How to Make Garlic Ear Oil — Herbal Wisdom Institute

By Kris Vaughan, CHIt’s 1:00 in the morning and your child wakes up with an earache. It’s the middle of the night, no doctors are open, what do you do? This usually involves a long night of tears, from both the child and the mommy, but you have a natural earache remedy right in your kitchen and you didn’t even know it.Garlic oil has saved the day (or night) many times in my house. Garlic is highly antibacterial and the oil is also soothing. In most cases I have been able to completely avoid having to do any antibiotics by using this simple remedy although a few times the infection was already too progressed and a trip to the doctor was needed. In these cases the garlic oil made the earache less painful until we could get medical treatment.Here are a few disclaimers: Only use garlic oil in the ear if you know the eardrum is not perforated. If symptoms persist or get worse, seek medical attention.What You Need1 small mason jar with lid1 head of garlicOrganic olive oilsmall piece of cheeseclothpiece of unbleached cotton muslinstrainerHow You Make It1. Peel each garlic clove and mince. Place the garlic in the jar.2. Pour in enough olive oil to come above the garlic by about 1/4 inch.3. Lightly cover the jar. I like to use a piece of cheesecloth so the oil doesn’t get rancid but to also keep debris out. I have also just placed a small sandwich bag over the top when I didn’t have cheesecloth.4. Warm the oil gently for 3-5 days. You do not want the oil to get over about 105 degrees so there are a few ways you can do this. I like to use a coffee mug warmer but you can also do a water bath in a crockpot if you can control the temperature. Another way is to place the jar in a dehydrator and set the temperature.5. Strain the finished oil through a strainer lined with the unbleached cotton muslin and seal the finished oil in the jar.You can also add some mullein into your oil if you want extra benefits. Read about mullein. If you don’t want to make your own oil you can purchase it from our apothecary.How To Use ItFor treating an earache or ear infection, use 2 drops in the ear 4-5 times a day. To prevent colds and flu use 1 drop in each ear each day during cold and flu season.The garlic oil is also good when rubbed on the bottom of the feat to help with colds and flu and to tame a cough. You will smell like pizza but you will feel better. Garlic oil is also anti-fungal so you can use it for toenail fungal infections or Athlete’s Foot.This simple home remedy is a must have for your herbal medicine cabinet and a little bit goes a long way. Just remember when using it for earache, if the symptoms worsen seek medical attention.I would love to hear how it goes when you make and use your oil so be sure to leave a comment below. If you would like to schedule a consultation with an herbalist, contact our wellness center.