Antimicrobial Essential Oil Blend for Air Care Recipe

Application:

• Designed to be used in an oil diffuser.

• Cinnamon Leaf Oil has an earthy, sweet, woody and spicy aroma. The leaf contains a much higher level of the antimicrobial active Eugenol than the bark oil which is why we have chosen it in this blend. Eugenol is also present in Clove oil and is key in the ability of these oils to fight mould. This naturally occurring aroma chemical has also been found active against some viruses including herpes although cosmetic and general air-care products cannot legally make antiviral claims without testing and registration.
   
• Clove Leaf is a sweet, spicy oil and has been chosen in this blend for its general antimicrobial power. This oil can be swapped for Clove Bud which typically has slightly higher levels of Eugenol but we have chosen the leaf oil for this blend as it has a wider skin safety margin than Clove Bud oil due to the absence of methyl eugenol as standard. If you are formulating this for non-skin contact then swapping to the Clove Bud would give slightly higher efficacy.
   
• Lemon Myrtle oil is a sweet, fizzy, fresh and uplifting aroma chosen for its positive effect on mood and feelings of cleanliness. The oil contains a high percentage of citral, an aroma chemical that while potentially irritating to the skin if applied in high levels, has proved to be a very safe antimicrobial active.
   
• Lavender Angustifolia can smell herby and fresh through to honey-like and sweet. Lavender is a well-tolerated essential oil with broad antimicrobial properties which can be attributed to its Linalool and Linalyl Acetate concentrations. In this blend, this oil provides an attractive aroma and a general antimicrobial efficacy.
   
• Eucalyptus is well known for its powerful antimicrobial properties but some Eucalyptus varieties including the most well-known, Eucalyptus Globulus can smell quite medicinal and therefore less attractive for general air care. In this blend we've chosen our Organic Blue Gum oil for its sweet, honey-like fresh aroma. Eucalyptus's antimicrobial properties are generally attributed to its high 1,8-Cineole (Eucalyptol) concentration and Blue Gum ranks highly in that regard.
   
• Carrot Seed oil has quite a pungent, earthy aroma that grounds and rounds out the aroma characteristics of this blend. This oil is powerfully antimicrobial and has some anti-viral capacity thanks to its Carotol and Alpha Pinene concentration.
   
• Rosemary oil is well known for its antimicrobial properties and in this blend, it also brings a green, herby freshness. The wide range of antimicrobial aroma chemicals found naturally in Rosemary contribute to its broad efficacy.

Equipment:

• Accurate Scales that can measure to 0.01 decimal places if weighing blend.
• Suitable sized glass container
• Small metal spoon or spatula for mixing
• Tamper evident bottles and labels for storage.

Instructions:

• Weigh or measure ingredients into a glass beaker and stir well. Carefully pour
• Carefully pour into your amber bottles.
• Label and seal.

Directions For Use:

• Add 7-10 drops to an oil burner or diffuser. The blend can be diluted 1-part blend to 3 parts carrier oil if preferred.
• This blend can also be turned into a spritz for air care by combining with a suitable solubiliser (try polysorbate 20 at 3 times more solubiliser than essential oil blend to start), then make up to 100% with water, alcohol and preservative. Alternatively, dilute blend to 1% or less for skin care balms.

Storage:

• Keep away from direct light, moisture or oxygen (don't fill bottles ½ full, best to fill to the top and store full). If using for skin care, addition of 0.5% vitamin E will help reduce the chance of oxidation. For air care this is less important.