Thyme Oil

Thyme oil comes from the perennial herb known as Thymus vulgaris. This herb is a member of the mint family, and it’s used for cooking, mouthwashes, potpourri and aromatherapy.  It’s native to southern Europe from the western Mediterranean to southern Italy. Due to the herb’s essential oils, it has a number of health benefits; in fact, these benefits have been recognized across the Mediterranean for thousands of years. Thyme oil is antiseptic, antibacterial, antispasmodic, hypertensive and has calming properties.
Thyme oil is one of the strongest antioxidants known, and it has been used as a medicinal herb since ancient times. Thyme supports the immune, respiratory, digestive, nervous and other body systems. It’s one of the best essential oils for hormones because it balances hormone levels — helping women with menstrual and menopausal symptoms. It also protects the body from dangerous diseases and ailments, such as stroke, arthritis, fungal and bacterial infections, and skin conditions.
Thyme Plant and Chemical Composition
The thyme plant is a bushy, woody-based evergreen subshrub with small, highly aromatic, gray-green leaves and clusters of purple or pink flowers that bloom in the early summer. It typically grows to be between six to 12 inches tall and 16 inches wide. Thyme is best cultivated in a hot, sunny location with well-drained soil.
Thyme tolerates drought well, and it can even endure deep freezes, as it’s found growing wild on mountain highlands. It’s planted in the spring and then continues to grow as a perennial. The seeds, roots or cuttings of the plant can be used for propagation.
Because the thyme plant is grown in many environments, climates and soils, there are over 300 varieties with different chemotypes. Although they all look the same, the chemical composition is different along with the corresponding health benefits. The chief constituents of thyme essential oil typically include alpha-thujone, alpha-pinene, camphene, beta-pinene, para-cymene, alpha-terpinene, linalool, borneol, beta-caryophyllene, thymol and carvacrol. The essential oil has a spicy and warm aroma that’s powerful and penetrating.
Thyme essential oil contains 20 percent to 54 percent thymol, which gives thyme oil its antiseptic properties. For this reason, thyme oil is commonly used in mouthwashes and toothpastes. It effectively kills germs and infections in the mouth and protects the teeth from plaque and decay. Thymol also kills fungi and is commercially added to hand sanitizers and antifungal creams.
9 Thyme Oil Benefits
1. Treats Respiratory Conditions
Thyme oil drains congestion and cures infections in the chest and throat that cause the common cold or cough. The common cold is caused by over 200 different viruses that can attack the upper respiratory tract, and they’re spread in the air from person to person. Common causes of catching a cold include a weakened immune system, lack of sleep, emotional stress, mold exposure and an unhealthy digestive tract.
Thyme oil’s ability to kill infections, reduce anxiety, rid the body of toxins and treat insomnia without drugs makes it the perfect natural remedy for the common cold. The best part is it’s all natural and doesn’t contain the chemicals that can be found in medications.
2. Kills Bacteria and Infections
Due to thyme components like caryophyllene and camphene, the oil is antiseptic and kills infections on the skin and within the body. Thyme oil is also antibacterial and inhibits bacterial growth; this means that thyme oil is able to treat intestinal infections, bacteria infections in the genitals and urethra, bacteria that builds up in the respiratory system, and heals cuts or wounds that are exposed to harmful bacteria.
A 2011 study conducted at the Medical University of Lodz in Poland tested thyme oil’s response to 120 strains of bacteria isolated from patients with infections of oral cavity, respiratory and genitourinary tracts. The results of experiments showed that the oil from the thyme plant exhibited extremely strong activity against all of the clinical strains. Thyme oil even demonstrated a good efficacy against antibiotic-resistant strains.
Thyme oil is also a vermifuge, so it kills intestinal worms that can be very dangerous. Use thyme oil in your parasite cleanse to treat round worms, tape worms, hook worms and maggots that grow in open sores.
3. Promotes Skin Health
Thyme oil protects the skin from harmful bacteria and fungal infections; it also works as a home remedy for acne; heals sores, wounds, cuts and scars; relieves burns; and naturally remedies rashes.
