Pure Eucalyptus Oil Eucalyptus oil is the generic name for distilled oil from the leaf of Eucalyptus. It is used externally for common cold, cough, headache, clear chest cold, breath freshener, cold sores, and bath. It is also a major constituent for pain balms and floor washes. Botanical name: Eucalyptus Globulus, Origin: Ooty, The Nilgiris. The popular rub is applied to the chest and throat to relieve cough symptoms from the common cold or flu. Inhaling vapour made with the eucalyptus oil can loosen mucus so that when you do cough, it's expelled. Applying eucalyptus oil to a cold sore may reduce pain and speed up the healing process.