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Respira oil blend (E 138)

From Vivasan Wiki
Respira essential oil blend, 5 ml bottle
Product photo.
Product code
E 138
Brand
Vivasan
Country of manufacture
Switzerland
Packaging markings
GMP
Halal
Shelf life
36 months after opening
Product type
Oil blend
Pack
5 ml
Name on packaging
DERESPIRA — ÖFFNET ATEMWEGE
Respira is a blend of four essential oils: lavender, myrtle, lemon and manuka. The blend is intended to free the nose and open the airways.[1]

Composition

Lavender oil, myrtle oil, lemon oil, manuka oil.

The plants and the oils

Lavender oil is steam-distilled from the freshly cut flowering tops of lavender.[2] Its main components include linalyl acetate and linalool.[3]

Myrtle oil is distilled in the same way from the leaves and twigs of common myrtle (Myrtus communis).[2] Green myrtle, generally from Corsica, contains much more alpha-pinene, and red myrtle much more 1,8-cineole.[4]

Lemon oil is usually cold-pressed from the peel of the lemon (Citrus limon); steam-distilled lemon oil is also sold. Limonene gives it its lemony scent.[5]

Manuka oil is likewise steam-distilled from mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium). Its composition varies with where it grows: oil from the East Cape of New Zealand is rich in triketones, known for strong antibacterial properties, while mānuka grown in Australia has almost none.[6]

Scent

What it smells like:
  • Myrtle: sweet, fresh, green and slightly camphorous; red myrtle smells more camphorous because it has more 1,8-cineole.[4]
  • Lavender: floral, fresh, sweet and herbal, sometimes slightly fruity or camphorous.[3]
  • Lemon: pressed oil is fresh, bright and zesty, like a freshly peeled lemon; steam-distilled oil smells softer and sweeter.[5]
  • Manuka: woody, earthy and balsamic, without the medicinal note of tea tree oil.[7]

Where it sits in a blend. Lemon is a strong top note.[5] Myrtle and lavender are top to middle notes.[4][3] Manuka is a middle note with some base-note character, a bridge between the two.[7]

How to use

What the blend is for:
  • The blend is intended for use on high mountain hikes and during active sport.[1]
  • In aromatherapy, myrtle oil is used for respiratory complaints, bronchitis, coughs and colds,[4] and manuka oil for bronchitis, catarrh (excess mucus) and coughs.[7]

Asthma. Fragrances, natural ones included, can make asthma worse, so treating it by inhalation carries some risk.[8] People with asthma or another lung disease should keep to the treatment their doctor prescribed and ask the doctor before inhaling essential oils.

From a tissue. Put a few drops on a tissue and breathe in.

With steam:
  1. Add 8-10 drops to a bowl of hot water.
  2. Breathe in the vapour. Keep the oil away from the eyes.[9]
  3. Stop if the vapour makes you cough; aromatherapy with lavender oil may cause coughing or headache.[10]

Storage. Store at room temperature (15-25 °C) and close the bottle after use: citrus oils that have oxidised (changed through contact with air) can sensitise the skin.[9]

Precautions

For external use only:
  • do not swallow the oil;[11]
  • keep it away from the eyes;[9]
  • keep the bottle out of the reach of children.[9]
Skin and sunlight:
  • If the blend gets on the skin, keep that area out of the sun: expressed lemon oil is phototoxic and can cause burning or changes in skin colour in sunlight.[9]
  • Topical products containing lavender may cause allergic skin reactions in some people.[10]
  • Myrtle oil itself contains estragole and methyleugenol, so at most 1.9% of myrtle oil is recommended on the skin.[4]
Pregnancy and children:
  • Young children are more sensitive to essential oils than adults.[9]
  • Properly diluted, lavender and lemon oils appear to be safe in pregnancy.[9]
Fire:
  • The oil is highly flammable: keep it away from candles and open flames.[9]

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Vivasan, product packaging of Respira (E 138).
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Steffen Arctander, Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, Elizabeth, NJ, 1960: Lavender Oil; Myrtle Oil.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 AromaWeb, Lavender Essential Oil. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 AromaWeb, Myrtle Essential Oil. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 AromaWeb, Lemon Essential Oil. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
  6. ↑ C. Mathew et al., Mānuka Oil—A Review of Antimicrobial and Other Medicinal Properties. Pharmaceuticals 2020, 13(11), 343.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 AromaWeb, Manuka Essential Oil. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
  8. ↑ Robert Tisserand, Proof of Safety: Challenges Facing Essential Oil Therapy. AIA Conference 2007.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA), Safety. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Lavender. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
  11. ↑ International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (IFPA), Statement on Internal and Undiluted Use of Essential Oils. November 2019.