Ordinary Wisdom
[Annie] What is the best/most reasonable place to get Oil of Good Samaritan?
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[Erin] I make Good Samaritan Oil from Young Living.
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[Mick] Annie, I saw that someone earlier (Erin, maybe?) makes her own Oil of the Good Samaritan. I have also made it in the past. Just today, when I was going through some papers of mine, I found the recipe that I used (I can’t remember exactly where I got the original recipe; it’s been 4 years since I made it). In case you might be interested, here it is. If you’d like to make 8 tablespoons of Good Samaritan Oil (which is 4 ounces, which will fill eight 15-millimeter/one-half ounce bottles), then mix the following together well: 3 tablespoons plus 2 1/4 teaspoons of a carrier oil such as olive oil; and the essential oils of cinnamon bark (1/4 teaspoon), cloves (1/2 teaspoon), lemon (1/2 teaspoon), eucalyptus (1/2 teaspoon), and rosemary (1/2 teaspoon). A couple of caveats: (1) Because of the eucalyptus oil, this oil should not be used on small children if there’s a chance that they might get it on their hands and then onto their faces. (If you apply it to their feet and then put on socks, or apply it to their spines, this problem could be avoided). (2) This oil should not be used by women who are pregnant or nursing. (3) Be sure to get essential oil of cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), and not cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia).
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[Jos] I made some two years ago:
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- 51/60 vegetable base oil, e.g. olive, almond, grapeseed or sunflower oil, or mineral oil
- 2/60 pure essential eucalyptus oil
- 2/60 pure essential clove oil
- 2/60 pure essential rosemary oil
- 2/60 pure essential lemon oil
- 1/60 pure essential cinnamon oil
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[Jane] Okay, I have a question about Thieves Oil or Good Samaritan Oil. I bought the Cassia cinnamon oil a few years ago because I sort of didn’t know any better when I made my mix. Would anyone know if the Oils would have any benefits at all with the wrong cinnamon? I now get the need for the correct oil, but just asking.
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[Pam] Mick why not Cassia?
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[Mick] Jane, your blend would still have benefits. But if you intend to use it regularly, then the Cassia cinnamon could be a liability because of the coumarin content (more in my response to Pam B. below).
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True cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylonicum/Cinnamomum verum) is considered safe for regular use; whereas Cassia cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) is not. This is because of the relative levels of coumarin in the different oils. Coumarin is a naturally occurring blood-thinning substance contained in several different herbs and foods. True cinnamon contains almost no courmarin, but Cassia contains fairly high levels of it. Overconsumption of coumarin can negatively impact the liver and the kidneys as well as thin the blood. This would be a problem for those taking prescription blood-thinners, those about to have surgery, and those who already have iffy liver or kidney function. Here’s a good article on the topic: Ceylon vs Cassia >
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The other reason is that Young Living’s Thieves oil contains Ceylon cinnamon rather than Cassia cinnamon. So does the equivalent blend made by Hopewell Oils (which is another essential-oils company which, like Young Living and DoTerra, makes sells high-quality essential oils).Â
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[Mick] I just made a whole batch of oil of the Good Samaritan using Cassia!
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Jane and Pam, the blend containing Cassia could be used occasionally. I’m not sure how often “occasionally” is; but perhaps it could be used for a few days when you’re going to be around sick people, or used for a few days when you are actually sick. But if you (or your kids) plan to use the oil every day (and 6 days per week with one day off per week would be better), then the Good Samaritan blend ought to have Ceylon cinnamon bark essential oil in it, rather than Cassia.
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Marie V., once you’ve read over this essential-oils discussion, I’d love to hear your thoughts. And please correct me if I’ve gotten anything wrong.
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[Elizabeth] Shared a screenshot of an article about the lethal dosage levels of coumarin in Cassia; it takes a lot to kill a person.
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[Mick] Good article, Elizabeth; thanks. And although the lethal dosage of coumarin is high for the average person, the dosage that might be problematic for a particular person might be relatively low (for example, if the person is on prescription blood-thinners, or if the person has a surgery coming up and thus would be at risk of uncontrolled bleeding because of having thinned blood, or if the person has preexisting liver or kidney problems). Such situations could dramatically lower the levels at which a dosage of coumarin could be dangerous and possibly even lethal for a particular individual.
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[Pam] Wondering if coumarin is more concentrated in essential oil?
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[Mick] Great question, Pam. I’m not sure; but I do know that even regarding the medicinal use of cinnamon powder, there is concern about the amount of coumarin in Cassia as opposed to in Ceylon cinnamon. For instance, with the amount of cinnamon powder that can be taken daily in order to help with blood-sugar issues, Cassia is considered unsafe because of the coumarin levels in the powdered herb.
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