History lessons have already informed you that the first Olympic Games made their appearance in ancient Greece. However, what you might not know is that the athletes who were competing during those times actually took garlic as a form of medication to increase their stamina levels for exercise!

Today, garlic is commonly used as a form of spice for cooking, but before it became famous for spices, it was used for medicinal purposes because of its healing properties. This is because garlic essential oil is actually one of the strongest natural antioxidants and antibacterials out there in the market!

It is a strong medicinal tool used to combat various types of infections. As such, it tremendously strengthens your immune system. Here are some of the top benefits of using garlic essential oil!

Benefits of Garlic Essential Oil:

1. To Combat Colds and Flu

Due to the presence of a chemical compound called Allicin, garlic essential oil has very strong antibacterial and antiviral properties. It also has decongestant and expectorant properties. With the presence of such properties, garlic essential oil can tremendously help in preventing and curing the common cold viruses that can attack you out of nowhere, and combat various respiratory infections such as bronchitis. It offers relief and allows mucus to flow out of the respiratory system more easily and smoothly.

Studies have shown that the viruses which cause these common ailments are no match for garlic. In fact, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a study was carried out whereby people either took garlic supplements or placebo for 12 weeks during the cold season. It was found that those who took garlic were more resistant to the colds and flu while those who took placebo were not so resistant. And when they actually got a cold, those who took garlic were cured faster than those who took placebo.

As a result, garlic essential oil offers a tremendous boost to your immune system. With its antioxidants, it fights off free radicals that cause ageing and wards off infections, making you healthy and more resistant to various types of infections.

2. To Combat Skin Infections

As garlic essential oil has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agents, it offers a very natural yet beneficial remedy for skin infections. Garlic essential oil can treat athlete’s foot, jock itch, warts and various fungal infections. It can also be used to treat psoriasis, which is a common skin disorder characterized by dry and scaly skin, that affects more than 6 million people in the US alone!

In addition to treating various skin infections, garlic essential oil can also help in clearing acne and other blemishes. This is because it can kill off any bacteria festering on your skin and when combined with its anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidant properties, garlic essential oil can effectively mitigate the growth of the pimple, and treat the resulting acne scars.

3. To Combat Ear Infections

Garlic oil has been the go-to remedy for various kinds of ear infections for centuries! And true enough, it works because of its antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, it is even better than antibiotics because antibiotics do not actually kill off viruses, which are the main agents of ear infections instead of bacteria. More often than not, children are prescribed with antibiotics to fight off ear infections but they do not work as effectively when compared to this all-natural remedy of using garlic essential oil!

4. To Combat Mouth Infections

The mouth is one of the main sites of bacteria, making it extremely vulnerable and prone to numerous kinds of infections, ranging from toothaches to swollen gums. Yet, it is important to keep it clean and infection-free since it is one of our main tools of communication. As such, garlic essential oil can help as it is able to combat various kinds of mouth infections with its antibacterial properties. However, caution must be taken to never ingest the garlic essential oil when applying it onto the affected area within your mouth cavity.

How to Use Garlic Essential Oil:

• For common colds, you can mix a drop of garlic essential oil with a teaspoon of vegetable oil to create a massage blend that can be applied onto your spine, chest and stomach area to ease the cold or flu symptoms.

• For a respiratory blend to prevent respiratory infections, you can mix 30ml of a carrier oil, 3 drops of eucalyptus essential oil and 3 drops of garlic essential oil together. Proceed to apply it onto the chest area when suffering from a bout of infection. You can also apply a small amount on the forehead area.

• For skin infections, a few drops of garlic essential oil can be added to warm water to remove the itch and improve the condition caused by these fungal infections. Alternatively, you can mix 60ml of sweet almond oil, 10 drops of garlic essential oil and 5 drops of lavender essential oil to create a soothing blend for nail fungus and athlete’s foot and apply on the affected area 2-3 times per day until the skin infection goes away.

• For acne and pimple scars, you can apply a drop of garlic essential oil to a mud pack.

• For ear infections, you can blend 1 teaspoon of olive oil (or any other vegetable, unrefined oil) with 2 drops of garlic essential oil and pour 2-3 drops of this blend into the ear.

• For mouth infections, you can blend 1 drop of garlic essence with 1 teaspoon of coconut or olive oil and rinse your mouth with the mixture, while being careful not to swallow it. After that, spit it out and brush as per normal. Alternatively, if you suffer from toothache, you can pour a drop of garlic essential oil that is mixed with a carrier oil onto a cotton ball and press it onto the infected area for pain relief.

Safety Precautions:

• Garlic essential oil oxidises at a rapid rate, hence, it is important that the oils should be used as fast as possible after opening. It is advised to use it within 1-2 weeks to prevent contamination of the essential oils such as salmonella or botulism, which can be harmful for you.

• Never apply garlic essential oil in its undiluted forms topically onto the skin as it is highly concentrated and can cause major skin irritations. Be sure to keep it away from your eyes, ears, nose or mouth when it is in its concentrated form.

• After dilution of garlic essential oil with a carrier oil, be sure to do a skin patch test first and leave it on for at least a day to ensure you are not sensitive or allergic to garlic essential oil.

• Always seek the advice of a medical personnel before using garlic essential oil as a natural remedy for your various ailments.

• Do not use garlic essential oil when pregnant or when nursing, and it is not recommended for children who are below 6 years old due to its high concentration.

• Garlic essential oil can potentially cause reactions when it is used together with anticoagulant or other heart medications. Consult your doctor first before using garlic essential oil.

• Do not ingest garlic essential oil internally.