Many essential oils have antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and calming properties that may help relieve cold symptoms. Common ways to use essential oils for sickness include: tea tree oil to fight further infection peppermint or eucalyptus oil to clear congestion ginger oil to soothe sore throats
What are the best essential oils for colds?
The Top Essential Oils for Cold, Flu, Coughs and Sinus Infection are:
- Peppermint Essential Oil
- Tea Tree Essential Oil
- Thieves Essential Oil
- Lemon Essential Oil
- Lavender Essential Oil
- Oregano Essential Oil
What is the best oil for cold sores?
- Tea tree oil comes in diluted and undiluted form. Diluted oil is recommended if your goal is to use it as a topical ointment to treat skin ailments. ...
- The compound (terpinen-4-ol) can bolster your production of white blood cells. ...
- It sanitizes the site while also reducing the swelling from cold sores. ...
What essential oils help you relax?
Essential Oils To Help You Relax and Sleep Better
- Lavender Is Snooze-Inducing. One way to use lavender is by massaging your muscles through diluting the essential oil with a carrier oil and rubbing it on the back of your ...
- Best Brands of Lavender Essential Oil. ...
- Blending Essential Oils Creates Synergy. ...
Is it safe to use essential oils?
Right now, most essential oils are considered safe with proper use, and various studies report health benefits of different essential oils. That doesn't mean they're without drawbacks, though.
What essential oils are good for colds and congestion?
Some essential oils, including eucalyptus and peppermint oils, may help open the airways and ease congestion. Essential oils are a popular natural treatment. People use them to relieve sinus congestion, unblock a stuffed nose, and promote sinus drainage. Eucalyptus and peppermint oils show particular promise.
What should I diffuse when I have a cold?
Some essential oils may ease symptoms of a cough or cold by soothing the throat, fighting bacteria, and reducing inflammation. Research has shown that using a nasal spray containing a blend of eucalyptus, peppermint, oregano, and rosemary extracts can improve a sore throat, hoarseness, and other cough-related symptoms.
How get rid cold fast?
Cold remedies that workStay hydrated. Water, juice, clear broth or warm lemon water with honey helps loosen congestion and prevents dehydration. ... Rest. Your body needs rest to heal.Soothe a sore throat. ... Combat stuffiness. ... Relieve pain. ... Sip warm liquids. ... Try honey. ... Add moisture to the air.More items...
How do you use peppermint oil for a cold?
Place up to seven drops of essential oil in a large pot or bowl of boiling water. Lean over the bowl (keep about ten inches away or you may get a steam burn) and cover your head with a towel to create a tent. Close your eyes and breathe through your nose for no more than two minutes at a time.
What essential oil is good for coughing?
Oregano Essential Oil for Coughs and Sinus Infections. One of the best essential oils for whooping cough is oregano essential oil. With potent antibacterial and expectorant (mucus-clearing) properties, using oregano essential oil for colds is ideal for treating dry throats and irritation. Whooping cough is a contagious bacterial infection ...
How to use lavender oil for sinuses?
To use lavender essential oil for sinus congestion, add 2-4 drops of lavender essential oil to a steaming bowl of hot water, cover your head with a towel and inhale. For users wondering how to use peppermint oil for sinuses, it can be used in an aromatherapy bath, by topical application or in a diffuser.
How to use rosemary essential oil for congestion?
With antibacterial and pain-relieving qualities, rosemary essential oil can be added to a diffuser, an aromatic bath or directly inhaled to relieve congestion. For a pleasant aroma, combine 2 drops each of rosemary and lavender oil for congestion in a diffuser for up to 30 minutes.
What is the best oil for sinuses?
Lemon Essential Oil for Colds, Congestion and Sinus Infections. Lemon essential oil for cough suppression is another effective natural remedy. Known for its energizing, antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, lemon essential oil is ideal for cough and congestion relief.
How to relieve pressure in nose?
For treatment, use of an essential oil, decongestant, or antibiotic is usually an effective way of relieving the pressure. Essential oils for colds and congestion are a safe way to reduce inflammation in the nose. However, using an essential oil for congestion-related complaints can often have additional benefits, compared to traditional medicine.
What are the symptoms of a cold?
