Did you know that all essential oils are to some degree antibacterial? Some even have a combination of antibacterial, anti fungal, and antiviral properties that can help us stay healthy and fight off infection. Since we live in an environment that is essentially covered in microbes, I thought it prudent to include a post about the best essential oils that have these properties.
In order to best defend yourself against germs, you must first know what you’re up against. There are two main types of microbes we come into contact on a daily basis – gram positive and gram-negative bacteria. This topic can get complicated really quick, so suffice to say that the difference between the two types has to do with whether or not the cell wall has a single or double layer. This is important for Doctors to know as it strongly determines which antibiotic will work against that strain. This is also true for essential oils.
An essential oil may be labeled as “antibacterial” but that doesn’t mean it will be effective against all strains of bacteria. However, the great thing about essential oils is they can be mixed unlike pharmaceuticals. This means you have a better chance at killing off as many different types of bacteria as possible whereas if you mixed antibiotics – well, it might not go so well!
The utter complexity of the compound that make up different essential oils is enough to give us a very distinct advantage. Synergistically blending essential oils together will only enhance its effectiveness.
Of course, we may never have the technology at home to determine the exact microbe attacking us, but if you feel like you have a bacterial infection, a virus, or a fungal infection, use essential oils with those opposing actions.
If you have no idea what’s affecting you, I suggest having a few of the oils below on hand as a mean for broad spectrum control.
Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Antiviral Essential Oils and How to Use Them
Below is a table of 56 common essential oils that have either antibacterial, anti fungal, or antiviral properties (or a combination of these).
How to Use Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Antiviral Essential Oils for Health and Wellness
Baths
Adding a few drops of essential oil to bubble bath, bath salts, or bath oil before filling the tub is a great way to absorb essential oils through osmosis and inhalation. Choose essential oils that are specific to what you need and enjoy the soothing aroma of the oils as they go work on cold and flu symptoms.
A few good essential oils for baths include peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, lemon, and tea tree. Be careful when using hot essential oils.
Body Oil
Infusing a carrier oil with the power of essential oils is a great way to up immunity and protect your health after a hot bath or shower. Choose a few specific essential oils for your needs from the table above and add them in the appropriate amounts to 1oz of carrier oil. You can see the proper dilutions for over 400 essential oils HERE to help you determine the correct amount needed. Typically, 30 drops of non-hot essential oil is fine in 1oz of carrier oil. Hot essential oils are oils like oregano, cinnamon, clove, ginger, black pepper, etc.
Before bedtime, apply the infused carrier oil to arms, legs, back, and torso for best results.
Body Spray
Adding antibacterial, anti fungal, and antiviral essential oils to a spray is another great way to keep microbes to a minimum. You can spray your hands with it, disinfect surfaces, and even kill airborne germs when sprayed throughout a room. They’re also convenient as the spray can be small and easily carried in a purse or pocket.
Add 30 drops of essential oil (taking care with hot oils) to 1oz of water. Shake well before use.
Diffused
This is one of my favorite methods to use during illness to help keep others protected from catching a cold when someone in the family is sick. The airborne essential oils help kill off germs, freshen the air, and boost the immunity of those who are breathing the aroma of the oils.
Some great essential oils to use for this include eucalyptus, clove, orange, lavender, and cinnamon leaf.
Inhalation
Adding a single drop of diluted essential oil to the palm of your hand, rubbing your hands together, and then cupping your face while inhaling deeply is a great way to use the airborne antibacterial properties of essential oils.
This is especially useful on flights and in other cramped spaces where there is little airflow to help cleanse sinuses and lungs.
Alternatively, you can add a drop of straight essential oil to a tissue and inhale from it.
Some good oils for this method include eucalyptus, tea tree, niaouli, ravensara, and ravintsara.
