Essential Oils for Colds and Flu
When it comes to sick season, it is super helpful to be prepared. Natural remedies are a great option for building a strong immune system and even fighting a virus once it has already struck. Additionally, getting adequate sleep can help to boost your immune response, which will help you fight illness as well.
Natural Remedies
Do natural remedies actually work for cold and flu? Well, yes, they do. Up until this past century, the only option for fighting sickness was natural remedies. And, even when using medication, these options are a great addition to your regimen. So, what are the best natural remedies for fighting colds and flu?
- Stay Hydrated- drink at least 64 oz of water a day. Liquids with electrolytes can also be helpful for staying hydrated.
- Get Enough Sleep- the recommended amount of daily sleep for an adult is 8 hours. Your body needs extra rest when you are sick to encourage top body function.
- Vitamins- Keeping adequate levels of Vitamin C, D and Zinc can help build a stronger immune system.
- Herbal Tea with Local Honey- Not only does it help with a dry, scratchy throat, but many herbs and honey are antimicrobial and antiviral.
- Healthy Diet- Eating nutritious food will ensure that your body is getting the vitamins and minerals it needs. In addition, adding bone broth or chicken soup when you are sick can fight mucus build up.
- Aromatherapy- Many Essential Oils help to fight viruses, bacteria and even help you sleep.
Can Essential Oils Really Be Effective for Cold and Flu?
If you would like to use Essential Oils for sick season, it is important to know what oils to use and how to use them. When used properly, Essential Oils can absolutely help keep your home cleaner, support a healthy immune response, reduce congestion, and help your sleep better. All of these things are very helpful in keeping your family healthy!
Potential benefits of using Essential Oils for illnesses like colds and flu are:
- Calming cough
- Reducing mucus
- Soothing sore throat
- Encouraging sleep
- Fighting inflammation
- Opening airways
- Eliminating headaches
- Lowering fever
Several conclusive studies have been done using Essential Oils with cold and flu symptoms showing marked improvement. Some of these include:
- An Israeli spray of 5 Essential Oils that improved the severity of sore throat and cough
- A study on Chamomile that showed its sedative and anti-inflammatory effects
- A large review that shows the effectiveness of antibacterial oils in reducing respiratory tract infections
Research that proves the antiviral properties of Tea Tree Essential Oil https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1360273/
So, What are the Best Essential Oils for Cold and Flu?
Now that we know many Essential Oils can be beneficial for fighting the symptoms that come with seasonal illness, how do we know which Essential Oils to choose? A lot of this depends on what symptoms you are trying to combat. So, let’s look at what oils can alleviate which cold and flu ailments.
A major issue that comes with being sick is often congestion and the buildup of mucus. This is normal, as our bodies produce phlegm to expel the bacteria from airways. The problem is that it makes it very hard to breathe. Eucalyptus can help to loosen phlegm, clear nasal passages, reduce sinus congestion, and suppress a cough. The 1,8 cineole content has proven to also be an effective treatment for sinusitis.
The main component in Peppermint oil is Menthol which provides a cooling sensation. This feeling often gives relief to those who are stuffy. Additionally, Peppermint Essential Oil acts as an expectorant and decongestant helping to clear congestion. Lab studies also show that Peppermint can help to fight bacteria which is what can cause sinus infections. Also, Peppermint is what’s known as a febrifuge oil. This means that it can naturally help reduce a fever.
Tea Tree oil is another one that is great for clearing congestion. It can help to loosen mucus in the nose and throat to eliminate it from the body. On top of that we know that Tea Tree is a fabulous antiviral Essential Oil. This means that it can aid in fighting colds and flu before they even happen. Simply using Tea Tree in your natural cleaners or a diffuser, you can destroy viruses in the air or on surfaces around you.
Like Tea Tree, Oregano is a powerful antiviral and an antioxidant. Studies have shown that Oregano can be useful for reducing fevers and easing respiratory symptoms. Carvacrol, which is a component of this oil, is effective at fighting certain viruses. This is especially true with upper respiratory viruses like the flu.
Not only does Rosemary Oil have a refreshing scent, but the Essential Oil can help to refresh your breathing. A strong decongestant, Rosemary is a great option for clearing airways when they are full of mucus. In addition, this herbal oil is antifungal and antibacterial, which means that it can help prevent infection.
