Thieves tea is a hot beverage that supports your immune system! Drink it when you need a little boost and stay safe this flu season!

What is Thieves tea?
Thieves tea is a wellness drink that combines Thieves essential oil, lemon essential oil, honey, and water. I love to drink it when I feel like I might be fighting a bug, especially in my throat!
The flavor is sweet, herbal, and a little spicy. I wouldn't say that it's the most delicious drink out there, but it definitely works for sore throats and coughs in my experience! As a mom and the only one who knows how to cook in my family, there's no way I can get sick so I have to nip it in the bud early by drinking a mug of Thieves tea!
What is Thieves oil?
Thieves is a blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus radiata, and rosemary essential oils. It has a bold, spicy aroma that smells wonderful when diffused, and is said to offer benefits of overall wellness and a healthy immune system. The lemon essential oil in the blend is also said to have antioxidant properties.
Is it safe to ingest essential oils?
Many people are concerned with ingesting essential oils and I agree, it's not always safe. Some essential oils are not safe to ingest, while others are in small doses. Essential oils are very potent, so it's important that you don't take an excessive amount.
It's also important to note that the regulations around essential oils are quite loose, so many companies will dilute their oils or use synthetic chemicals and still label their bottles as "pure essential oil". It's important that you buy your essential oils from a brand that you can trust, especially if you're going to ingest it!
Which essential oil brand is safe to take internally?
In my experience, Young Living's Vitality line is the most reliable. The Vitality line is a collection of oils specifically for ingesting orally, but of course, in very small amounts. I have also used a different brand's Thieves oil which I found to be very similar to Young Living's blend, but because it's not marketed to be ingested, I did not use it to make Thieves tea.
I also have friends who use Doterra and love to make Thieves tea using their On Guard Protective Blend. Whatever brand you choose, make sure it's a brand that produces high-quality essential oils that they can market to be safe for ingestion.
How to make Thieves tea
It's so simple and easy to make, I'm not sure this really counts as a recipe! Mix the honey and oils in a big mug, and add hot water or tea to it. I prefer to use raw honey, but regular honey or manuka honey would work too.
The key is to add the essential oils to the honey before adding the hot water! Otherwise, the oils float to the top and coat the mug, leaving you with very little oil to get in your body.
More recipes to keep you warm
- Lazy girl's pumpkin soup (GF/V)
- Golden milk (GF/DF)
- Japanese cream stew (GF/V)
Thieves Tea
Ingredients
- 1-3 teaspoons honey
- 1-2 drops Thieves Vitality oil
- 2 drops Lemon Vitality oil
- 1 to 1Β½ cups (240-360g) hot water or tea
Instructions
- In a mug, combine the honey and essential oils. Add hot water or hot tea to fill the mug and stir.
Rita says
Love that Pooh Mug. Pinning it on my Fiesta Friday Pin.
Will try this tea.
Ai says
Thanks Rita! Hope you like it π
Monika Dabrowski says
Never heard of this product, sounds interesting!
Ai says
Hi Monika! I started using essential oils in September so I'm pretty new to it too. But it works!
frugal hausfrau says
It sounds like the perfect thing to help boost your immunity! Plus it must taste delish - oh, just look at that honey!
Mollie
Ai says
Hi Mollie! Anything with honey, I'm all over it! haha.
Angie | Fiesta Friday says
Never heard of Thieves oil before. So great to learn something new. Thanks, Ai! And thanks for cohosting ππ
Ai says
Hi Angie! I hadn't heard of it until last summer either. I love it so much I use it to make this tea as well as clean my entire house with it haha.
Cheryl Bostrom says
I use Young Living's Thieve's Oil, so now I know to make a tea with it! Thank you! BTW we're in Japan too π
Ai says
Yay! I just drank a mug of Thieves the other day when I woke up with the sniffles! Works like a charm π
Alpa says
Wow, never knew about the Thieves tea. Thanks for sharing the information
Ai says
Hope you get to try it out! It's my go-to when I feel a little off.
Amy says
I can't believe no one has mentioned that thieves oil should not be ingested! The eucalyptus oil in thies acts as a poison and can be fatal! I learned this the hard way, felt like I was getting sick, added a few drops of thieves to tea, and could not wake up from my sleep. I was awake, but I couldn't move, and wasn't able to open my eyes or anything. It was very scary. Did some quick research, and quickly learned that it is extremely dangerous to ingest.
Ai says
Hi Amy. Thank you for your comment! And so sorry you had such a scary experience! Reminds me of when I used to get sleep paralysis. Scary stuff. I'm so glad you're ok!
Yes, Eucalyptus oil, along with other essential oils, can be very toxic when you take an excessive amount. Essential oils are very potent so it's very important you don't overdo them. You mentioned that you put "a few drops" in your tea. How many drops was that? This recipe only calls for 1-2 drops of Thieves Vitality oil, and 2 drops of Lemon Vitality oil.
I understand many brands have their own version of Thieves oil. Which brand did you use? Depending on the brand, some may have a higher percentage of eucalyptus than other brands' Thieves blend. Was it from a brand that produces high-quality essential oils that's meant for ingestion? Young Living has a line of oils specifically for ingesting orally, called their Vitality line. Thieves oil is one of the oils in this Vitality line and is meant to be taken orally, but of course, not too much at a time. I'm currently using a different brand's Thieves blend, which I find to be very similar to Young Living, but because it's not marketed to be ingested, I am not using it to make Thieves tea.
It could also be that you had an allergic reaction, which isn't unheard of. I'm assuming you already had a doctor make sure you were ok after that scary incident, but if you haven't, it might be a good idea to get tested for any allergies you may have.
I've never had any problems taking the Thieves Vitality oil internally, nor have my friends, but that doesn't mean it's safe for everyone. Again, I'm really glad you're ok!