Links and Reference - Essential Oils of the month
July -
Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus)
A native to Australia, the Eucalyptus tree was first recorded to have been used by the aborigines, who named it ‘malee’, extracted the essential oil from the roots, and used the leaves to relieve fevers. It is an evergreen, medium size tree and bears fragrant white flowers as it matures. It has also been integrated into traditional medicine systems of the Chinese, Indian Ayurvedic and Greco-European.
The medicinal properties of Eucalyptus reside in its oil, which is extracted from the fresh leaves and branch tips, as well as dried leaves. It is an approved remedy of the German government’s Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices for addressing symptoms of the respiratory tract. (This is not the equivalent to FDA approval.)
Health benefits of Eucalyptus include: effective expectorant and antiseptic action in oils that contain at lease 70% eucalyptol, a chemical constituent (component) of Eucalyptus. It acts on receptors in the nasal mucus membrane, which help to alleviate nasal congestion, resulting in aid in controlling coughs. It also analgesic (pain relieving), antibacterial, antiviral and is used as a natural insecticide.
Description of aroma: Balsamic, camphor-like
Emotional benefits: Inhalation and skin applications are uplifting, refreshing, can have calming effect, aids concentration, energy balancing.
Cautions: Avoid applying to the nostrils of infants due to risk of spasm of the glottis, due to the cooling effect on the respiratory system. Ingestion of the oil is toxic and can affect the central nervous, gastrointestinal and respiratory systems.