As mentioned in the study above, Chamomile is a great anti-inflammatory. This is helpful for illness as it reduces pain and swelling. Plus, Chamomile is a sedative oil so it can bring on relief for stress caused by sickness and encourage sleep when you need it most.
Lemon is a wonderful oil overall for colds and flu because it does so many things. Alleviating cough, body aches, and congestion are helpful traits, but the scent of Lemon can also be very uplifting when your cold or flu has got you feeling down. We also love it as a natural cleaner to eliminate germs in your home and prevent illness.
Frankincense is another oil that offers so many benefits that you are sure to find a way to use it for easing your cold and flu symptoms. It can calm inflammation in the airways, reducing cough and congestion which can regulate breathing. Frankincense also contains boswellic acids which are known to help boost the immune system. And on top of that, this ”king” of oils can help reduce anxiety and encourage a restful sleep.
REVIVE Immunity Boost and Protect
As you may know, the recipe for these amazing blends comes from the traditional Thieves oil that was effective in keeping grave robbers healthy during the plague. This mix of high powered antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal Essential Oils can prevent illness in your home. Plus, with regular use, this blend is said to help you maintain a healthy immune system.
How to use Essential Oils for Cold and Flu
Just like choosing the right Essential Oil for your symptom, you can choose how to use your Essential Oils based on what your body needs. The application of the oil may change the effectiveness of the Essential Oil as well. So, let’s go over the best ways to use Essential Oils for cold and flu.
- Steam Inhalation: This is an ideal way to get the Essential Oil into your airways while soothing inflammation. Simply place a few drops of your oil in a pot of boiling water and lean your head over the pot (about 8-12” away). Close your eyes, cover your head like a tent, and inhale deeply for several minutes. This would work well with Rosemary, Lemon, or Eucalyptus Essential Oils.
- Diffusion: This is one of the easiest and most passive ways to use Essential Oils for cold and flu. Add about 5 drops of your oil or blend to your REVIVE Diffuser and 100 ml water. This is a great option for any cleansing oils to destroy germs in the air. Immunity Boost, Lemon, and Tea Tree are good choices. This also works well for calming oils next to your bed at night like Chamomile or Frankincense.
- Bath: One of the greatest ways to soothe inflammation in the body is to take an Epsom Salt bath with Essential Oils. Draw a warm tub, then mix together a cup of Epsom Salts, ½ C natural soap or carrier oil and about 10-15 drops of your chosen Essential Oil, then add it to the running water. Soak for 30 minutes to ease pain and tension. This would be good to do with Rosemary, Chamomile, or Peppermint Essential Oil.
- Topical Application: Mixing your Essential Oils with a carrier oil and applying them to the skin is the perfect choice for when you need to target a specific area. This works well for congestion, headaches, sore muscles, and blocked sinuses. By safely combining your Essential Oil with Grapeseed Oil, Almond Oil, or even Fractionated Coconut Oil, it is super easy to just rub onto the desired area. Eucalyptus or Peppermint would be beneficial to use as a chest rub and Frankincense or Chamomile would be great for achy areas.
- Compress: If you have a fever, or are even feeling clammy, you could use your chosen oil with cold water. Just add a few drops of the Essential Oil to a bowl with cold water in it, dip in your rag, squeeze it out, and apply to the forehead. Chamomile or Peppermint are preferred choices for bringing down a fever.
- Cleaning: Using Essential Oils with your all natural cleaning supplies is the perfect way to fight germs in your home. One of the best ways to avoid illness is to remove the bacteria and viruses from the air and surfaces around you. Oregano, Tea Tree, and Lemon are supreme options for cleaning.
Where Can you Find the Best Essential Oils for Cold and Flu?
When it comes to using Essential Oils for seasonal illness or any reason at all, you want to make sure that you are using the best quality oils. On top of that, it is a major bonus if those oils are affordable and easy to get. This is where REVIVE shines! Backed by third party testing from the most knowledgeable in the industry, you can rest assured that REVIVE’s products are top notch. The oils are sustainably sourced, community focused, and cruelty free which is why REVIVE is the #1 place to find Essential Oil products online.
This is also where you can find some of the best Essential Oil Kits, Roll-ons, Blends, and Diffusers. Additionally, there are some very helpful articles and DIY recipes available on the REVIVE Blog.
