A Deeper Look Into Anti-Microbial Blends

Have you heard of either Thieves or OnGuard?  Ok, that’s a rhetorical question.  If you have heard of essential oils, the odds are very, very likely you have not only heard of them, but had them recommended to you and likely even used them.  These are Young Living and DoTerra’s versions of highly anti-microbial, immunity blends.   

I don’t think I’ve gone a single day without seeing one or both of these oils mentioned and recommended for nearly every ailment you could think of.  Thieves is no longer just found as an essential oil blend but has made its way into numerous home and personal care products including hand soap, wipes and house cleaner.  The same is true for DoTerra’s version, OnGuard, which is found in laundry detergent, toothpaste, throat drops, sanitizer, hand wash and even in soft gels.  

As a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist, this concerns me for many reasons.  Professional Aromatherapists warn against the over-use of essential oils in general but this particular blend comes with extra warnings.   Let’s take a deep dive into these highly popular blends and see why you may want to think twice before making your next Thieves or OnGuard purchase.  

Robert Tisserand has dedicated his time and efforts to studying essential oils and their safety.  He indicates that these types of immunity blends come with some added cautions. 

Clove and Cinnamon Leaf can both be very irritating to the skin and require an extremely low dilution rate of just .5% to minimize this risk.  That’s about 2 or 3 drops per ounce of carrier oil. Cinnamon Bark is even lower at .1%!   They can also both be potentially irritating to the mucous membranes and the respiratory system, a risk that increases with young children.  

Rosemary and Eucalyptus are both beautiful oils, exhibiting many wonderful properties for healthy respiratory functioning.  The chemical component 1,8 Cineole can be attributed to these beneficial properties but it can also potentially slow breathing in young children.  For this reason, it is advised to observe extra caution when using around children.  A person prone to seizures should also exhibit extra caution as high 1,8 Cineole content can also cause seizures to those already prone to them.  

Lemon (along with many of the citrus oils) can have photo-toxic effects when applied to the skin without proper dilution.  This means if you apply to the skin which is then exposed to sunlight, you could experience  severe burns to that area. 

Applying the same basic essential oil safety considerations that should be applied to every essential oil would go a long ways in using these blends in a more safe way.  

• Never apply to the skin undiluted and furthermore be sure to follow proper dilution rates.  This is extra important for blends such as these that contain potentially skin-irritating oils such as Clove and Cinnamon and also potentially photo-toxic oils such as Lemon.  
• Do not ingest oils UNLESS you are under the care of a professional aromatherapist with additional, extensive training in aromatic medicine.  Ingesting them by adding them to your water, or tea or by taking them in the form of a gel cap can cause far more harm than the benefit you are trying to seek.  
• Do not use them extensively and continuously for long periods of time
• Express extra caution when using near children.  Be aware of which oils pose extra risk for young children.  With these particular blends we are looking at Clove, Cinnamon, Rosemary and Eucalyptus.  

Concern has also been expressed that excessively using these blends with highly anti-microbial properties may create resistance to the oils in much the same way as overusing antibiotics does.  This is simply something being looked and there is no consensus at the moment  but is nonetheless a very important point to take into consideration.  

Excessive and overuse of any essential oils may begin to overtax the kidneys and liver and immune functioning may be compromised.  These known immunity blends are not an exception.  

These types of blends can be extremely beneficial, they just must be used with respect. My personal choice is not to add them to my skin.  I definitely do not ingest them in any form.  I do not use the wipes, cleaners or laundry detergents.  Gel Caps, toothpaste and throat lozenges are a big NO.  Remember we do not want to use these oils excessively so that when we do have a reason to use them it gives them a chance to work most effectively.  

They are great to use to purify the air.  After a person has been sick, you can cleanse the air by diffusing a few drops in a closed, empty room for an hour and just let it air out before re-entering.  

Thankfully, these blends are not your only choices when looking to use essential oils with highly anti-microbial properties.  Bergamot, Palmarosa, Lavender, Tea Tree and Lemon all are extremely effective and powerful and have a safety profile more in alignment with children.  

Author: Karen DeVault
Posted on: May 11, 2020