When my two youngest kids started to cough in the midst of my daugher’s illness I diffused frankincense in their bedroom a few nights.  Thankfully the frankincense was enough to stop the spread of germs, their coughs disappeared and really didn’t turn into anything.

Frankincense has been used for hundreds of years, historically it was first given as a gift to the Christ Child.  It is one of the most valued essential oils and in Ancient Times it was worth more than gold.  It’s most common uses have been as a cough medicine and for asthma, and most recently it’s been included in the Journal of Royal Society Medicine (1991).  It has also been researched for it’s benefits in rejuvenating the skin.  Frankincense is gentle enough for babies, but only if it is the highest Therapeutic Grade like Young Living’s food grade Frankincense (Boswellia Carterri)  and Sacred Frankincense (Boswellia Sacra). Research is finding that the boswellic acid in frankincense is highly anti-inflammatory and blocks  the biosynthesis of leukotriene acids. Boswellic acid can have a positive affect on the body whether it is inhaled for respiratory issues, or applied topically to rejuvenate the skin and soothe arthritic joints.  Not all frankincense, however, contains boswellic acid.  Buyers should beware when shopping for frankincense as there is a great tendency to add fillers and additives to extend the volume of frankincense essential oil.  Boswellia frereana for example, is a species of frankincense that contains no boswellic acid and is only useful for perfumes or fragrance and has no therapeutic benefit.

Young Living offers 2 species of Frankincense, Boswellia Carteri and Boswellia Sacra: Sacred Frankincense.  Boswellia Sacra has higher levels of incensole acetate, found to have anti-anxiety effects.  The Sacra species also has higher levels of Alpha-pinene.  Young Living exclusively distills Boswellia Sacra frankincense from Oman, a region known in the essential oil industry to produce this superior species of frankincense.  Boswellia carteri contains higher levels of limonene, a component found effective against cancer cells.  Both species of frankincense support a healthy immune system and may even repair damaged DNA cells.

Frankincense (Boswellia carteri)            15ml   whsl  $69.75     retail $91.78

Sacred Frankincense (Boswellia sacra) 15ml whls    $89.75     retail $118.09

You can order Young Living oils at wholesale (select Independent Distributor and order a $40 Start Living Kit for lifetime wholesale pricing, and no monthly minimums, enter sponsor #1003003)  or retail (select customer).

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.  I am not a medical doctor, and I’m not prescribing treatment, I’m just a mom trying to keep her kids healthy.  This information is for educational purposes only and is not meant as a substitute for medical advise. If you need medical attention seek the counsel of your doctor.

Farid A. Badria, Eman A. Mohammad, Mohammed K. El-Badrawy, et al (2004). Natural Leukotriene Inhibitor from Boswellia: A Potential New Alternative for Treating Bronchial Asthma. Altern & Comp Therapies. 10 (5) 257-265.

Houssen M, Ragab A, Mesbah A, El-Samanoudy A, Othman G, Moustafa A, Badria F. (2010). Natural anti-inflammatory products and leukotriene inhibitors as complementary therapy for bronchial asthma. Clin Biochem 43 (10-11) 887-890.

Safayhi H, Rail B, Sailer E, Ammon H. (1997). Inhibition by Boswellic acids of Human Leukocyte Elastase. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 281 (1). 460-463.

Ziment I, Tashkin D. (2000). Alternative medicine for allergy and asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 106: 603-614.

The most important steps include frequent hand washings ( Thieves foaming hand sanitizer), washing bed lines and towels (I add a drop of Thieves or Purification essential oil to my laundry soap for extra disinfecting), cleaning my bathrooms with Thieves wipes (you can make your own wipes with Thieves household cleaner and tough paper towels, store them in an old baby wipes container for convenience) and diffusing highly anti-bacterial blends like Thieves, Purification, Christmas Spirit and Frankincense to kill airborne bacteria.    Young Living essential oils are also the most important items in our medicine cabinet.  In fact, we really don’t have anything else in our medicine chest – no ibuprofen, acetaminophen,  or over the counter cough syrups with artificial flavors & colors.  This is what  we use for colds & flu symptoms:

1st onset:  For adults, make up a  capsule of Thieves:  2 drops of Thieves essential oil plus 3-6 drops of lemon in gel cap.  For kids  under 6, a spoonful of agave nectar with 1 drop of lemon essential oil added and 1-2 drops of R.C applied to the bottoms of feet.  Use Thieves hand sanitizer to keep germs from spreading.  Keep mouth clean where germs multiply with Thieves mouthwash.

