In the spirit of the do-it-yourself-er and as a salute to the ‘too-frugal-to-buy-it-already-made’, here is how I make my own version of Young Living’s Purification® blend. Their Purification® blend is very nice, but I believe I can achieve a finished product that is just as excellent and save money, too.
I call my version ‘Clean and Fresh’.
The diffuser in the picture above is the one we use. It is fantastic since you can set it for a specific run time or to a heavy, medium or light mist. It comes with 2 amber “quick change” atomizer bottles.
Purification® is simply a blend of essential oils that are known for their specific properties. Anyone willing to research and learn more can make an excellent alternative if you know the properties you desire and a general ratio for mixing. For this one, consider using from the disinfecting essential oils I’ve listed below.
The Properties:
Lemon‘s benefits – antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antirheumatic, anti-malarial, antiparasitic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, detoxifying, digestive, diuretic, laxative, calming, yet stimulating. Uses include: purifying properties in kitchen, bath, and sickroom when used in a diffuser
or in a disinfectant blend.
Rosemary‘s benefits – analgesic, anti-arthritic, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-parasitic, antiseptic, astringent, decongestant, digestive, diuretic, expectorant, fungicidal, restorative, stimulant, tonic. Uses include: calms stress, but stimulates the mind and reflexes, improves memory; fights headaches, migraines, mental fatigue; improves intestinal infections, eases colitis, gas, liver disorders and jaundice; relieves muscle and joint pain; reduces water retention during menstruation; easing congestion in asthma, bronchitis, sinus and whooping cough.
Lavender‘s benefits – analgesic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, deodorant, diuretic, insecticide, sedative, stimulant. Uses include: calming; safe sleep aid; all manners of pain control; regenerates tissues; stops itching and reduces swelling of insect bites and bee stings; works wonders for minor and first degree burns and sunburn to heal fast; reduces scarring; stops bleeding, cleans wounds and kills bacteria in cuts; use topically on eczema and dermatitis; alleviates the symptoms of motion sickness; helps alleviate the symptoms many airborne allergies. Many more too numerous to mention here.
Tea Tree‘s benefits – analgesic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, antiseptic, antiviral, decongestant, deodorant, expectorant, fungicidal, immune stimulant, insecticide. Uses include: a wonderful toothpaste and mouthwash ingredient; heals cold sores/herpes; freshens laundry; treats ringworm; a topical pain reliever; effective on lice; eliminates your dog’s fleas; an effective whole room airborne disinfectant if used in a diffuser or homemade household cleaner; rids of fungus and fungal infections if persistent; soothes cuts, wounds, and minor burns.
Purification® Essential Oil Ingredients:
25 drops lemon essential oil
20 drops rosemary essential oil
20 drops tea tree (aka melaleuca) essential oil
15 drops lavender essential oil
Mix all essential oils together in a dark glass bottle for use in many applications.
The above recipe makes a lovely blend and does not need to be exact; this is just what I do and I like these proportions. Other essential oils that are disinfectant and anti-insect in nature are cloves, lemongrass, citronella and elemi (‘poor man’s frankincense’) among others.
How to use this Purification® Blend:
Diffuse the blend into a sickroom for 15 to 30 minutes every 3 to 4 hours
Add 3-5 drops to your laundry wash cycle – non-staining
Add 2-3 drops of the blend into nebulizer or a pan of simmering water on the stove to neutralize smell of pets, stale smoke and kitchen smells
Add 10-15 drops to 32 oz of water and apply in a spray application to disinfect and cleanse surfaces and freshen face and neck on a hot day or sheets
Mix 3-5 drops in a 1/2 tsp. carrier oil and apply to skin or bandaid
Put on cotton balls in air vents for purifying total room air and repelling insects at home or at work
Caution: NOT to be taken by mouth as tea tree is not for internal use. Keep all essential oils out of reach of children.
The Cost:
Remember, there are 300 drops in 1/2 oz. You can make a lot of batches with this small stash:
1/2 oz. lemon ess. oil is $5.50 (using Plant Therapy prices)
1/2 oz. rosemary ess. oil is $5.25
1/2 oz. lavender is $10.25
1/2 oz. tea tree is $5.75
Purchased from Young Living, the customer price for one bottle (1/2 oz.) of Purification® is $24.67.
Total for 4 essential (1/2 oz.) Plant Therapy oils to make many bottles of my version = $26.75. That is $2.00 more for 4 times more volume of oils. Also, the oils individually have many other valuable uses besides antimicrobial disinfection in a prepper’s medicine chest.
Update: the bottle sizes have changed slightly to 1/3 oz. (from 1/2 oz.) and the prices for both YL and Plant Therapy have gone up since I wrote this, but the savings are still in line.
Do the math!
I have used essential oils for years and am familiar with many of the companies out there; I am not one to just buy exclusively from one essential oil company and have grown to trust Plant Therapy, Aura Cacia, NOW Foods, DoTerra and Young Living essential oils. I just don’t want to pay higher prices than necessary. I also want effective medicine, so my go-to lately has been Plant Therapy.
Since I’m always interested in being prepared for any difficult eventuality, I was happy to learn that essential oils keep for many years when tightly sealed and stored in an amber or cobalt glass bottle in a cool, dark place.
Right now, we are using my favorite diffuser to help mitigate the last traces of mold with my own ‘Robber’ blend, based on YL’s Thieves®. We had to cut out damp, molding drywall in our bedroom after a leak from a shower in an adjoining room. Icky job!!
It can help with mold, but I don’t think it kills mold as some say.
Safety of many EOs:
Many essential oils are tremendously antibacterial, anti-infectious, and antiseptic, yet completely harmless to healthy tissue. In fact, in most cases, they are highly beneficial to healthy tissue – a rare combination. Also, bacterial cannot outsmart essential oils and develop resistance.
“Essential oils are especially valuable as antiseptics because their aggression toward microbial germs is matched by their total harmlessness toward tissue.” ~Jean Valnet, M.D., French surgeon who employed therapeutic essential oils in battlefield situations during WWII.
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