Thyme

Botanical Name: Thymus zygis

I rarely have to use this at home, but when a particularly nasty sore throat threatens to turn into a full-blown respiratory illness, this oil served as an effective way to stop the infection right at the throat area. It also effectively halted ringworm infections on my kids just recently (they got it because we adopted some kittens from the street, one of which had really bad fungal infections all over her body). Its potent antibacterial properties are a most welcome addition to my self-care kit and best of all, it doesn't seem to irritate my skin (after proper dilution).

Suggested Uses

• To stop a particularly painful sore throat from turning into a full-blown cold, mix the following in 1 teaspoon of carrier oil (I prefer tamanu oil for its skin-soothing properties):
  
  
  
  • 2 drops thyme essential oil (to kill off the bacteria)
  
  
  • 1 drop helichrysum essential oil (to help soothe the pain)
    Apply 4 drops of the mixture onto the neck, concentrating on the throat area (where it hurts), and behind the ears (where the lymph nodes are). Do this 3 times a day (morning, mid-afternoon and before going to bed) until the infection clears. This could take about 3-4 days.
  
  
  
  


• To effectively treat ringworm (a common fungal infection), apply 1 drop of this mixture on the affected area (or more, if it is already very widespread) twice a day for at least 10 days:
  
  
  
  • 1 teaspoon carrier oil, about 5ml (virgin coconut oil is also a pretty good antifungal)
  
  
  • 1 drop thyme essential oil
  
  
  • 1 drop lavender essential oil
  
  
  • 1 drop oregano essential oil
  
  
  • 1 drop frankincense essential oil
    If treating a child with a ringworm infection, you can omit the oregano oil (it can be quite irritating to sensitive skin), and add 1 more teaspoon of carrier oil to the mixture.
  
  
  
  

Safety Precautions

• Keep out of reach of children.


• Do not use undiluted on the skin.


• Do not apply near the eye area. Will cause irritation to mucous membranes, so avoid smelling it at close proximity.