Cough medicine -  1 tsp agave nectar with 1 drop of lemon essential oil.  For adults add 1 drop Thieves for extra boost. Suck on Thieves lozenges.

Fever – Adults, 3-5 drops peppermint essential oil on each foot.   Repeat as needed until fever is gone.  Children under 7 – Lavender & Frankincense on bottoms of feet or along spine – repeat as needed until the fever is gone.

Sore Throat – 1 tsp agave nectar with 1 drop of lemon essential oil (Lemon essential oil contains many more nutrients and antioxidants than just lemon juice as the essential oil is distilled from the rind – use only food grade lemon essential oil for ingesting) .  For adults and children over 6 add 1 drop of  Thieves oil to the spoonful of lemon/agave nectar.  Thieves lozenges are also helpful.   Gargle with Thieves mouthwash.

Sinus & Chest congestion – R.C. applied to the bottoms of feet, rubbed on the chest or inhaled.  Add a  few drops to bath water and breath deeply.  Frankincense supports the respiratory tract and viruses.  Apply to the chest and throat area on lymph glands.  Place a drop of frankincense on the tongue to fight viruses.  Raven is a Young Living blend made of Ravensara, wintergreen, eucalyptus radiata, lemon and peppermint.   It is especially effective when layered with the R.C blend.  Breathe Again Roll-on is a convenient blend to apply directly to the chest or Vita-Flex points for breathing relief due to cold and asthma.

Cold/Canker Sores – suck on a Thieves lozenge or apply a drop of Thieves essential oil directly to the spot to alleviate pain and speed healing.  Peppermint oil also may help when applied directly.

Headache /body aches – Raindrop Technique, apply peppermint or Panaway on the forehead and temples or  lemon essential oil on the big toe.  Soak in a mineral bath like Ancient Minerals with 3-4 drops of lavender essential oils added.

Vomiting/diarrhea - peppermint essential oil applied to bottoms of feet, on the belly and 1 drop in water to sip.  Children under 6 should not use peppermint oil, instead use Frankincense or ginger essential oil on the feet and belly.  After 1 hour of no vomiting, gradually introduce liquids. Dilute 1 oz. Ningxia Red with 4-5 ounces of water is a gentle way to start adding nutrients.

Inner Defense is a supplement that contains 4 different types of Oregano.  This is highly antibacterial, research shows this blend is as powerful as some antibiotics.  When using Inner Defense, 10-12 hours later take a probiotic likeLife 5.   For example, Inner Defense in the morning, Life 5 at bedtime to replenish healthy intestinal flora.

In addition to some of these suggestion make sure to add some homemade chicken soup, drinking plenty of  high quality fluids, rest and some common sense to ensure a quick recovery.  Always seek the advice of your doctor for serious illness.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are meant for educational purposes only, they are not a substitute for medical care.

I’m sure you know someone who suffers from asthma, maybe even you yourself.  The American Academy of Allergies, Asthma and Immunology found that 70% of asthma sufferers have allergies.  They also stated that 34.1 million Americans will be diagnosed with asthma sometime in their life.  Last fall I became one of those statistics as I experienced the perfect storm resulting in  asthma.  In November after raking some leaves I had a full blown asthma attack.  Combined with a previous history of allergies, stress, lack of sleep, overworking and not fueling my body with optimal nutrients I had the ideal conditions to develop asthma.   Since I am familiar with stress management techniques as a yoga instructor, I quickly retreated to a hot bath with some Eucalyptus essential oils, then went to bed.  This did help alleviate the symptoms at the time, but over the next 2 months I had to work on reducing stress, exposure to allergens (artificial fragrance included) and adding even more nutrient dense raw foods to my diet through gentle daily cleansing.   I’m almost fully recovered, but not totally.  A visit to the bank the other day set me back a bit as I stood in line with someone wearing a strong perfume.  The fragrance filled the room and the minute I breathed it in I began coughing.  I have managed my symptoms with some essential oil blends though my doctor continues to try convincing me to take the standard regiment of asthma inhalers/drugs.  During the couple of visits to my MD it was never suggested that I avoid asthma triggers or allergens.  In the past month I discovered some food allergies that were bringing on these symptoms.  Now I am equipped to avoid allergens and any adverse reactions.  Here are some oils that I’ve used to deal with my asthma symptoms:

Breathe Again Roll-On – a Young Living blend of eucalyptus globulus, peppermint, eucalyptus radiata, copaiba, blue cypress, eucalyptus bicostata and myrtle oil.  This combination of oils are of great support to the respiratory tract.  Several, including copaiba are anti-inflammatory.  Simply apply the roll-on oils to the chest area or VitaFlex points for the lungs on the soles of the feet.  Breathe Again Roll-On is even more effective when you apply Raven essential oil blend afterwards.  Wintergreen essential oil is helpful for opening up the respiratory tract but is a very hot oil.  Always dilute Wintergreen oil, using only 1 drop of essential oil to 5 or 10 drops of a carrier oil.  This blend of oils has worked well for me when I’ve been exposed to airborne or food allergens. 

