When I first got introduced to essential oils, all the rave was about the Young Living Thieves® blend.
“It’s the best household cleaner I’ve ever had!”, or “my kids never get sick at school” were some of the many claims to fame of this popular oil.
It intrigued me so much, that I had to research the blend, and find out why it works so well – but also, how one could get it without having to pay the Young Living price tag.
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If you’re with me, and want to learn about Young Living Thieves essential oil uses, and explore similarly powerful essential oil blends from other companies that are similar, here is everything I found out for you:
What’s In the Thieves® Blend?
There are five different essential oils in the YL Thieves blend. They are listed below along with a brief description of what each oil does for us, if used individually:
- Clove Essential Oil (Syzigium aromaticum) promotes a healthy immune response, and may support overall wellness.
- Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) also supports the immune system, decreases inflammation, increases circulation and fights free radicals1.
- Eucalyptus Essential Oil (Eucalyptus radiata) further supports the immune system, acts as an anti-inflammatory2, and improves respiratory circulation.
- Rosemary Essential Oil (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a rich antioxidant3 and works as an anti-inflammatory.
- Lemon Essential Oil (Citrus limonum) is also a powerful antioxidant4; and has cleansing and purifying properties.
It comes as no surprise that many of the oils in the Thieves blend have similar effects and properties. These harmonious effects of multiple healing agents working together create an astounding natural super remedy!
Now, the Alternatives!
Having learned what exactly is in the Thieves blend, I’ve searched for other brands blends that had at least 4 of the 5 same essential oils ingredients matching to the YL blend. As I’ll be doing price comparisons on all the alternatives, please keep in mind that YL Thieves costs around $35.99 for 15 ml.
Alternative blends to Young Living thieves oil
1. doTERRA OnGuard Blend
— $36.99 for 15 ml
The doTERRA OnGuard blend also has 5 essential oils in it, and 4 of them are the same as in Thieves. The only difference here is the use of Wild Orange instead of Lemon. Clove, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus and Rosemary are used the same as in Thieves. As both Wild Orange and Lemon are in the citrus line of oils, they have quite a few similar traits, properties, and smells.
My smell test also reaches the same conclusion – you could never tell the difference! I would also say that their effectiveness is completely on par – both work well as cleansers or respiratory system supporters. Further, oil consistency is also exactly like the Young Living Thieves blend – nice and “thick” looking.
Unfamiliar with doTERRA as a brand? You can find my in-depth review about this EO company here.
2. Eden’s Garden Fighting Five Blend
— $9.40 for 10 ml
Edens Gardens’ equivalent to Thieves oil uses the exact same 5 oil ingredients: Cinnamon, Clove, Eucalyptus, Lemon and Rosemary. However, the amount of each oil used must differ as the Fighting Five blend has a slightly more distinct eucalyptus smell rather than the strong clove/cinnamon notes of both YL and doTerra blends.
Further, the oil is more “runny” or “thin” – another not such a great point for this blend.
However, Eden’s Garden carries a bunch of other quite nice oils and blends that I would definitely recommend and use. Learn more about Eden’s Garden brand here.
3. Rocky Mountain Oils Immune Strength Blend
— $26.50 for 15 ml
The Rocky Mountain Immue Strength oil combines Clove Bud, Cinnamon Bark, Lemon, Orange, Oregano, Mandarin, Thyme, Rosemary, Nutmeg, Ginger Root, and Eucalyptus citriodora essential oils. These are quite a few more oils in the mix – but the main 5 oils same as in Thieves, are all contained in there, maybe with the slight exception of the type of Eucalyptus used.
In Thieves, it’s the Eucalyptus radiata branch, vs. here in Rocky Mountain oils, it’s the Eucalyptus citriodora branch that is being used. Find out more about the difference in the footnotes5. In short though, the radiata strand is native to Australia only, and smells quite mild. Citriodora is also known as Lemon Eucalyptus Oil as it has a more fresh and lemony uplifting aroma.
Overall, I love this blend and am rating it 4.8/5 only because it includes a few more oils than just the main five – but I don’t think that really takes away from the experience.
New to Rocky Mountain Oils? Find a company review here.
4. Plant Therapy Germ Fighter Blend
— $14.95 for 30 ml
This blend by Plant Therapy basically carries the name of what Thieves “does” anyways – it fights germs. Whether that’s germs from general household use or germs because you have a cold – it fights them all the same.
