Garlic essential oil : properties, active ingredients, how to prepare it at home and all the advice on the use of garlic essence.
The essential oil of garlic is rich in active ingredients useful to our health. Contains ally disulfide and allipropyl allicin, two substances with proven antibiotic action. The essential oil of garlic (improperly called garlic essence ) is rich in allin (an antiseptic glucoside), allicin, garlicin (an antibiotic substance) and antioxidant substances such as vitamins of group B, C and A.
Essential oil of garlic and allicin
The bad smell of garlic is dictated by the high amount of allicin it contains. Allicin is an organic sulfur compound with proven antibiotic and antifungal effects. Allicin, in garlic, plays a defensive role by protecting this cultivar from parasitic attacks.
All allicina have been attributed properties antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and pressure-modulating (hypotensive, capable of lowering high blood pressure). It is good to specify, however, that allicin does not resist in an acidic environment, therefore, once it reaches the level of our stomach, the gastric juices deactivate it. High temperatures also invalidate the properties of allicin. Despite this, garlic essential oil , thanks to the presence of allicin, can be used for the natural care of the garden and balcony plants.
Garlic essential oil, properties and benefits
The essential garlic oil is obtained from Allium Sativum (common garlic) . It is popular for its properties antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral.
The essential oil of garlic is highly concentrated and for this reason we do not recommend its intake. For external use, garlic essential oil can be useful for the well-being of skin and hair and help us treat various ailments.
Garlic essential oil against corns and warts
The essential oil of garlic can be useful for eliminating corns and warts.
Just dilute 5 drops of garlic essential oil in a tablespoon of sweet almond oil to apply on the callus or wart and cover with a gauze pad. Leave it on overnight.
Garlic essential oil against hair loss
Garlic improves hair and scalp health. It strengthens the roots and stimulates the growth of new hair. For hair care, you can dilute 7 drops of garlic essential oil in a tablespoon of avocado oil . For a better effect you can make wraps with:
- a tablespoon of avocado oil
- 5 drops of garlic essential oil
- 5 drops of cedar essential oil
DIY garlic essential oil
The garlic essential oil is extracted from the cloves (the same ones we use in the kitchen) with an extraction technique known as steam distillation . It is possible to prepare garlic essential oil at home by applying this method.
For all the details on how to produce essential oils at home with the steam distillation method, please refer to the dedicated page: steam distillation. This technique is not for everyone, as we explained on the dedicated page, to perform it at home it is necessary to have a pressure cooker specially modified at the level of the valve to be able to convey the vapors containing the active ingredients of garlic.
If DIY garlic essential oil seems difficult to make at home, don’t worry, you can get an equally good garlic extract.
How to prepare it? Here’s what you need:
- 350 g of clean and finely ground
garlic The garlic should be ground or pounded in a mortar - 200 ml of alcohol at 96 °
Dip the minced garlic in the alcohol and leave to macerate for 10 days in the refrigerator. On the eleventh day, filter everything and let the liquid rest for 48 hours, always at low temperatures (in the fridge). This garlic extract can be taken to fully exploit the beneficial properties of ease, the extract is taken in drops to be diluted in water.
The extract is useful in case of flu, cough and to relieve seasonal ailments.
Garlic essential oil, where to buy it
Because of its bad smell, garlic essential oil is not very easy to find in health food stores. You can find it in the most well-stocked natural shops or by taking advantage of online sales.