Lavender essential oil is a natural anti-histamine.  Apply lavender oil (therapeutic grade) directly to the chest, sinuses or on the cheekbones, being careful to avoid the eyes.  Food grade lavender essential oil can also be taken in a capsule as a systemic anti-histamine. Lavender essential oil is excellent for relieving itching, especially when applied directly to the area you need.

RutaVaLa essential oil blend is useful for relaxing the entire body.  This is especially helpful in times of distress.  I have used this blend for asthma brought on by or worsened by stress.   If you’ve ever experienced an asthma attack during difficult circumstances, an argument with someone or other situation you have little control over, RutaVaLa could help reduce symptoms. Just one drop of RutaVaLa applied to the base of my skull was enough to relax my chest and ease my breathing.    

Essential oil Blends that I have found helpful in asthma situations include R.C , Raven (when layered over R.C), Breathe Again Roll-On. 

Single oils that may open up the airways:  eucalyptus globulus, eucalyptus blue, Copaiba, wintergreen, peppermint, myrtle and Idaho balsam fir.  Many oils can help with managing stressful situations which can have a direct impact on asthmatic symptoms:  lavender, chamomile, citrus and tree oils (frankincense, sandalwood, spruce) can be very calming.

I believe our bodies were designed with systems in place to protect us:  pain receptors in the nerves, coughing or sneezing to eliminate bacteria and a fever to fight against germ invaders.  The problem is we have so many substances in our environment that could be causing  these symptoms that we don’t always take the time to find out what the root cause is.  I am motivated to do this, partly because I am stubborn and don’t want to be tied to daily medication.  The FDA has actually urged doctors to hold off on prescribing common daily asthma medications as they have been linked to severe and fatal asthma attacks.   More importantly, I want to clean up my environment because I want to live a life of quality  – wellness, purpose and abundance.

I am seeing results, but it won’t be easy.  I could continue my path of exposure to harmful things in my life and just take the daily meds to mask my symptoms.  For now I’ve chosen the natural route, and I know my family will be healthier too.  I have found a balance of managing stress, providing my body with optimal nutrition, avoiding allergens and using Young Living therapeutic essential oils has helped me eliminate my asthma symptoms. 

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

There are specific essential oils that are helpful for coughs: Eucalyptus Radiata, Eucalyptus Globulus, Ravansara, and wintergreen are especially effective.  Young Living has made a couple of essential oil blends that we use for coughs and colds in the winter.  R.C. is one of the most used oil blends in our home – it has four different kinds of eucalyptus in it  plus peppermint, lavender, cypress and pine essential oils.  At the first sign of a cold or cough, we apply a drop or two to each foot.   Eucalyptus on it’s own can be too potent for children, but when it is combined with more gentle oils of lavender and cypress it is a great choice for kid’s colds & coughs.  For children under 3 dilute a drop with a 1/2 teaspoon of a carrier oil and massage onto the feet.   

Raven is another Young Living blend of ravansara, wintergreen, Eucalyptus radiata, lemon and peppermint essential oils.    The ravansara encourages expectoration and the wintergreen, eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils open up airways.  We find just one application of the oils onto the feet at bedtime is enough to settle a cough for sleep.  For children and those with asthma apply the oils to the soles of the feet.  For adults, massage the oils into the chest, add to bath water or place a drop in a bowl of warm water and breathe deeply.

Alternating application of R.C with Raven may be a powerful remedy with coughs.  Layering the oils increases the synergy between the oils.  For adults, apply 2 drops of R.C. mixed with V-6 oil to the chest area, then 2 drops of Raven on top.  This can also be done on the bottoms of the feet concentrating on the lung area points of reflexology.  I did this just the other week after trying R.C. for a few days, adding the Raven brought me relief within minutes.  I repeated this application, once an hour for 4 hours and finally my chest congestion completely went away.   For children, mix 1 drop of essential oil with a tsp of V-6 carrier oil or olive oil, massage onto the bottoms of feet, cover with cotton socks and rest. 

Drinking plenty of fluids and foods rich in vitamin C are essential to feeling better.  For those with asthma, always apply essential oils to the soles of the feet.  For any persistant cough or difficulty breathing make sure to seek medical care right away.