Antiviral essential oils are some of the most powerful and useful essential oils you can have in your medicine cabinet. They help kill germs, viruses, and bacteria in the air and on various surfaces which help keep the spread of cold and flu to a minimum.
Simply adding a few drops of your favorite antiviral essential oil to a diffuser can help alleviate cold and flu symptoms and even help prevent other family members from catching your cold.
The Best Antiviral Essential Oils
Oils high in limonene like grapefruit, orange, tangerine, mandarin, and lemon are considered to be very powerful antiviral essential oils. Melissa essential oil is also known to have some of the most powerful virus-killing constituents and can be added to homemade cleaning products and diffused in the home to help kill viruses in the air and on surfaces.
Below are some of the best antiviral essential oils you can use in your home to mitigate the spread of seasonal illnesses.
Before using these essential oils in the proximity of children, please refer to this article for safety.
- Bergamot (FCF)
- Cinnamon bark
- Clary sage
- Clove
- Eucalyptus radiata
- Galbanum
- Geranium
- Grapefruit
- Hyssop
- Juniper
- Lavender
- Lemon
- Mandarin
- Melissa
- Mountain savory
- Myrrh
- Orange
- Oregano
- Palmarosa
- Pine
- Ravensara
- Rosewood
- Sandalwood
- Tangerine
- Tansy
- Tarragon
- Tea tree
- Thyme
Essential Oil Recipes Using Antiviral Essential Oils
Recommended Blend #1
- 10 drops cinnamon bark
- 10 drops orange
- 10 drops lavender
- 10 drops tea tree
Dilute in a 4 oz spray bottle with water and use it to clean frequently touched surfaces in the home.
Recommended Blend #2
Diffuse in the home 2-3x daily during cold and flu season.
Recommended Blend #3
Add to 1 oz of aloe vera gel and use it as a hand sanitizer.
If you like premade blends, Thieves, On Guard, and Germ Fighter are all amazing blends to consider that have powerful antiviral properties.
What are your favorite antiviral essential oils? Please share in the comments below!
You may also enjoy reading:
Essential Oil Quick Usage Guide
Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Antiviral Essential Oils and How to Use Them
Broad-Spectrum Essential Oil Blend for Cold and Flu
Essential Oils for Boosting The Immune System and Fighting Cold and Flu
12 Must-Have Remedies for Cold and Flu
Oregano Oil Roll-On for Cold and Flu Care
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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
I’m not sure if I have a virus or bacterial infection but I understand oregano oil is good for that. How many drops do I take in water?
Hi, Debby!
What are you dealing with specifically? I wouldn;t take oregano internally unless it is oil OF oregano, not oregano essential oil 🙂
Interested in what the difference is of Oregano EO and Oil of Oregano.
What I do know is that I have a nasty virus that makes you vomit non stop like food poisoning. Doc said all I could do was ride it out and drink fluid.
Put a combo of rose oil and oregano on my feet and chest and within the hour started to feel better. Which when going from living in the bathroom to being able to drink water and soup in the living room, it was like I won the lottery. Wish I had melissa too, but this combo was great and not taken internally. (my stomach would not have been pleased…)
So great to learn about the specifics with antiviral, because I was using all the antibacterial oils and they weren’t doing much… soon as I read this and learned about the limonene properties I was on it and my body is so happy now. Thanks!
Regarding Anti-viral Essential Recipe #1, do you add water or coconut oil to 4 oz. Spray bottle?
Good catch! It’s supposed to be water 🙂