By Sola Ogundipe

REMEMBER Eucalyptus oil? It  is that pure essential oil with a heavenly fragrance that not only has practical and industrial uses, but possesses superb healing properties for a wide range of ailments. Extracted from fresh or partially dried leaves and young twigs, eucalyptus  undergo steam distillation. The healing power comes from  the oil, which is made from the tree’s oval-shaped leaves.

OIL OF WELLNESS: Eucalyptus oil rejuvenates spirits of the sick.

It is produced mainly from the plant Eucalyptus globulus or “Blue Gum”, and can be very beneficial to health and well-being. Health benefits: Our great-grandparents utilised oil-containing eucalyptus leaf infusions as a traditional medication for body pains, fever, sinus congestions, and colds.

Use eucalyptus oil in a cream or lotion for pain relief and for speeding up the healing of wounds and ulcers, or on your skin for insect bites or wounds. Do you have a sore throat or painful tootache? Add very diluted eucalyptus oil to  water and gargle with it.

The diluted form of the oil can be taken orally for pain and inflammation of respiratory tract mucous membranes, coughs, asthma, bronchitis, sinus pain and inflammation, and respiratory infections.

Eucalyptus oil is also used as an antiseptic, insect repellent, and treatment option for wounds, burns, and ulcer.

Healing properties: For healing mucus membranes (such as to safely and effectively treat allergies and asthma), apply a drop of eucalyptus oil on an organic cotton ball and sniff it several times a day. Also, add a few drops to your bath water.

Eucalyptus oil is also popularly used as a fragrance in perfumes and cosmetics. It is found in mouthwashes, liniments and ointments, toothpastes, cough drops, and lozenges.

Eucalyptus oil has antibacterial action. For pain relief,   dental health and  addressing mental exhaustion, eucalyptus  oil rejuvenates “the spirits of the sick.”

Eucalyptus oil may be used for respiratory problems, to help improve concentration, or as an insect repellant. It can also be used in blended massage oil or diluted in bathwater – methods that can provide benefits against arthritis, asthma, mucous congestion, colds, headaches, sinusitis, fatigue, and muscle aches and pains.