Since the beginning of 2020, the SARS-COV-2 viral epidemic has spread so rapidly that on March 11, the WHO declared it a pandemic. To date, nearly 10 million people have been infected across 188 countries[1]. Although there is no treatment available yet, there are solutions to protect oneself from the virus. Among these are essential oils, which have been of growing interest for several years. But are they effective against Covid-19? The point with Éléonore Couture & Stephane Pirnay, from Expertox.
Essential oil is defined by the ANSM as a “Odorous product, generally of complex composition, obtained from a botanically defined plant raw material, either by steam distillation or dry distillation, or by a suitable mechanical process without heating. The essential oil is usually separated from the aqueous phase by a physical process which does not result in a significant change in its composition.”[2]
Aromatherapy is a field of complementary medicine that uses essential oils to treat and prevent disease via several routes of administration: topical, inhalation or oral. They can be used in cosmetics, medicines, biocides and even in food. In the scientific literature, they are described as having various properties: antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulant, soothing[3]…
At present, there are almost no studies on the effects of essential oils on Covid-19. In a June 2020 study, the essential oil of Melaleuca cajuputi showed promising effects by inhibiting the ACE2 receptors of the virus, present in the human body, which could prevent the invasion of SARS-CoV-2 in humans and limit its spread[4].
In another study published at the end of June, essential oils of geranium and lemon showed encouraging effects by significantly regulating the …