This blend in particular also contains 5 pure, undiluted essential oils: Lemon, Clove, Eucalyptus, Cinnamon Cassia and Rosemary. Again, ALMOST The exact same line-up as Young Living – with the exception of the type of Cinnamon used. Not all Cinnamon is created equal, and the cassia variety is more common and inexpensive compared to the Ceylon Cinnamon. Ceylon is milder, and more delicate in comparison. Again, please head to the footnotes6 for a more in-depth comparison if you’d like to research this further.
Personally, I think this blend is spot on to Young Living’s Thieves oil. Much like with doTerra’s OnGuard blend, I can’t even tell the difference between them.
If you’d like more information about Plant Therapy as a company, see my review here. If you’re ready to shop, head on over to Amazon and add Germ Fighter to your next order!
5. REVIVE Immunity Boost Blend
— $14.00 for 10 ml
REVIVE Immunity Boost is this brand’s comparable blend to Young Living’s popular Thieves® recipe. It is their own proprietary blend of the same five oils of Clove, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus, Rosemary and Lemon essential oils.
The differences of “Immunity Boost” to Young Living Thieves® are in the choices of Clove and Eucalyptus oils. REVIVE uses Eugenia caryophyllata (Clove) Bud Oil, whereas Young Living uses Syzigium aromaticum (Clove) Oil. They also use Eucalyptus globulus instead of Eucalyptus radiata that is used in Thieves.
The essential oils of Lemon, Cinnamon and Rosemary in this blend are used from the same plant species.
You can order REVIVE oils here and if you’re coming from this page, use code EOHAVEN at checkout for a sweet 10% discount for first time buyers. REVIVE is a comparably newer essential oil brand so you may wish to check out their company reputation and other highlights in my full REVIVE brand review.
DIY Thieves Copycat Recipe
YL Thieves is an awesome blend. Here’s how to make your own.
After learning all of the above about the YL Thieves blend, I thought, why not create my own?
So, here is my thieves oil recipe for making your own version at home.
In Summary
As my research shows, one can get a similar oil to Young Living’s popular Thieves blend, at a fraction of the cost. While I wasn’t too impressed with Eden’s Garden’s rendition of the classic, I can highly recommend the Plant Therapy alternative, Rocky Mountain Oils or doTerra.
In Pricing, doTerra costs about the same as YL, so if that’s a factor for you, consider doTERRA “out” as well.
The Immune Strength from RMO is still quite a bit more expensive than Germ Fighter from Plant Therapy, also considering that the Germ Fighter (10 ml) comes in double the size than Immune Strength (5 ml).
Personal test winner: Plant Therapy’s Germ Fighter. Or of course, the Thieves Blend Recipe that you can easily make yourself at home.
IMPORTANT: Due to some of the ingredients in Thieves, the Thieves alternatives, or the DIY blend recipe, they are all is considered a “hot” blend – which means you should always always always dilute it before application. Find out a list of best carrier oils here, or use it in your diffuser at 2-3 drops per 100 ml.
Questions? Please let me know in the comments!
Resources
1 Scientific Research showing Cinnamon Bark fighting free radicals: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3854496
2 Rosemary as an anti-oxidant: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5905578/
3 Eucalyptus as an anti-inflammatory agent: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5590072/
4 Lemon antioxidant: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4091952/
5 Differences between Eucalyptus radiata and Eucalyptus citriodora: www.experience-essential-oils.com/uses-of-eucalyptus.html
6 Differences between Cinnamon Ceylon and Cassia:https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ceylon-vs-cassia-cinnamon
I have all the oils to make this blend, but the Eucalyptus is Globulus not Radiata. Does this matter?
I just looked at the Plant Therapy Germ Fighter synergy blend on Amazon, and it shows Eucalyptus Globulus in the ingredients instead of the radiata.
Hi there,
I was wondering if you have ever tried Eden’s Garden’s “Guardian” blend? Instead of Fighting Five, I was thinking that this was their equivalent to Doterra’s On Guard, and YL’s Thieves –using orange instead of lemon. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m really swayed by aromatherapy, and have to say that I’m partial to Eden’s Garden when it comes the smells they achieve with their oil blend ratios! I’m really interested in what you think!
I have read several of your articles now naming many different brands. Have you tried Revive? I am curious your thoughts on them.
