The Story of Protective Oil

How a recipe shared between friends became the first preparation in the Herb & Ritual Apothecary.

Sometimes the things we make begin not with a plan, but with a conversation.

Protective Oil began thousands of kilometres away, with a friend of mine in Turkey. Her sister had discovered a botanical oil blend and, knowing I had recently been told I was showing early signs of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, my friend shared the recipe with me.

At the time, I was at the beginning of a much bigger exploration of my health.

I didn't want to simply wait and see what happened. I wanted to learn about my body, understand the factors I could influence and explore ways of supporting my health that could sit alongside appropriate medical monitoring.

And so I began researching.

From a shared recipe to my own apothecary

The original recipe brought together four ingredients: castor oil, frankincense, St John's wort and lemongrass.

I became fascinated by each of them.

As I read about their traditional uses and began looking into the emerging scientific literature, I discovered that these plants and their constituents have been investigated for a remarkably diverse range of biological activities.

Frankincense particularly captured my attention. Its long history of traditional use stretches back thousands of years, while contemporary research continues to investigate compounds found within Boswellia species for their biological properties.

St John's wort was another plant I knew by name but had never explored deeply. Lemongrass brought its beautiful, distinctive aroma, and castor oil provided the rich base that brought the preparation together.

The more I learned, the more curious I became.

I sourced organic ingredients from reputable suppliers and began crafting my own version of the recipe in small batches.

A nightly ritual

Using the oil quickly became a simple evening ritual.

I would apply it over the skin around my throat before bed. There was something surprisingly comforting about the process itself: taking a moment to stop, apply the oil intentionally and breathe in the warm botanical aroma.

It became about more than the ingredients.

It was a small act of paying attention to my body.

At the same time, I was making many other changes. I had begun meditation and breathwork, changed aspects of my diet, and was taking a number of supplements and herbal preparations as part of my broader fertility and wellbeing journey.

Then, after approximately four weeks of using Protective Oil, I asked to have my thyroid antibodies tested again.

An unexpected result

My anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) antibodies had fallen from 84.3 IU/mL to 68 IU/mL — a reduction of approximately 19%.

I was delighted.

But this is also where I think curiosity needs to sit alongside caution.

I cannot say that Protective Oil caused this change.

I had changed several things simultaneously, antibody levels can fluctuate over time, and two blood tests in one person cannot establish cause and effect.

For me, therefore, this isn't evidence that an oil can prevent or treat Hashimoto's disease.

It is simply part of my personal story — and an observation that made me even more interested in understanding what was happening.

I also noticed changes that were harder to quantify. Puffiness and inflammation around my face appeared reduced when I compared photographs, and the stiffness and discomfort I had been experiencing around my neck improved.

Again, I cannot know which of the many changes I was making contributed to these differences.

But I noticed them.

And I wanted to keep learning.

The beginning of Protective Oil

That little bottle eventually became Protective Oil, the first preparation in the Herb & Ritual Apothecary.

Its name reflects the intention with which I originally made it, rather than a promise of a particular therapeutic effect.

For me, it represents something bigger than one product.

It represents the way I want the Apothecary to grow: curiosity first.

Discover something. Research it. Look at its history. Look at the evidence. Make carefully. Observe. Ask questions. And remain willing to change your understanding as you learn more.

As I continue my naturopathy studies, I hope to revisit the individual ingredients in Protective Oil through future Apothecary Notes — exploring what traditional herbal practice tells us, what contemporary research has investigated, and importantly, where the evidence is still uncertain.

Protective Oil began as a recipe passed from one woman to another, across countries and between friends.

Now it has become part of my own learning journey — and the beginning of Herb & Ritual.

This article shares my personal experience and is not evidence that Protective Oil prevents, treats or alters Hashimoto's thyroiditis or any other medical condition. Information shared through Herb & Ritual is for general educational purposes and should not replace individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.