The most common symptoms of a cold include a runny nose, congestion, and a sore or itchy throat with cough. 2 Flu symptoms often include the latter symptoms, but are accompanied by muscle and joint aching, fever or chills, headaches, and fatigue. 1. Want to learn more about essential oils?
Is peppermint essential oil good for cough?
Because of its high concentration of menthol, and potent antiviral characteristics, using peppermint essential oil for cough relief has been shown to be effective in treating patients in clinical trials. 4,5
What is the best treatment for a cold sore?
1. Tea tree oil. Tea tree oil has antiviral, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties that can come in handy when you need to treat a cold sore. One 2009 study found tea tree oil had a potentially antiviral effect on HSV.
How to heal a cold sore?
Ginger oil feels warm on your skin and may soothe the irritation from your cold sore. Applying the diluted mixture topically may help your cold sore heal . Consider mixing ginger oil with some of the other oils on this list in a carrier oil. Shop for ginger oil online. 8.
How to get rid of cold sores on skin?
You can apply diluted tea tree oil directly to your cold sore using a clean cotton swab, but make sure you dilute it with a gentler carrier oil so you don’t hurt your skin. Don’t use tea tree oil more than twice per day, or your skin may become irritated. Shop for tea tree oil online. 2. Peppermint oil.
What is a cold sore called?
Cold sores, sometimes called “fever blisters,” are inflamed open sores that form around the mouth. These sores are almost always caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There’s no cure for HSV, though research is making progress on a potential future cure or vaccine. Once a person has had one cold sore, stress, sunlight, ...
Does oregano oil help with cold sores?
Oregano oil is one of the most popular home remedies for cold sores, and for good reason. Back in 1996, oregano oil’s effects on HSV was found to be substantial. showed similar antiviral properties in oregano oil, potentially due to its high amounts of carvacrol, a compound found in many aromatic plants.
Does peppermint oil help with herpes?
An older lab study. Trusted Source. from 2003 on HSV demonstrated that peppermint oil had the potential to calm the symptoms of an activated herpes strain — even if the strain is resistant to other kinds of drugs.
Can essential oils help cold sores?
But researchers are beginning to find that the organic compounds found in some essential oils could treat cold sores as well. Some strains of herpes have developed resistance to the drugs used to treat them, but essential oils could potentially be effective against these strains.
How often should I catch a cold?
Catching a cold at least once a year is inevitable for most people, especially if you have school-age children, or you spend a good amount of time on public transportation (which, in turn, exposes you to, ew, more germs). So if you’re on the hunt for natural ways to boost your immunity and prevent a cold before it hits, ...
What herbs are good for antimicrobials?
And many herbs that are used to make essential oils have antimicrobial properties, such as lavender, rosemary, oregano, thyme, ginger and garlic. Judicious use of these herbs (or using them in oil form) during illness can help fight off infection faster. Nice!
What is the best tea for a sore throat?
A common natural cold and sore throat remedy is homemade hot tea with lemon, honey and fresh ginger root. Ginger essential oil can be inhaled to potentially give you the same effect.
Does chamomile tea help with colds?
A 2010 study showed that inhaling steam infused with chamomile essential oil helped to relieve cold symptoms. Further research is still needed to say if it works for sure, but in the meantime it’s worth a shot. At the very least, it will likely have the same relaxing effect as a soothing cup of chamomile tea.
Does eucalyptus oil help with bronchitis?
Similar to tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil is believed to have antiviral properties, according to a 2017 study. Putting it a step ahead of the game, though, is the fact that inhaling it may be able help to prevent a cold from turning into a nasty case of bronchitis, according to a 2010 review.
Does lavender oil help with a cold?
Other common cold symptoms include fatigue and sleeplessness, likely caused by your cough and congestion keeping you up. Lavender oil can help promote relaxation as well as possibly ease congestion if inhaled. In addition to inhaling it, you can also simply put a few drops on your pillow before hitting the hay.
Do essential oils help with colds?
Nice! And, there are a variety of essential oils out there that supposedly help to relieve various cold symptoms, from congestion and fatigue, or help to promote quality sleep, which is an important part of boosting immunity. "Some herbs work by their antimicrobial actions—they can kill the bacteria, fungus or virus," says Dr. Lin.
How to use essential oil for congestion?
