#4- Cedarwood (Organic-Atlas)
This is a very useful but tricky oil that I would not recommend any pregnant women use. It can be ingested but needs to be an Atlas variety only. Others are toxic and cannot be ingested, so know your oils! This one is also an amazing calmer and is much more powerful, in my own experience, at soothing bug bites and stings than Lavender. If you have ever owned a Cedar chest, you know how amazingly effective it is at repelling bugs. It is also not an oil that will give away your presence if needing to hunt. Cedarwood will blend right into the surroundings of nature and not alert anyone to your presence. It is what we use indoors for repelling bugs and it works. It can also be used for allergies. I combine it with Frankincense and other oils to reduce selling and calm histamine when I have an allergy flair up, which happens often because I am allergic to a lot of things. For bug bites you can rub it right onto skin, but if there is an open wound dilute it a bit. It is highly anti-septic and will also work to clean a wound if needed. If you were hunting and need an all-purpose oil, this would be it. It works for pests, wounds, as well as calming calms stings or bites without a heavy scent. To get rid of lice and/or skin mites, simply dilute into a carrier oil and rub into skin or hair. For repelling bugs, rub (diluted) into skin, on clothes, or put onto a cotton ball and place it where ever you want pests and rodents to stay away. It works on mice and snakes as well. It is my indoor version of moth balls.
#5- Rosemary
This oil is one that many people can tolerate in their food and makes getting an antibacterial down the hatch a bit easier. It is highly antibacterial and should be considered when the common cold is going around or if having a bout of flu. You can add to foods such as spaghetti or soups for an extra bit of help with germ fighting. I ingest oils and have found that the best way to enjoy some of their benefits is to use them as you would an herb in food. So this one, being highly effective at killing germs and aiding in healthy cell reproduction, would be on my plate and in my first aid kit, if I were you. It is highly antiviral and antifungal as well, so it is a great one to reach for if dealing with an infected sore, toe nail fungus, ring worm, warts (not genital), or other skin infection or fungus. Reports have shown it being effective at aiding with things like Alzheimer’s, lung infections, hair loss, and memory loss. In case of an internal infection, since it can safely be ingested when diluted, it can be added right to honey (only like two drops) and swallowed. It should be in your first aid kit.
#6- Litsea Cubeba
This is an oil most people have never heard of. Also called May Chang, it is worth its weight in gold as far as I am concerned. I have used it with my own lung problems and on my animals with much success. One example is when my new chicks came to me with a bout of what certainly appeared to be bird flu, which isn’t new to chicken keepers or hatcheries by the way. However, my baby chicks were dying, and I had to stop it instantly; I did with this oil! Avian Flu is viral, and so I quickly reached for this highly anti-viral oil. I placed a few drops into a quart of water with Vitamin B and gave them only this to drink. All my droopy looking chickens perked right up, and they stopped dying instantly. Litsea is an Asian citrus pepper fruit that is used often in other countries as an antiviral. It’s so powerful it is used in Asia to treat pneumonia, TB, COPD, asthma, and bronchitis, and other bronchial issues. This is one oil I will never be without, Lord willin’. It is truly my favorite. I ingested and inhaled it with Peppermint when I was dealing with pneumonia and nasal polyps. I believe firmly that it aided in the healing process. I blended it with the Peppermint in equal parts, and inhaled it in the cup of my hands. These two oils combined could possibly help an asthmatic in a situation where an inhaler or nebulizer isn’t an option. I now use the blend daily in place of my rescue inhaler most of the time and have reduced those medical costs significantly. They can be added to a spoonful of honey (1 drop of each), diluted and rubbed onto chest, and inhaled by the hands. I also put the blend onto the back of my tongue to get fast relief. It helped me so much that I was able to decrease my inhaler and nebulizer intake by 3/4ths. I did have to end up also taking a steroid during the worst of it, but the Litsea/Peppermint combo was very helpful (I believe) at killing the problem (infection or virus) that was causing my pneumonia. All flu and colds are also viral. We cannot overlook that more antiviral medication should be available, so here is an option in an emergency or worst case scenario. Here are the other things it has been shown effective at aiding in treating: athlete’s foot, skin tags, stress, eczema, psoriasis, skin infections, skin fungus such as ringworm, indigestion, inflammation, and warts. It’s easy to use on animals as well as humans for all the mentioned above. This is my “go-to” oil for animals. From skin issues, infections fungus, virus, and ringworm to any bronchial issues, this is the animal oil for most of my natural animal husbandry needs. All my new birds get this in their water with honey and vitamin B daily instead of antibiotics. You must change daily if using honey or it could ferment the water and leave them with nothing. So only add honey to animals water if changing daily. I then slowly wean down to weekly use of the Litsea on all birds and then to monthly. *At the first signs of Cocci, I was able to do this and stop an infestation before it started and only the one sick bird was lost. Highly effective at stopping disease and particularly virus in humans or animals! A total MUST for your emergency/first aid kit.
#7- Frankincense
This oil of oils and worker of good things is my ultimate cream topping on the pie. Frankincense (Carterri) has been shown effective for many uses. I would use for any wounds, diluted and combined with Clove oil. The nick name of Frankincense is “Heal All” because of its ability to help restore tissue growth and aid in good cell reproduction while also prohibiting tumor growth. I have, when sick, added it to my fruit smoothies to gain the possible healing effects by getting it into the body. I have seen a difference when I used it and also noticed a bit more energy than before. Sickness time has seemed to be shortened as well. Frankincense is my “go to” when allergies strike. It has been shown to be a calmer and help to block histamine when taken internally or breathed in. It can be dropped into a diffuser or diluted and rubbed onto nose, placed onto back of tongue, or breathed in from cupped hands. It is a main ingredient in my blend called Allergy Stop. It is one I would definitely keep around for any wound care in a first aid kit.
Here is the kit I have put together: Essential 7, The Essential Oil Survival Kit Remember no essential oils should be applied to an open wound without being diluted. Also some people are more sensitive to essential oils than others, so be careful and start out with a very small amount. I am not a trained physician and cannot give any medical advice. I am simply sharing what I would do, what has helped me or what I believe to be helpful to you in a “worst case” emergency type situation and a doctor or vet isn’t able to be reached. It is a good idea to have backup plans, because you never know what might happen, but please do not deny someone you know the ability to see a doctor if it is needed and available. I cannot/will not be held liable for anything you try on your own based on this informative and educational blog post. I hope you found this information helpful.