DIY Thieves Oil Blend for Wellness and Home

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You've probably heard of the amazing benefits and the legend of THIEVES® or Four Thieves oil, right? Well now you can easily make your own DIY Thieves® Oil Blend to have this powerhouse oil around anytime!

essential oil bottle with rosemary and cinnamon for DIY Thieves® Oil Blend

With all the concerns about germs and antibiotic resistant bugs these days, this essential oils blend is quite the rage.

See, the "bugs" mutate and become resistant to standard medications, but from what I've read they don't do the same for natural remedies, like essential oils.

That's good news for us "crunchy folk."

NOTE: I do not use Young Living Oils any longer.
You can go here to find out why and to see what company's oils I am using now.)

When I first was talking with someone about using essential oils (I thought the whole topic was a bunch of hocus pocus, by the way), the woman whom I was talking with kept saying something that sounded like "Feeves."

We had a not so great phone connection, I guess.

I was pretty confused, so I finally had to ask.

Me: What do you keep saying--"Feeves?"

Other woman: "Thieves," she said. "T-H-I-E-V-E-S."

Me:  Oh.  Uh--what's that?

She then told me a story about essential oils. That apparently, back during the time of the Black Plague, thieves would go to places where the dead bodies were and they would steal goods off of the corpses. But to protect themselves from the super-contagious plague grossness, they would put a blend of oils or spices on themselves.

Supposedly the THIEVES® blend by Young Living oils was made to mimic the germ-killing blend.

Now, I don't know if this is all true or not.

There are plenty of folks who claim it's true--and many who claim it isn't.

I suspect that there is some truth to it.

Regardless, we've used several similar blends, and we have been pleased with the results of most of them. Honestly, however, I like this DIY blend better than one of the big name blends that I tried.

I'm always trying to figure out how to making things cheaper. I'm kinda the DIY-it-if-you-can Queen. Hubby says I have this characteristic "Happy Grin" when I figure out a way to save our family money with a DIY version of anything. I think it started when I first made Dairy-Free Milk Substitutes when we were first married. (You can check out Easiest Coconut Milk and Easiest Almond Milk for those recipes if you like :).)

So--enter my version of this blend....My Homemade Antibacterial Oil Blend.

Simple to make. Just as effective. Cheaper than buying a blend already blended. (You're basically getting paid for doing the mixin' yourself. In these troubling financial times, I'll take the savings anyway I can [within reason, of course!].)

I love making Essential Oils Blends like this Purify Blend, Essential Oils Breathe Blend, and these Essential Oils for Energy.

amber essential oil bottles with rosemary and cinnamon sticks for DIY Thieves® Oil Blend post

How to Use this Homemade Thieves® Blend

Following are ideas that I have read about or personally used.  Of course, with the medical uses, I am not a medical practitioner, nor do I pretend to be one.  But these are uses I have heard about or ways that I have personal experience with myself.

Again, some of the oils in this blend are "hot" and can burn.  Please dilute with a carrier oil before applying directly to the skin.

1.  For sickness - diffuse in the air or use topically, remembering to dilute with a carrier oil if using topically.

2.  House cleaning

3.  As a mouthwash

4.  Dental issues - I have occasionally swished with 1-2 teaspoons of coconut oil with about 4 drops of antibacterial oils added to address dental concerns.

5.  Wound Healing

I hope to share some recipes in the not-too-distant future, so make sure you are subscribed to my email feed. You wouldn't want to miss that, now would you :)?

Where to Buy the Ingredients

1. Oils:

Essential Oils are sold all over the place. I personally left the 2 big Direct Sales companies and went with Rocky Mountain Oils after a lot of investigating. A lot. As in--Going to lose my mind if I have to call another company lot.

You can check out Rocky Mountain here. Their oils are top notch and they are very helpful people.

If you don't feel like making your own blend, here is their Immune Blend. I like it quite a bit and a local friend of mine has used it successfully to fight off numerous sinus infections.

You can read my series, "Which Essential Oils Company is Best?" here. It's really fascinating--and things get pretty dicey in the comments so get a cuppa (I recommend my Rich and Nutritious Won't-Mess-with-Your Adrenals Coffee Substitute with a splash of coconut milk and stevia (and a little cocoa if you're feeling adventurous) and sit down to read them. I guarantee you'll learn a lot.

2.  Bottles:

For the bottles, you can use an old essential oil bottle like I did, or you can head over to Amazon and get an amber dropper bottle like this one there.

