DIY Remedy: GOOT Garlic Oil Ointment Recipe

When your little one is sick, I know you would give anything to help them feel better. As a parent, you want to make all of the runny noses, ear infections, sore throats, diaper rashes, sinus infections, and fungal infections disappear as fast as you possibly can. Lucky for us, nature has provided a plant that can throw some serious punches at all of those things to get your child feeling better faster; and if you’re anything like me, you probably already have it on hand. 

Garlic! Allium sativum (aka garlic) is nature’s antiviral, antifungal, antioxidant, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, bad bacteria killing, immune system boosting machine. Garlic provides many natural health benefits, and I’m going to walk you through how to leverage them by making one of my favorite all-natural remedies: GOOT garlic oil ointment.

Garlic, Really?

Yes. Garlic is a root vegetable that is truly packed with goodness. 

Garlic is one of the oldest documented plants used for the treatment of disease and health maintenance. Ancient documents from Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, and India reveal the medicinal properties of garlic. Many years ago, garlic was used during epidemics and Russian physicians used garlic for respiratory tract diseases so much so that it was nicknamed “the Russian penicillin.”  

That pungent smell and taste that so many of us love come from allicin, an organic sulfur compound. Allicin, organic sulfides, saponins, phenolic compounds, and polysaccharides are also what make garlic so good for us. 

In addition, garlic contains varying amounts of potassium, phosphorus, zinc, sulfur, selenium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, and vitamins A, C, and B. A recent review of the medicinal values of garlic found that the compounds in garlic have the potential to have pharmaceutical benefits for heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, inflammation, atherosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, and viral and microbial infections.

I’ll be honest —getting a little human to eat a bunch of raw garlic cloves doesn’t sound fun for anyone involved. Thankfully, there’s another way to pack in all of those benefits. The healing properties of garlic can also reach the bloodstream via direct application to the skin.  

Topical application of garlic oil ointment treatment can enhance absorption into the blood stream and help fight off systemic infections. This kind of direct application takes the benefits of garlic right to the body where it needs it most.

Enter: GOOT.

What is GOOT Garlic Oil Ointment Treatment?

Applying raw garlic directly to the skin can cause irritation, burning, and blisters. A safer way to apply garlic is via a raw garlic oil, or garlic olive oil treatment (GOOT). 

GOOT combines pulverized raw garlic cloves and oils, which form a thick, soft paste, or salve. Once applied to the skin, the compounds are absorbed and enter the blood stream, where they can fight off bad bacteria, viruses, and fungi. 

You will find The Gentle Nursery garlic olive oil treatment, or garlic salve, recipe below. 

American Academy of Physicians reports that alliinase is deactivated by heat, so cooked garlic is less medicinally powerful. Therefore, the recipe we recommend does not involve cooking the garlic. This is a great home remedy for sore throats, ear infections, sinus infections, viral infections, chest colds, and so much more.

My GOOT Garlic Salve Recipe

I use organic garlic cloves, organic unrefined coconut oil from Trader Joe’s, and 365 Organics extra virgin olive oil. If you don’t have these items on hand at home, check out my GOOT recipe essentials list on Amazon.

Don’t worry: the garlic salve won’t smell as strong as you think. There’s something about mixing the oils with the garlic that almost gives it a sweet smell, so it’s very manageable. If you’re worried about getting it on your hands, you can use some food-prep gloves.

How to Use GOOT

Simply make your garlic oil ointment treatment using the recipe above, store it in the fridge, and then use as needed. Rub it on the feet or chest of adults, children or even infants to battle infections. 

Rubbing it on the chest can help fight off chest colds, persistent coughs, and even pneumonia in some cases (be sure to get medical attention, though). A dab in the nostril can even help with sinus infections. 

Garlic oil can also be effective for ear infections. After ensuring that the eardrums are not ruptured, you can use a cotton swab to apply garlic salve around the ear. Many swear by this method and have been able to avoid gut-harming antibiotics. 

Keep your GOOT ointment in the fridge for up to three weeks. After that, make a new batch of GOOT as needed. It’s so easy to make and wonderful to have on hand. 

Scientific Studies on Health Benefits of Garlic

The National Health Institute has published multiple studies on the health benefits of garlic. More recent studies focus on antimicrobial effects. Studies have shown that garlic can be effective against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. 

More specifically, in testing in vitro (outside of the human body), it has shown effects against dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus aureus, S Klebsiella, Clostridium,  Helicobacter, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci.  

In addition, many yeast and fungi are sensitive to compounds in garlic, including Candida, Cryptococcus, Aspergillus, Trichosporon, and others. Another study found that lauric acid and myristic acid from garlic inhibited the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a worldwide disease with a high mortality rate.

Garlic has been used in dermatology for years, showing effects on viral infections such as warts. Per Mount Sinai, several studies also show that it may be beneficial in treating fungal infections such as athlete’s foot, jock itch, and ringworm. It also contains anti-inflammatory properties, which can be used to soothe sore and inflamed joints and muscles by applying it to the affected area.   

One article published by the National Health Institute discusses a trial study on the effects of garlic on the common cold. The study found that over three months, there were 24 occurrences of a cold in the garlic group, compared to 65 in the placebo group. This study shows that garlic can boost the immune system and prevent viral infections. 

While studies have not specifically shown that garlic can decrease cold symptoms once already sick, those that have tried it swear by it. 

Final Thoughts

I’ve used this GOOT garlic olive oil treatment on my little ones. One morning my son woke up with a barking cough, low-grade fever, and runny nose. I made the recipe listed here and rubbed it on his feet at naptime. When he woke up from nap, his fever was gone and his cough was no longer barking.

This is an excellent DIY natural remedy to have on hand at home during the winter months. Please let me know in the comments if you find it helpful!