Topically, Mixed in Raw Honey
When dealing with a bacterial or fungal infection, adding a single drop of essential oil to a teaspoon of honey and then applying it to the affected area is a great way to kill of germs. Raw honey is also an excellent wound healer in and of itself so pairing it with potent essential oils will help your body overcome resilient infections.
As a side note, you can apply plain raw honey to the wound itself and essential oil infused honey around the wound but not in it.
You can also mix a single drop of essential oils in 1 teaspoon of aloe vera gel for fungus infections and acne legions.
What have been your favorite antibacterial, anti fungal, and antiviral essential oils? Please share in the comments below!
This post contains affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Please read my full disclosure and disclaimer. 
Lover of all things natural, Tash grew up in the mountains of San Diego with her bare feet on the ground and a love for nature. She enjoys reading epic fantasy, blogging, and making her own remedies. Be sure to check out her other blog
Really apprecieate reading all the informed and succinct, kind and caring answers!
This has been a great comfort to me .The comments are great as well as the quick responses Cathleen
One of my relative girl aged 25 issuffering from infection on her palm and feet . Two of the nail bed has also infected. The anti fungal treatment has given some relief. She has this problem for last two years.
Using ointments and tablets for 7 months.
Her ASO is 240 and ESR is just 8. Nopain in joints or inflamation . Which oil is best and what is the solution..
hello, my name is Steve Marell and I have been fighting strep for 6 years what oils can i use to eradicate this fungal infection?
Hi Steve!
So sorry to hear about your struggle! Are you under the care of a doctor?
See a doctor but gargling with seasalt or himalayan brine and water will always be helpful several times a day starting in the morning.
My granddaughter has been on antibiotics for strep seven times since the end of August. She takes a good vitamin and pro/pre-biotics daily. A couple of days after she has finishes the rx, she starts feeling poorly again (missing school, which she loves!, parties, dance lesson and recitals so we know this is physical and not emotional ), and then we start all over again. After going to several specialists and her pediatrician many times, two of them agree it is viral, that maybe it is not really strep ( although she has always tested positive ) and she needs to go to pain management and physical therapy ( for joint pain ). The doctors have said they are seeing many children with the same symptoms, but can give us no real treatment plan. She had a raindrop massage and we intend to do this weekly as long as we can. I have made several roll-ons and she uses a diffuser with thieves and rc ( young living anti-everything oils! ) What am I missing?? What would you recommend for an 8 yr. old, 80 lbs? I would appreciate any assistance you could give me. Thank you!
That’s a tough one, especially for a young child!
Is she under a lot of stress? Is she just doing too much without noticing? I only ask because I just wonder if her immunity is impaired somehow since the virus returns after she is off the antibiotics. I would look into the possibility that she needs a bit more immune support and some good rest 🙂 The essential oils you are using are all great, but she may need something like elderberry, echinacea, garlic, ginger, etc. Gargling with salt water or diluted colloidal silver would also help!
My son had a ton of ear, nose and throat problems. We ended up getting his tonsils out. The doctor said they were horribly infected. He stopped having problems after that.
That’s really good! Sometimes you just have to remove the issue itself to find relief. Glad he’s doing better!
Has she been tested for Lyme? Symptoms sound very similar even if you don’t live in an obviously tick-infected area. If that’s the case, the immune support that Tash suggested might be great-
Strep throat is caused by group A streptococcus bacteria and is occasionally misdiagnosed in place of bacterial meningitis. In addition to a sore throat, symptoms include nausea, headache, and fever.
Please read up on this topic.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.weisspaarz.com/birth-injury/group-b-strep-bacterial-meningitis/amp/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.medicalmalpracticehelp.com/lawyer/misdiagnosis/neurological/bacterial-meningitis/amp/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foxnews.com/health/meningitis-what-all-parents-need-to-know.amp
God bless,
Tanya
Which oils have the highest anti viral properties? I was told by my homeopath yesterday that I have virus H that was giving me the worst headache of my life and the virus was also attached to the nerve that was making my diaphragm spasm giving me panic attacks. She rubbed 3-4 oils up and down my spine and I instantly felt my headache decrease in half and the panic attacks ceased altogether. What oils may she have used?