I started using Edens Garden and love their oils. I recently made the diy Theives recipe with EG oils and it was amazing! I will be diffusing it through the cold season. I use it wherever I used to use Thieves, now called EG Thieves.
Plant Guru: Four Gurus is super similar as well and affordable. Check that one out too!
Hi, can you say which kind of cinnamon oil to use in the blend? Or does it matter?
Thank you!
Hi Robin. The original blend uses Cinnamon Bark essential oil (Cinnamomum zeylanicum). However, the Lisse “Protect” blend uses Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia). For aromatic purposes, either of those will work. For therapeutic purposes, and to stay as true to the original as possible, use Cinnamon Bark.
While I am familiar with the Young Living brand of Essential Oils. I am not confident that the other companies you mentioned in your blog are 100% pure Essential Oils. That meaning pure from the land the seed was sown on to the way the crops are weeded and not to mention the ways that the plants are distilled. Young Living has a seed to seal guarantee. Research Seedtoseal.com for information. While there are many essential oil alternatives, why would I go to all the trouble to use essential oils as an alternative to chemical cleaning products and then use an oil that has potential chemicals in it. None if these other companies can offer a chemical free guarantee from seed to seal other than Young Living.
Hi just as a heads up- the Lisse oil isn’t an exact match as you mentioned. It to uses the alternative cinnamon and eucalyptus oils. I have listed the oils for this blend that they outline on their website: Clove (syzygium aromaticum), Cinnamon (cinnamomum cassia), Lemon (citrus limonum), Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis), Eucalyptus (eucalyptus globulus)
Thanks so much Emily! I have updated the information in my article. ?
Thank you, this helps!!!!
Is the Plant Therapy or the Rocky Mountain Roads oils safe to diffuse for babies and toddlers?
Wow, I’m really loving this website! Thank you for your diligence in researching.
Thank you for this wonderful article.. It is great!!! Have you compared PanAway or Relieve It or JuvaFlex? Thanks.
It’s really nice to find out about all of these different blends!
Thank you for sharing! Question: what are your thoughts on Aromafiers? Do we get the same benefit as Diffusing? I saw somewhere to use I think 3-5 drops to 100ml water when diffusing. How much can you use with Aromafier? Thank you :)
Hi Nikki. Yes, you can definitely use an Aromafier, which is basically a diffuser without water (see more options for those types of units here). You will get the same aromatherapy benefits from your oils. Aromafiers just distribute the oils into the air without the water content. In my opinion, it’s actually a stronger concentration of oil that you get if you sit right next to the unit, because it doesn’t mist water through the air as well as the oils. As for how many drops to put in, I would also start with the same 3-5 drops. That’s what I usually put in and the smell remains strong for quite some time. The way you make this work at home though depends entirely on which oil you plan to use and how strong they are to begin with. Hope this helps? Cheers, Emma
Quick question? Do you add a carrier oil with it? Thanks!
Hi Hannah – if you plan on applying your Thieves alternative to your skin – then yes, please dilute it first with a carrier oil. If you plan to use it in a diffuser, then there’s no need for a carrier oil. Use carrier oils anytime you put essential oils on your skin. I have some dilution rates posted toward the end of this article here: Carrier Oils Guide. ?
O, wow! Thank you so much for this article :)
Hello Emma and many thanks for your research
I am new to the ON guard and similar however I do use essential Oils often
I have a doubt – when I asked info on the On guard to one of their Official distributers I asked specifically about the eucalyptus in it as I know E radiata is not to be taken orally
They informed me the Eucalyptus on On Guard is the GLOBULUS not the radiata
Can we contrast this info ? I think it’s important
Thanks again
Thank you so much!!
Hi Danielle, most certainly you can use your homemade blend in a cleaning spray. Combine equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Add 10-20 drops of your homemade essential oil blend (depends a bit on how big your cleaning spray bottle is). Use as you would for any other all-purpose cleaner. For the rollerball, the answer is YES also. Do make sure this blend is properly diluted, and personally I like Sweet Almond oil as a base, it’s nice and neutral and soothing to the skin. In a 5 mL roll-on bottle, fill it almost to the top with carrier oil and add between 8-10 drops of your blend.
Hi there, if you are wanting to use your DIY thieves blend as a multi purpose cleaning spray, how would you go about that?
Could you also use this in a rollerball with a carrier oil as an ‘immunity’ type blend you could use over the colder months?
Thanks!