Homemade antibacterial cream - Dr. Pingel

5-Minute Homemade Antibacterial Cream

by Dr. Tricia Pingel, NMD | May 18, 2021 | Recipes & DIY | 0 comments

With all the options out there, why one earth would you even need a homemade antibacterial cream or ointment? That’s a great question—and I have an equally great answer.

Recently, a friend of mine used Neosporin on her daughter’s knee scrape. Within 24 hours, she was sure there was an infection. It was dark red, swollen, and her daughter complained of itchiness.

But upon examination, her pediatrician informed her it was most likely an allergic reaction to this topical medicine.

This is actually more common than many realize, and when I shared this recipe for my 5-Minute Homemade Antibacterial Cream with her, she was overjoyed to have another option for her daughter’s sensitive skin. And now I want to share it with you.

You’re just a few minutes away from having your very own homemade antibacterial cream you can turn to in times of minor cuts, scrapes, and scratches without worry of chemical reactions. So, let’s take a look at what’s inside this amazing cream!

First, coconut oil serves as the base of this 5-Minute Homemade Antibacterial Cream. Here’s why: Coconut oil is known to have some pretty powerful antimicrobial properties.

In fact, coconut oil is known to be incredibly beneficial for skin health and specifically useful in treating skin infections and reducing the need for antibiotics!

According to a 2014 review, the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil, such as lauric acid and capric acid, disrupt the membranes of bacterial, fungal, and viral cells, which kills the infection. [1]

On top of the coconut oil, this homemade antibacterial cream also features some incredibly effective essential oils known for fighting bacterial infections.

This recipe calls for eight to 10 drops of tea tree oil, which has been known to fight many strains of bacteria, including MRSA ((Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a notoriously difficult strain of bacteria to eliminate).

Studies have shown that when compared to conventional treatments, tea tree oil was significantly more effective in treating MRSA carriage with one study finding that tea tree oil was significantly more effective at treating MRSA than conventional treatment.

Out of 15 patients receiving conventional treatment, two were cleared of MRSA while eight still carried MRSA. Meanwhile, of the 15 patients treated with tea tree oil, five were cleared of MRSA and only three still carried MRSA. The remainder of patients did not complete therapy. [2]

Another essential oil used in this recipe is the fragrant scent of lavender. But it does much more than provide a nice smell to this homemade antibacterial cream.

According to a 2018 study, lavender essential oil is an effective antimicrobial agent against the bacterium E. coli. The researchers believe there is potential to develop antimicrobial agents using lavender oil and other essential oils as an alternative treatment to antibiotics, which have become less effective due to antibiotic resistance. [3]

In addition to its antibacterial properties, lavender oil also has pain-relieving effects and anti-inflammatory properties, making it a great ingredient in any homemade antibacterial cream. [4]

Finally, this cream also incorporates lemon oil, which is known for its pathogen-killing properties.

According to a 2019 study, lemon oil was tested against 18 different bacterial strains and inhibited more than 54 percent of all tested bacteria. [5]

And another 2019 study found that lemon oil is so powerful that simply diffusing it reduced airborne bacteria by about 40 percent. [6]

So, as you can see, with all of these science-backed ingredients, this is one powerful homemade antibacterial cream. Keep reading to get the recipe so you have it on hand the next time you need to keep an infection at bay on a scrape or minor cut.