Best Herbs for the Common Cold: Essential Oil Steam
By Linda B. White, M.D.
September/October 1998
Essential oil steams are a good way to relieve the congestion, aches and general discomfort of colds and flu. The moisture penetrates your airways to help loosen and move mucus, and the warmth soothes aching muscles.
RELATED CONTENT
Try these homemade facial treatments as home remedies for dry skin....
Making natural treats for your dog or cat is easy and fun....
Get straight on essential fatty acids, and benefit your heart, brain, mood and more....
Chickweed is traditionally used to tame coughs and hoarseness, but this native southern European he...
Skin soothing recipe for better skin and overall health. Try this essential oil recipes....
You can augment steam’s effectiveness by adding herbs or their essential oils. When you inhale the steam, the herbs’ antiseptic, decongestant, and airway-relaxing constituents go right where they’re needed. Some people, such as asthmatics, may be sensitive to the steam and vapors of some essential oils, so take a cautious approach at first.
To make a steam, boil 1 quart of water. Lower the heat, then add 3 to 6 drops of an essential oil to the pot. Let steep 5 minutes, covered, off the heat. Take off the lid. Lean over and take an experimental breath. If the temperature feels comfortable, drape a towel over your head and breathe deeply through your nose if you have a cold or sinus infection, or through your mouth if you have a cough.
Mindy Green, director of educational services at the Herb Research Foundation, says she likes antiviral essential oils such as rosemary, peppermint, ravensara, tea tree, eucalyptus, bergamot, black pepper, melissa, and hyssop.
Green suggests pouring your steam solution into a bath, straining the solution first if you’ve used whole herbs. She also recommends mixing equal parts of the essential oils of eucalyptus, ravensara, lavender, and niaouli (an herb related to tea tree, it has a more pleasant scent but posseses similar antiviral and immune-boosting properties).
Use essential oils with care—don’t apply them directly on the mucous membranes of the nose, and especially keep them away from your small child’s nose. Using essential oils for infants and toddlers may cause respiratory failure.
If you prefer fresh or dried herbs add a handful to the pot, instead of essential oils.
Linda B. White, M.D., is a freelance editor and writer with a focus on herbal healing.
Click here for the original article, Best Herbs for the Common Cold.