Safety Notes

Eucalyptus Oil -

Under age 3: Can be diffused or applied topically up to .5%.
Age 3-6 - Can be diffused or applied topically up to 1%.

Cinnamon and Clove Oils -

These are "hot" oils and as such care should be taken when applying them topically.
Note - this safety information is up to date as of the update of this post. Please consult with an aromatherapist to make sure that new developments have not been determined.

There are a variety of recommendations for dilution of these oils for safety, but one recommendation is to dilute Cinnamon to .07% or (rounded to) .1% max and Clove to .5% max.

diy thieves oil with rosemary and cinnamon on a yellow green surface

DIY Thieves® Oil Blend

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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add oils, one by one, to your container of choice. (I used an old essential oil bottle that used to hold one of the oils in this blend.)  You can purchase blue cobalt bottles here, which are thought by some to be the preferred glass for storing essential oils.
  • Shake bottle and use as desired.
  • Use this blend properly diluted with a carrier oil.

Notes

1.  Eucalyptus oils have a component that is poisonous. According to this, you would need to ingest 3.5 ml of the oil to be fatal.  So for sure keep these oils out of the reach of children.  For safety reasons, Eucalyptus Citriodora might be the best choice to use in this blend though the big oils companies use Eucalyptus Radiata in theirs. Make sure to read the labels on your essential oils bottles carefully before using.
2.  This oil blend is hot. It can burn sensitive skin, or throat lining, etc. Use with caution and dilute appropriately.  I encourage you to do your own research to find out what dilution works best for you.  This Fractionated Coconut Oil is the most used oil for blending of essential oils.
3.  According to current research, essential oils should not be used topically on children 2 and under.  Also, due to its high 1,8 Cineole constituent, Eucalyptus radiata should not be used on children who have chronic respiratory issues.  This blend is usually considered a "hot" blend and as such should always be diluted for topical use.
Tried this recipe?Mention @wholenewmom or tag #wholenewmom!

More Essential Oils Resources

Interested in making More Essential Oils Blends? Aromatherapy: A Holistic Guide to Natural Healing with Essential Oils has a bunch of recipe blends for health and beauty to get you on your way.

This book is really great.  It has a reference guide, very useful blends that work, and it's user-friendly.

Plus, the oils used in the blends are readily available so you aren't going to be going on a wild goose chase trying to find specialty oils that almost no one carries.

Aromatherapy: A Holistic Guide to Natural Healing with Essential Oils

Free Essential Oils Report and VIP Newsletter Access

Also, if you go and grab my Free Report on 10 Things to Know About Essential Oils Before You Buy, you will not only get more myth-busting essential oils information, but you'll get access to my VIP newsletter as well–complete with updates, great healthy living offers, of course new posts on essential oils, and more.

10 things you need to know about essential oils report in ipad

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287 Comments

  1. Hello! I know you have researched quite a few Essential Oil companies in the past. Did you ever look into Plant Therapy? I recently discovered them and was going to try one of their KidSafe blends for germs, but I haven't seen many in-depth reviews. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi there. I did look into them. I will be writing more about purity and other things soon so stay tuned. Hopefully a new post will be out today.

      Reply

  2. Hi there! I discovered Rocky Mountain Oils about a year ago. I highly recommend them also! I also recommend Butterfly Oils. They have written several books. Not only one on Oils but also one about Herbs. They are very knowledgeable about both and carry some herb products on their website. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

    Reply

  3. Hi I made a homemade hand sanitizer using a recipe I found online which is just Witch Hazel, Thieves and water but it turned white after sitting for a few days. Any idea why this happened and if it is still safe to use?

    Reply

    1. I would be very careful with anything that is a water base not having a synthetic preservative from what I have been learning. I would not use it. I'll be writing more on this in the near future hopefully.

      Reply

  5. How can I make this thieves blend into an actual cleaner? Add some water and castile soap? It seems there needs to be something to get the oils to mix with water, and I think there would need to be something to help with greasy spots?
    otherwise, I'm looking forward to using this blend to stave off winter colds and flu.
    BTW, thanks for all your research and info.

    Reply

    1. Hi there. There are a number of recipes online for proportions for this. Yes, an emulsifier would be needed. The cleaner you are referring to has surfactants which act as emulsifiers as well. You are so welcome - more to come!

      Reply

  7. i read your information about the oils. I know they work. The only thing is they are so expensive . I too used Young Living Essential Oils, but am happy to know there is another company that's not as expensive. I looked at the information for mixing your own oils following instructions and i think i will save a little, as i continue to invest in my health. Once again ...thank you.

