There is so much hype about Coronavirus in the media, and honestly, I think it’s actually doing more harm than good. People are terrified of leaving their homes, children are missing school and the economy is plummeting… BUT I’m not really here to talk about all that.

 I’m here to talk about the importance of staying educated and provide you some tips on how to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.   

So let’s just understand some basic background information on viruses. Well, it’s a virus, which means that antibiotics are not effective. Viruses act differently in the body and they a great at mutating.

Think for a second about the flu virus. Every year, a flu vaccine comes out. BUT, people who get the flu vaccine can still get the flu (aka me this year). Why? Because, the virus has many different strands and each year mutates slightly so that medications and vaccines are not effective. Tricky, tricky there flu virus. 

But, what if, instead of just relying on a few compounds to kill the virus you employed thousands of compounds to work together to kill the virus?

Sorry virus, but ya don’t stand a chance. And that’s exactly what essential oils do.

 I’ve mentioned before that most of our medications are actually made up of compounds that were originally isolated from plants. So, those same compounds are found in essential oils along with hundreds of other compounds that all work synergistically to kill viruses. And the best part? Because there are so many different compounds working together, the virus is less able to become resistant!

If you haven’t already guessed, well, yea, I 1000% believe in using essential oils to prevent the spread of coronavirus. But, not just any essential oil will be effective. So, I did some research and made a list of 10 essential oils that were effective in killing viruses.

Now remember that Coronavirus is new, meaning there is not much research on it. The research I found was specific to flu viruses such as Flu A, Flu B and H1N1 or swine flu. So I cannot say for certain that using these essential oil will keep you from getting coronavirus, but there is no harm in using them and with the shortage of hand sanitizer and alcohol containing cleaning products, I’d bet these are the next best thing (maybe even better, who knows).

Before I give you the list, I want to be clear on two things…

1.     If you do not know how to use essential oils PLEASE do not just pour them all over your body. That is NOT safe and will likely do more harm than good. Consult a certified aromatherapist such as myself (I am happy to answer any questions you may have) OR do your own research. Don’t be afraid to educate yourself.

2.     Buy from reputable brands. Organic is ALWAYS better when it comes to essential oils and some brands are way better than others. I like Aetos, Edens garden, and Doterra the best, but everyone is different and can form their own opinion. When you buy oils make sure they always have the Latin name on the bottle. Why is this important? Because there are multiple varieties of oils and they all have different healing properties and side effects. It’s important that you know which one you’re using.  For example, I am going to be talking about two different eucalyptus varieties below.

Without further ado, the list you’ve all been waiting for…

These 10 essential oils have been shown to be effective anti-virals.

-       Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)

-       Blue Malle (Eucalyptus polybractea)

-       Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)

-       Carrot seed (Daucus carota)

-       Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus)

-       Thyme (red) (Thymus vulgaris)

-       Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuous)

-       Cinnamon leaf (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)

-       Clove  (Eugenia caryophyllata)

-       Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.)

If you’re interested in using these oils at home, the safest way would be to diffuse them. You can purchase a diffuser on amazon for less than $15.00. I would place one in your bedroom and if you have multiple, another one in your office or any space you spend a lot of time in. Any combination of these essential oils will be effective at clearing the air of viruses but Blue Malle was shown to be the most effective throughout the research.

You can also create or purchase an inhaler with these oils to smell throughout the day. If you do not have access to inhalers, simply smelling the essential oils from the bottle will do the trick.

Another option is to create or purchase a spray to mist your pillow, computer, hands, children, literally anything you touch. If you are making this yourself, I highly recommend looking up dilution ratios to make sure you are making something effective, but that will not be too strong and cause other side effects. I know I will be making some sprays for my family, if you’re interested in purchasing one from me, just send me an email or message me on Instagram @rootwellnessco and I’ll be happy to help you out! Oh, I can also make inhalers too!

Stay safe out there friends!