The Versatility of R.C.
R.C. Oil Blend has been applied successfully for pneumonia, for dissolving calcium deposits in joints, and to stop snoring, although its primary purpose is to relieve "Respiratory Congestion." That is what the initials, "R.C.," stand for. RC has been effective with many forms of congestion including colds, bronchitis, sore throats, sinusitis, coughs, lung infections, and respiratory allergy symptoms. However, in a series of laboratory tests at the Young Living Laboratory and Weber State University in Utah (See citation below), of 91 single essential oils and 64 essential oil blends, while Lemongrass was found to be the most effective single oil, R.C. was found to be the most effective blend.
Seventy-eight of the 91 single oils tested showed measurable inhibitory activity against MRSA. The top ranking oils, in descending order of effectiveness, were Lemongrass (Cymbopogen flexuosus), Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora), Mountain Savory (Satureja montana), Cinnamon Bark (Cinnamomum verum), and Melissa (Melissa officinalis). The most effective single oil, Lemongrass, completely inhibited all MRSA growth on the test plate.
Since Tincture of Benzoin (containing Oil of Onycha) used to be the principal antibacterial cleansing agent used in hospitals, as mentioned above, it would be interesting to see how Onycha measures up in killing the MRSA bacteria. Unfortunately, this study of 91 single oils did not include Onycha.
Fifty-two of the 64 blends tested showed measurable inhibitory activity against MRSA. The top three ranking oils, in descending order of effectiveness, were R.C., Motivation, and Longevity. The most effective blend, R.C., also completely inhibited all MRSA growth on the test plate.
R.C. is a blend of 10 species, including three species of Eucalyptus, as follows: E. globulus, E. radiata, E. citriodora, Myrtle (Myrtus communis, not Lemon myrtle), Pine, Spruce, Marjoram, Lavender, Cypress, and Peppermint. The Power of R.C. in combating MRSA is far beyond any of its individual constituents. In fact, two of the constituent oils (E. globulus and Myrtle) both scored zero in their ability to inhibit MRSA growth. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of R.C. as a blend was almost triples the effectiveness of the most powerful ingredient, which was Peppermint oil. This finding dramatically illustrates the power of oil blends over many oil singles. An oil blend usually has capabilities not manifested by any of its components, which is why blends are preferred by most aromatherapists for healing applications.
The same was true of Motivation, the second most effective blend. Motivation contains only four single oils: Roman Chamomile, Spruce, Ylang Ylang, and Lavender. Ylang Ylang, alone, had no inhibitory effect on MRSA whatsoever while the other three ingredients all scored less than half as effective as the combination of all four. Thus, the power of Motivation against MRSA was found to be greater than that of any of the individual species comprising the blend.
It is also interesting to note that the three most effective blends (R.C., Motivation, and Longevity) contained none of the five most effective single oils (Lemongrass, Lemon Myrtle, Mountain Savory, Cinnamon Bark, Melissa).
Can the Whole be Deduced from its Parts?
The conclusion is that one cannot deduce the properties of an oil blend from a knowledge of its components. Additional properties will always manifest in a blend that are not demonstrated by any of the singles that comprise it, while many properties of the singles do not manifest in the blend. This is why effective blends must be formulated intuitively and not by logic. All of Young Living's blends were formulated by Gary Young, all by intuition, some even by way of intuitive dreams.
The same principle is true of single oils in that one cannot deduce the properties of an essential oil by knowing the properties of its individual compounds as isolates. Attempting to do so would be like trying to deduce the taste and texture of a chocolate cake from the taste and textures of the individual ingredients, viz. white flour, shortening, sugar, salt, eggs, baking powder, bitter cocoa, and vanilla extract. This is why scientific studies on the properties of isolated single compounds of an oil do not reveal the nature of the oil and why knowledge of a single oil does not reveal the nature of a blend containing that oil.
This principle is true even to the extent that a compound that is highly toxic alone can be safe, non-toxic, and therapeutic when occurring as an ingredient in an essential oil. Many aromatherapists who fear certain oils have been trained in a school that teaches the fallacy that properties of isolated compounds studied in laboratories apply to the natural oils in which they are found. Thus, many aromatherapists avoid perfectly safe and therapeutically effective oils because a laboratory has found one or more compounds in the oil that, by themselves, are harmful.