    Reply

  8. Hi Adrienne
    First, THANKS for all the research you have done and shared!
    I'm reposting this question because I cannot find my original post from September 23.
    I take Thieves oil internally, and I'm running out of it. I've lost my original supplier and don't want to go directly to Young Living or DoTerra.
    I have two questions:
    1. Have you found that RMO Immune Strength works as well as Thieves, and is there any reason I can't take it internally as I already do with the Thieves?
    2. I am inclined to follow your recipes using RMO oils. Do you find it works as well as Thieves, and can I leave out the optional 20 drops of other oils since aroma is not an issue?
    Thanks much!
    Deb

    Reply

    1. Hi there. You are so welcome. More to come!

      I do not recommend taking oils internally without the guidance of a medical professional or naturopath.

      Internal use is a concern about purity unless you are talking about an oil that shouldn't be taken internally ever. So I do think that RMO oils are pure. In fact, some readers have shared some concerns about YL's purity that came out earlier this year.

      As for something working as well, that's hard to say. They are different formulations and my DIY is a little different as well. That being said I have diffused both and have felt they worked well.

      I have a lot on my plate but am hoping to have more to share soon - stay tuned!

      Reply

  10. Hello Adrienne, I read your post with great interest. I started using Young Living essential oil, and I absolutely love it. Thieves and Lavender are among my favourites. After reading your post, I have done a quick research as I really like to switch to a more affordable option - Young Living is expensive, and I dislike the "force" buying for member where if one does not refresh the order, it automatically replenish same as products as the previous month.

    My question is most of Young Living products can be used orally as dietary supplement which is really great. Most of the other brands including Rocky Mountain can be be consume orally. What are your thoughts on this? Is it advisable to consume essential oil orally? I strongly believe our body needs oil, I consume coconut and grade seed oil regularly.

    Reply

        1. HI Suzy - I can't medically advise, but I can say that thrush is an overgrowth of candida and I have posts on that. Additionally, I used oregano internally when I had bad candida but it can be very harsh and many practitioners do not recommend it for long term use. It can also really burn so folks typically say to put in a capsule. Finally, I am very hesitant to recommend internal use of oils- please see this post for more information. https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/how-to-use-essential-oils/

          https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/what-candida-is-how-to-know-if-you-have-it-and-how-to-ditch-it/

          Reply

  12. This is the first time I ever emailed you anything and I was impressed at how fast you answered me I appreciate your help

    Reply

  13. Both The Almond and the coconut milk.
    The one for fighting infection the antibiotic. Also need to know if it's just regular cinnamon essential oil or cinnamon bark. I Apologize for the questions but I am fairly new at this

    Reply

    1. Hi Diana.

      Can you not see them when you search on my blog? I'm looking into the cinnamon issue. The company I use uses cinnamon bark.

      Reply

  14. I'm sorry but I don't know how to obtain your recipes for your milk and for the essential oils can you please email me those recipes

    Reply

  16. I'm curious about the fractionated coconut oil. Since coconut oil is always solid, what is the process, and what else is in it for it to maintain a liquid state?

    Reply

    1. The coconut oil has the long chain fatty acids removed. It is hydrolyzed and then passed through steam distillation and the medium chain triglycerides are left.

      Reply

  17. I can't wait to make this! To use topically, what ratio of the Antibacterial Blend recipe to the carrier oil would you use? 1:1?

    Reply

  18. Hi! Great info here! I am ready to make my own "Thieves Oil" and would like to know what carrier oil you suggest using. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi there.

      Really any carrier oil can be used (I've used any natural oil that I have in the house), but each has a slightly different quality (and messiness factor).

      The most popular oil is fractionated coconut oil. They carry that at Rocky Mountain Oils. If you are interested in other oils it depends what you are wanting to use them for. I think choosing high quality is important as you are putting them on your skin and possibly diffusing them. This company carries high quality oils. https://us.nyrorganic.com/shop/wholenewmom/area/shop-online/category/base-oils/

      I would personally recommend choosing organic whenever possible. Will you just be putting this on your skin in order to use the oils topically? If so, any of the above can work. The benefits of the FCO is that it has a longer shelf life, but it isn't as natural as the other oils.

      Reply

  19. Thank you so much! I was going to pull my hair out if I had to spend another $40.00 on a 15mL bottle of the big name Theives®!!!
    Also, I love love love this site! Very helpful...and witty:-)

    Reply

    1. There are 98 drops in 1 tsp so you can calculate from there based on the amount you wish to make. 🙂

      Reply