The benefits of Eucalyptus Regnans– the tallest known flowering plant on Earth – are centuries old and wide-ranging in scope, but are relatively less well known than some of its essential oil brothers & sisters.

Besides being absolutely gorgeous and smelling heavenly – its oil when extracted is anti-inflammatory, an antispasmodic, a decongestant, a deodorant, antiseptic, and antibacterial.

Below are our 5 favorite properties of the eucalyptus plant:

1. In vapor form, its your respiratory best friend.Think all-natural vics – but WAY better smelling. When inhaled, eucalyptus oi is an anti-inflammatory and a decongestant, even effective in treating symptoms of asthma. Just add a few drops to a bowl of hot water, lean over, and breathe in the vapor.

2. It’s a natural disinfectant. If using uber toxic household cleaners gives you the creeps, just fill a spray bottle with 1 part white vinegar, 3 parts water, and a generous dash of eucalyptus oil for a safe all-natural countertop spray.

3.  It relieves muscle soreness & joint pain.  Whether you overdid it at cardio kickboxing, are recovering from a sprain, or dealing with arthritis in the joints – eucalyptus oil is both anti-inflammatory and analgesic. Massage it into the effected area by itself, or add stir it into some coconut oil, beeswax, and camphor for a homemade salve.

4.  Insects HATE it.  While humans find the scent of eucalyptus oil to be naturally relaxing, mosquitoes and other creepy crawlies find it absolutely abhorrent. A few drops in a diffuser will vanquish bugs from the scene of your picnic. Mix with water in a spray bottle for an all-natural insect repellent — or in a pinch, just dab a little oil behind the ears & on the wrists like perfume.

5. Koalas LOVE it. While ingesting large amounts of eucalyptus is toxic to most animals, koalas hardly eat anything else. That’s enough a reason for us to love it!!

PS…a quick disclaimer: eucalyptus oil is toxic if swallowed in large enough quantities, so don’t ingest it or give it to kiddies. Consult with your doctor before using eucalyptus oil to treat asthma or if you are preggo or breastfeeding.

Happy breathing!