Hi Andrea!
I’m not sure which oils she used but they sounds amazing! Perhaps you can reach out to her and ask? Some of the most antiviral oils are cinnamon bark and oregano but they need to be very highly diluted.
Andrea, did you discover what oils she used? I have been battling a headache/migraine for 3 weeks. It started a couple weeks after having the stomach flu and I am looking hoping to find some relief by approaching the viral angle. Thanks in advance!
Hello, I have not gotten my diffuser yet, and am a total newbie here, but can I diffuse the same essential oil all winter to keep out/kill flu? I want to use Thieves which contains several that are antiviral apparently!! I think it has Eucalyptus, Clove, Cinnamon & a couple others. Also I notice you don’t recommend Frankincense as an anti viral, but sure thought I’d read somewhere else that it was!?
Thanks,
Hi Donna!
The species that was most antiviral is actually quite rare – Boswellia papyrifera. Frankincense serrata has some antiviral properties, but many other oils are much stronger antivirals 🙂
Hello
I am familiar with gram negative and gram positive bacteria. Which oils are good for fighting gram negative bacteria as they can be a challenge! Do you have a list of which oils fight gram negative and positive? Or could you suggest the best one to fight gram negative and the best to fight gram positive?
Hi Nikki!
Here is a great study on the effect of essential oils on pathogenic bacteria. For gram-negative bacteria, it appears that cinnamon bark and clove are particularly effective. For gram-positive bacteria you can use thyme, rosemary, and eucalyptus as well as the clove and cinnamon bark 🙂
I am so excited to try some of these oils out. I have struggled with a weak immune system for years. Hopefully this site is the answer to my prayers. You did a great job on this article. I look forward to reading more of your work.
Best of luck on your EO journey! 😀 Thank you for the lovely comment!
Hi Tash what blend of oils would you recommend for persistent molloscum, it’s a skin virus I’ve been dealing with for 4 years and so far I’ve been unsuccessful in treating it. Thank you so much for this interesting read, i am looking at going to college next year learning about aromatherapy myself as i find it really interesting. Thank you.
Hi Lucy!
I would recommend applying topical colloidal silver to the bumps at least twice daily. You can also apply oregano oil (diluted – 6 drops per 1 oz of carrier oil. I would use coconut oil) twice daily which should help clear up the molluscum in a couple of weeks. The key is consistency!
Best of luck on your aromatherapy studies! It’s such a rewarding subject 🙂
2 of my children have had molescum. Your immune system has to be strong to fight it off. I struggled with it for 6 months with my son, and then after putting him on a probiotic, it healed up in two weeks! i was also putting theives on his feet. My daughter got it next. put her on a probiotic right away and the spots got smaller within three days of starting the probiotic. you must strengthen your immune system to fight it off!
Hi Tash, I was wondering if you have any essential oil suggestions for fungal nail problems please. I’d like to prepare something to cure my mum’s toenail fungal problem which has been persistent no matter what treatment she uses
Hi Beatriz!
The best essential oils for toenail fungus include: tea tree, cypress, lemongrass, lavender, thyme, mountain savory, and melissa. Be sure to dilute these before use as some of them are rather strong oils. i encourage you to read my post on how to get rid of fungal infections HERE for more tips 🙂
Great quick rference information for essential oils. LOVE LOVE LOVE this site!
Thank you!! 🙂 🙂
This must have taken a lot of work to compile. Thank you.
You’re very welcome Robin! 🙂
I really appreciate all the work you guys did. But there are some errors in the information. For an example Ravintsara is well known based on many studies that it is antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal. But at the information it says no at antifungal. The same goos for Frankincense and some others.
Great blog on essential oils! One of the best I’ve read! Well done!
Thank you so much Margaret! It means so much! <3 🙂