It is this fallacy upon which many aromatheray books post lists of "forbidden oils, never to be used in aromatherapy for any purpose." These taboo lists include perfectly good oils like cinnamon, clove, basil, oregano, mountain savory, birch, wintergreen, cassia, tansy, pine, and even benign oils like vanilla. Of course, adulterated oils improperly distilled and grown with chemicals and insecticides can possess toxic properties. However, if one uses only Young Living oils, which are pure, unadulterated, properly grown, and properly distilled, one need not worry about toxicity.
It is interesting to note that Thieves Blend, which is a favorite antimicrobial blend that has been shown to be effective against a variety of bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi, is not particularly effective against MRSA. In fact, it is less than half as effective as R.C. This is surprising since Thieves contains Cinnamon Bark oil, which is one of the top three effective singles against MRSA. Yet Thieves, as a blend, was only about half as effective as Cinnamon Bark oil alone.
Practical Implications
The data cited here were all done in vitro in a laboratory on cultures of MRSA on test plates. While most of the oils tested are considered by the FDA as "GRAS" (Generally Regarded as Safe) for oral ingestion, no essential oil has been approved by the FDA for human use to treat a disease. The data definitely show promise for the possible treatment or prevention of MRSA infections, more promise than anything medical science has been able to find thus far. Furthermore, applying Lemongrass or R.C. has no negative side effects like antibiotics and no toxicities to humans like synthetic antibacterial agents.
So how can you make practical use of the research cited above? For one thing, if you are going to visit a hospital or spend time in a hospital, cover the soles of your feet with R.C. or Lemongrass. Rub one or both of these oil on your hands as an "antimicrobial oil glove" so that when you touch doorknobs, hospital furniture, elevator buttons, or public telephones, there will be a thin oil barrier between you and any possible MRSA contamination. MRSA is primarily spread by contact and not as an airborne pathogen. You might exercise the same precautions as in a hospital visit when visiting a public gymnasium where you are sharing workout equipment with strangers. Then when you go home, diffuse R.C. or Lemongrass, scrub your hands, and face with soap to minimize any exposure you may have had with invisible MRSA microbes.
Better to avoid going into a hospital altogether, if possible. Hospital personnel and pastors who regularly visit hospitals are at particular risk, not only to themselves, but also to their families since they can potentially carry MRSA into their homes.
If you do acquire a MRSA infection, realize that the medical profession can do little, if anything, to help you. However, you can safely apply R.C. or Lemongrass locally at the site of the infection and in any other way deemed advisable, even internally. Additional research is going to be required to determine the extent to which essential oils can prevent and/or cure MRSA infections in humans. At this time, Lemongrass and R.C. have demonstrated the greatest promise of all possibilities in combating the spread of MRSA and of bringing relief to those who have already contracted it.
Personally, if I were to be diagnosed with a MRSA infection circulating in my body, I would head for Gary Young’s clinic in Ecuador where essential oils can be administered intravenously. This is the only place in the world where essential oils are administered directly into the blood stream. I would request an I.V. containing a suspension of R.C. and/or Lemongrass oil. The clinic routinely administers oils such as Frankincense, Helichrysum, and Thieves intravenously, but to my knowledge an R.C.I.V. has never been administered to date. But if my system was found infected with MRSA, I would be willing to be the first to receive one.
Thanks to the Researchers
The scientific data cited in this article are published in an article entitled, Inhibition of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) by Essential Oils in the Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 23:444-449, (2008). This journal is published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The research was carried out, compiled, and reported by Sue Chao, Gary Young, Craig Oberg, and Karen Nakaoka as a collaborative project between the Young Living Laboratory, Lehi, Utah, and Weber State University, Ogden, Utah. The publication of this research is the first step toward FDA approval of essential oils in MRSA prevention or therapy.
This type of research is highly hazardous to those who engage in it since you are working closely with a potentially deadly microbe or one that can infect you for life. Great precautions must be taken to minimize any possibility of infection among the researchers and laboratory staff. I want to personally thank the individuals named above who took a risk on behalf of humanity to provide us with this valuable information.
