Notes on eucalyptus
I’m learning about the usefulness and versatility of eucalyptus oil. ‘Eucalyptus’ is derived from the Greek ‘eukalyptos’ meaning ‘well covered’, which seems appropriate.
It can be used to relieve muscle pain and strain, including pain from rheumatism, in baths and massage oils.
It can be used in diffusers, baths or massage oils to relieve symptoms of cold, flu, asthmas, bronchitis, headaches and sinusitis. (It is used in very small quantities in medicinal cough remedies, but eucalyptus oil can be toxic when ingested, so please use approved remedies under the advice of an expert and don’t experiment with this at home!)
It is an antiseptic and can be used locally on wounds, sores, insect bites, and rashes. It can even be used as an air disinfectant in room sprays.
In aromatherapy, it is known for giving a sense of balance, calming the nervous system and increasing concentration and vitality. This is one very versatile oil! I’m furiously copying remedies to try in my journal and will post more here as I have a chance to use them.
My mom would have some eucalyptus leaves and boil them. The steam was so powerful it helped us to heal when we had colds.
I love the smell of eucalyptus, so refreshing!!! I should grow some here but it would probably die with our weather here…
Wen-nice that you had access to the leaves! I can imagine the steam really helped! If you have the oil, you can use it with a diffuser. I also heard that you can put a few drops on a piece of cotton inside a pillowcase to sleep on when you are under the weather…
Talina, I would also like to grow some here, maybe as a bonsai tree…I wonder if I could still use the leaves… My gardening successes are somewhat sporadic…