosemary essential oil Carrier oil (Jojoba is my choice) Small glass bottle (do not use plastic) Meas

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Before we make Thieves' Oil, I want to mention why it's gained in popularity. According to legend, this formulation has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Here's the intriguing part - four hundred years ago, these thieves protected themselves from the plague that was killing millions, by rubbing their bodies with these aromatic herbs. Then, they proceeded to steal whatever they could get their hands on, often from the homes of the sick and dying. While I don't advise that you embark upon a life of crime, I do suggest that you research this aromatherapy oil of ancient criminals and make your own decision. Many are using this formulation with the idea of treating or preventing Swine Flu.

• 2

  Use only glass bottles to store your completed aromatherapy solution. Any time you're working with essential oils - avoid plastic-it may eat right through it after a few days. I chose dark blue glass bottles with attached dropper caps for easy use and to protect my Thieves' Oil. Purchasing all the oils and the blue bottles cost less than $40 dollars and I ended up with four, 2-oz bottles. That is much cheaper than purchasing the ready-made oil online or in the health food store.

• 3

  Measure out one cup of Jojoba oil (or another carrier) into a clean glass container. While almond oil and grape seed oil are also great carriers, jojoba has a longer shelf life.

• 4

  Add 1-tablespoon of Clove Bud Oil, 1-tablespoon of Lemon Oil, 2 1/2-teaspoons of Cinnamon Oil and 2-teaspoons of each Rosemary Oil and Eucalyptus Oil. I hunted and compared numerous recipes and finally settled on this one, given me from the practitioner of Easter healing arts that I interviewed. He mentioned that this was an aromatherapy formulation he learned decades ago but he thought other recipes would also be effective. He dispenses Thieves' Oil under a different name to his patients and he claimed that some swore by its effectiveness against regular flu.

• 5

  Stir the oil well to blend all the essential oils with the carrier oil and pour it into glass bottles for personal use. If you use a different carrier oil, discard the leftover portion after 6-months. If you use Jojoba, the shelf life is approximately two years. However, it must be stored out of direct sunlight to retain its strength.

• 6

  Dab a drop on your chest at bedtime and massage into your skin, as your mother did with mentholated ointment when you were a child. Carry a tiny vial of Thieves' Oil with your, in your purse or on a chain around your neck and dab a bit on your neck during the day. The nice thing about Jojoba Oil is that is does not leave your skin greasy like grape seed oil does.

• 7

  To clear the air in your home, boil a pot of water on the stove and add two or three drops of Thieves' Oil to the simmering water. The anti-microbial and anti-bacterial aromatherapy properties will sanitize the air.