Tagetes essential oil has many incredible healing properties, with a positive effect even more beautiful than the plant it comes from. Tagetes, also called Khaki Bush and Mexican Marie Gold, is believed to be native to Africa. Today, the herb has spread to America, Europe, and Australia. Tagetes essential oil is extracted from its leaves, stem, stalk, and flowers by the process of steam distillation. While it has a nice fragrance, this oil also boasts medicinal and insecticide properties. (1)
9 Health Uses Of Tagetes Essential Oil
1. Tagetes Oil Prevents Parasites
Tagetes essential oil can help eliminate harmful parasites like lice, mosquitoes, fleas, and bed bugs. This essential oil not only keeps these insects away but also neutralizes the effects of bites and stings. (2)
2. It Prevents Microbial Infections
Tagetes essential oil is useful in ending the growth of microbes in the body. Therefore, it helps protect against infectious diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, or protozoa. Furthermore, food poisoning, athlete’s foot, cholera, sepsis, tetanus, typhus, malaria, skin diseases, and dermatitis can all be prevented. The use of tagetes oil can both help wipe out infections and give relief from them.
3. Stops Bacterial Septic Infections
Sepsis is another name for an infection caused by a bacteria called Staphylococcus Aureus. The infection is very dangerous and can even be fatal. It may start from a simple-looking wound and engulf the whole body within a few hours. It readily affects newborn babies. The symptoms include convulsions, extreme spasms, and muscular contractions, swelling with redness, immobility of the limbs, and even insanity. Tagetes essential oil is lethal to these bacteria and helps to get rid of septic infections.
4. Inhibits The Growth of Other Parasites
Tagetes essential oil can stop the growth of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, or any other form of parasite in the human body. In fact, it has antibiotic properties, meaning it counters or inhibits “biotic” growth in the body, that is, bacteria, protozoa, and other parasites, such as worms. For instance, tagetes oil helps to heal open sores, ulcers, rotten wounds, and even gangrene. In some places, it is used to clear wounds and eliminate the growth of maggots in them.
5. Relieves Spasms And Resulting Cramps
As a relaxant, tagetes essential oil relaxes any type of spasm in the body. For example, tagetes oil provides relief from spasmodic coughs, diarrhea, muscle cramps, and convulsions.
6. The Oil Is An Antimicrobial Disinfectant
The antimicrobial, anti-parasitic, and antibiotic properties of the tagetes essential oil are incredibly useful. Tagetes oil is proven to be very effective in disinfecting the body or an area. When applied externally or internally, tagetes oil cures infections in the body. In fumigants, vaporizers, and sprays, tagetes oil disinfects any area it touches. You can see why this would be helpful. This oil helps protect from airborne diseases like the common cold, mumps, measles, pox, and others.
7. As An Insecticide It Eliminates Insects
The most popular effect of tagetes essential oil might be that it is lethal to insects and kills them. Another benefit, tagetes oil wards off parasitic insects such as mosquitoes, fleas, bed bugs, and lice. And common household insects, such as cockroaches, ants, white ants, or termites, will also stay away.
8. Sedates Inflammation And Helps Body Systems
The sedative property of tagetes oil is well-known and has been in use for a long time. It relieves inflammation and irritation in the digestive, nervous, excretory, and neurotic systems. As a result, this helps with convulsions, afflictions, anxiety, stress, depression, anger, panic, and other emotional and psychological hyper reactions. (3)
9. It Can Treat Burns, Skin Diseases, Athlete’s Foot and More
In addition to all the benefits above, tagetes oil helps with skin problems. In fact, it may be used to treat wounds, burns, skin diseases, dermatitis, and colitis. As noted above, its antimicrobial properties help with skin problems like Athlete’s Foot, too.
On a different note, this oil also helps with congestion and removing phlegm and catarrh deposition.
A final note of caution. Tagetes oil may cause sensitization and irritation. Heavier doses or doses of higher concentration may be hard to withstand. Therefore, avoid using it during pregnancy.