Garlic is perennial herbs native to central Asia. It is used as food and also as medicine. Garlic cloves contain sulfur compound allicin. Allicin gives garlic its distinct aroma. Garlic has been in use as medicine since 3000 BC. Its use is recommended in various ailments such as cold, cough, loose motions, dysentery, diabetes, diarrhoea, high blood pressure and rheumatism.
Garlic has antiseptic, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, anti-dirrhoeal, antiparasitic, anti-febrile and stomachic properties.
Garlic can be used in many forms. It can be used as fresh raw cloves, powder, and oil.
There are two methods to prepare garlic oil, steam distillation and infusing garlic in some vegetable oil such as olive oil. For preparing garlic oil at home infusion methods is used. In this method, the cloves are crushed and put in glass container with olive oil or some other vegetable oil. This is left for some time and then cloves are filtered and garlic oil is obtained.
Garlic oil has antiseptic, antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-parasitic activities. It can be safely applied to body areas affected with ring worm. This oil can be applied topically to skin diseases that are caused due to bacteria, fungal or yeast.
It is also used for treating scalp infection. In case of dandruff or some bacterial scalp infection its application helps to cure the same. Garlic oil can be used for scalp massaging. Traditionally, it is used as ear drop to cure earache. In such cases few drops of garlic oil is put in ear.