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14 April 2008

my miracle product

At the risk of seeming like Tyra when she went freaking nuts over Vaseline, I would like to recommend one of my absolute favourite products: oil of oregano. 

I first discovered this pungent, ghastly-tasting oil in the dressing room of a theatre. One of the other actors had come down with a bad cold and was carefully squeezing drops of oil under her tongue, and then washing the taste down with a bottle of water.  When I asked what the strong smelling mystery oil was, she told me that it was "the singer's secret weapon."

She said that she always took it when a clogged up throat threatened to ruin her singing performance.

Curious, I tasted it and immediately went into a coughing fit. The stuff is strong. Not so strong, however, that a good chug of water can't dilute the taste. Grimacing, I handed her back the bottle and kind of forgot about it.

Until I got a horrible cold the day I was recording my first cd.  Throwing skepticism (and my taste buds) to the wind, I bought a bottle for approximately $20, and took the drops throughout the day.  I managed to make it through the recording session, and although it was definitely not my best singing, it was better than the croaking I'd been doing that morning.

Before I went to Tanzania two summers ago, I stopped in at a few health stores, looking to pick up some natural bug-repellent products for the trip. When the employees I spoke to heard I would be traveling, they recommended I take oil of oregano along with me. Apparently, it's natural anti-microbial properties would help ward off infections. During the 3 months I was in Tanzania, I never once got any kind of bacteria-related illness, which is more surprising considering all of the other travelers I met there had been hit by many of them.

Anyways, after about 6 years of using the stuff for various reasons, I now hail it as my all-purpose anti-bacterial product. I use it to ward off colds, to deal with sore throats, and recently for cosmetic reasons.

This stuff makes fast work of dealing with zits. I kid you not. Whenever I see any kind of blemish start to rear its ugly head, I apply a tiny amount of the oil and let it do its work.

Tea tree oil has similar zit-fighting properties, but it cannot be consumed. I tend to favour oil of oregano as it is more multi-purpose.

I like the stuff, because it works for me in so many ways. There is lots of literature on its uses, though a lot of the websites read like advertisements. However, I guess this post sounds like a testimonial of sorts. Oil of oregano may not be for everyone—some people may not be able to stand the taste, and people with sensitive skin may want to avoid applying it topically. However, if you ever have a cold that leaves you with the "sexy voice" when you have a pressing singing or speaking engagement, or a zit that pops up on the day of a hot date, you might want to give it a try.

I've tried several brands and they all seem to work just as well as one another. The brand above is just one example. Oil of oregano is available at most health stores.

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