Eczema, or example, is a common skin disorder that causes dry, red, itchy skin that can blister or crack. Sometimes this is due to poor digestion (like leaky gut), stress, heredity, medications and immune deficiencies. Because thyme oil helps the digestive system, stimulates the elimination of toxins from the body through urination, relaxes the mind and functions as an antioxidant, it’s the perfect natural eczema treatment.
A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition measured changes in antioxidant enzyme activity when being treated with thyme oil. The results highlight the potential benefit of thyme oil as a dietary antioxidant, as thyme oil treatment improved brain function and fatty acid composition in aging rats. The body uses antioxidants to prevent itself from the damage caused by oxygen, which can lead to cancer, dementia and heart disease. A bonus to consuming high-antioxidant foods is that it slows the aging process and leads to healthy, glowing skin.
4. Promotes Teeth Health
Thyme oil is known to treat oral problems like tooth decay, gingivitis, plaque and bad breath. With its antiseptic and antibacterial properties, thyme oil is a natural way to kill germs in the mouth so you can avoid oral infections, so it works as a gum disease natural remedy and cures bad breath. Thymol, an active component in thyme oil, is used as a dental varnish that protects the teeth from decay.
5. Serves as Bug Repellent
Thyme oil keeps away pests and parasites that feed on the body. Pests like mosquitoes, fleas, lice and bed bugs can wreak havoc on your skin, hair, clothes and furniture, so keep them away with this all-natural essential oil. A few drops of thyme oil also repels moths and beetles, so your closet and kitchen are safe. If you didn’t get to the thyme oil quick enough, it also treats insect bites and stings.
6. Increases Circulation
Thyme oil is a stimulant, so it activates circulation; blocked circulation leads to conditions like arthritis and stroke. This powerful oil is also able to relax the arteries and veins — reducing stress on the heart and blood pressure. That makes thyme oil a natural remedy for high blood pressure.
A stroke, for example, occurs when a blood vessel bursts in the brain or a blood vessel to the brain is obstructed, restricting oxygen to the brain. This oxygen deprivation means cells in your brain will die within minutes, and it leads to balance and movement problems, cognitive deficits, language problems, memory loss, paralysis, seizures, slurred speech, trouble swallowing, and weakness. It’s so crucial to keep your blood circulating throughout the body and in the brain because if something devastating like a stroke does occur, you need to seek treatment within one to three hours for it to be effective.
Stay ahead of your health and use natural and safe remedies like thyme oil to increase blood circulation. Thyme oil is also a tonic, so it tones the circulatory system, strengthens cardiac muscles and keeps the blood flowing properly.
7. Eases Stress and Anxiety
Thyme oil is an effective way to bust stress and treat restlessness. It relaxes the body — allowing your lungs, veins and mind to open and keep the body functioning properly. It’s important to stay relaxed and level-headed because constant anxiety can lead to high blood pressure, insomnia, digestive problems and panic attacks. It can be caused by a hormone imbalance, which can be regulated by thyme oil naturally.
Use a few drops of thyme oil throughout the week to reduce anxiety levels and allow your body to thrive. Add the oil to bath water, a diffuser, body lotion or just inhale it.
8. Balances Hormones
Thyme essential oil has progesterone balancing effects; it benefits the body by improving progesterone production. Both men and a lot of women are low in progesterone, and low progesterone levels have been linked with infertility, PCOS and depression, as well as other imbalanced hormones within the body.
Research discussed in the Proceedings of the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine noted that of 150 herbs tested for progesterone production that inhibit the growth of human breast cancer cells, thyme oil is one of the top six to have the highest estradiol and progesterone binding. For this reason, using thyme oil is a great way to naturally balance hormones in the body; plus, it’s far better than turning to synthetic treatments, such as hormone replacement therapy, which can make you dependent on prescription drugs, mask symptoms while developing diseases in other parts of the body and often cause serious side effects.
By stimulating hormones, thyme oil is also known to delay menopause; it also serves as a natural remedy for menopause relief because it balances hormone levels and relieves menopausal symptoms, including mood swings, hot flashes and insomnia.