Cinnamon Oil is Antiseptic

Here's an interesting one: essential oils have antiseptic properties and have such medical uses as hand cleaners in physicians offices to preventing post surgical infections (rather than antibiotics) in hospitals. Intrigued, I googled around on the subject and found a few additional recipes to the Thieves Oil discussed in the Time's article. I made one up using lemon, rosemary, eucalyptus and tea tree oils (12 drops or so each/ 4oz of water in a mister bottle) that I use as a hand sanitizer in my clinic.

The one I made also seems to be keeping the ants out of the kitchen. I mist the counters with the spray. Last year someone some recommended cinnamon for ants, so i got a few 12" sticks and placed them around the kitchen where the ants hang out. It seemed to reduce the population markedly. I got the idea of using the spray from my eco-exterminator who says wintergreen, thyme and rosemary deter insects, especially ants.


Here's a link to the NY Time's article about cinnamon oil's antiseptic uses:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/health/08real.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=%20The%20Claim:%20Cinnamon%20Oil%20Kills%20Bacteria.%20By%20ANAHAD%20O%92CONNOR&st=cse

Here's a video from NBC that shows how to easily make the thieves oil discussed in the Times article:

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/station/as-seen-on/Hand_Sanitizer_-_The_Home_Version_New_York.html

Below is an abstract of one of the studies cited in the Times article.

KB

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WJ1-4WCK090-1&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_rerunOrigin=google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=600f12f33c67850b96579ade8b543ed0

Here's an abstract of the French study, cited in the Times article:

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121385599/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0