Yesterday I made my first guest post at the Norwegian nature photography and simple living blog Kanelstrand. The post includes an aromatherapy ear drop recipe that I have been using for many years. How simple? It just has 3 ingredients: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Lavender essential oil and Tea Tree Essential oil. Easy DIY: Aromatherapy Ear Drop Recipe | Kanelstrand I will be writing simple home remedy posts at Sonya's blog once a month, and I'll be sure to reshare them here.
During cold damp winter months, it is important to keep your ears covered with a hat or a scarf. Exposure to wind can quickly lead to a chill. When the body is chilled it is more susceptible to infections. This is something that has been understood in Traditional Chinese Medicine for many generations. It is always advised to protect the upper back or "Wind Gate" to avoid wind chills. Also importantly, do not go to bed or send children to bed with wet hair. It is too hard on the body to sleep with wet hair and it can often lead to stuffiness in the ears or head. After swimming one should take care to clear the ears of any water that has gotten stuck. This can be done after swimming by tilting the head to the side and filling the ear with a small amount of rubbing alcohol (Isopropanol) and then lifting the head to let the water drain out. If you are not comfortable using rubbing alcohol, then plain water can also work. Now that you know a few things you can do to prevent ear troubles, what can you make to have on hand just in case for ear aches?
- 1 oz Extra Virgin Olive oil
- 18 drops of pure Lavender* (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil
- 18 drops of pure Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) essential oil
Add Extra Virgin Olive Oil and essential oils to an amber glass bottle. Label the bottle with the ingredients and date and store in a cool dark place out of reach from children. I use this oil around 3-5 times a day if I have an ear ache. If it is cold out, one should warm the oil bottle in the hands first before adding drops to the ear. To apply turn the head to the side, add a few drops of oil to the ear canal until the drops are felt to 'fill' the ear. Put a piece of cotton gently outside the ear to prevent the oil from leaking out. Avoid stuffing a small piece of cotton into the ear canal where it could become stuck.
*It is important to choose pure esentials oils that have not been adulterated or extended for this recipe. There are many disreputable sellers who extend their oils with chemicals. You can test for purity of an essential oil by adding a drop of oil to a piece of paper. After 24 hours there should be no residue visible on the paper.
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