For an essential oil tissue aid formula for congestion, simply add six drops of eucalyptus oil and four drops of lavender oil onto different parts of several tissues. Then, put them into a zip lock bag. Hold a tissue to your nose and breathe in whenever congestion relief is needed. 3. Topical Application.
What essential oils are good for coughs?
Thyme oil is one of the better essential oils for coughs and congestion due to its antioxidant, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties. These effects can help support the immune and respiratory systems. In a study published in the journal Medicinal Chemistry in 2011 ( 7 ), researchers examined thyme oil ’s response to 120 strains of bacteria that were isolated from patients with respiratory infections. The results found that thyme oil exhibited strong activity against all the bacteria strains, which means that thyme oil is perfect for sore throats, coughs, and congestion due to colds.
What is the best oil to use for a cough?
In particular, it can help eliminate phlegm in the lungs. In the treatment of coughs or colds, use two to three drops of frankincense oil in your diffuser. 3. Lavender Essential Oil.
What is essential oil?
Essential oils are also called volatile oils or ethereal oils. These oils provide the “essence” of the plant’s fragrance, as well as a specific flavor. For example, the essential oil of a lemon or an orange is not difficult to identify—we can easily recognize the citrus scent.
What is lavender essential oil?
Lavender is especially useful for respiratory disorders and symptoms such as colds, influenza, coughs, and sinus congestion. Lavender is one of the most common essential oils available.
How to use basil oil for allergies?
To reduce coughing and congestion from allergies, simply add a drop of basil oil into soups or salad dressings. You can also support the respiratory system by diluting two to three drops of basil oil in equal parts of coconut oil, and then applying that mixture topically to your temples, chest, and the back of the neck.
What is the best essential oil for sinuses?
Peppermint is an essential oil best known for its antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, and expectorant properties. Peppermint is a common treatment for sinus infections, respiratory infections, coughs, colds, and sore throats.
Eucalyptus essential oil
Simply put, nothing beats eucalyptus when it comes to the common cold. The minty essential oil has antiviral properties, but also serves as a decongestant. You can treat both colds and congestion with eucalyptus. The best way to use it is via steam inhaler, but we will get to that later in the article.
Lemon essential oil
When you are ill, one of the first things that the doctor recommends is increasing your vitamin C intake. This is where lemon essential oil comes in handy. Due to its high vitamin density, lemon essential oil boosts your body’s immune system, giving it assets to fight off the cold.
Tea tree essential oil
Few essential oils can beat tea tree for its antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiviral, and antiseptic properties. Few might have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, but no other essential oil has all the properties that tea tree oil has. Therefore, using it helps prevent and treat any of the 200 viruses associated with the common cold.
Lavender essential oil
The first association people usually have with lavender is that the essential oil has numerous calming effects, making it best for a spa treatment. But what people forget is that lavender also has antimicrobial and antiseptic properties. The best part about lavender is that the essential oil is gentle, making it child-friendly.
Pine essential oil
Derived from the pine tree, this oil is best used for clearing nasal passages, and it is best to combine it with other essential oils if you want to ensure all the symptoms of the common cold are washed away. And while pine can also be used for sore throat pain, it is most effective in clearing nasal passages.
Peppermint essential oil
Peppermint combines two of the best benefits from eucalyptus and lemon essential oil. Peppermint is also a mint, so you know it has a strong odor that can clear your nasal passages. Peppermint excels in anti-viral and antiseptic properties, making it the best essential oil to be used as an expectorant.
Oregano essential oil
Oregano oil has received some high praise in recent years for its immune-boosting abilities. And when it comes to fighting off the common cold, boosting your immune system is priority No. 1. Dilute oregano oil in some water and drink it in the morning.
How to prevent colds from a diffuser?
To help prevent colds, use an aromatherapy diffuser for 10 to 15 minutes two to three times a day to diffuse an essential oil that cleans and purifies the air . Some oils that you can use are eucalyptus, ravensara, rosemary, tea tree, or thyme.
How much salt should I put in a vial of eucalyptus oil?
If you must be out and about, get a small vial with a cap. Place 1/4 teaspoon of coarse salt in the vial. Add 5 drops eucalyptus essential oil and shake. Inhale as needed for congestion relief.
What are some natural remedies for cold sores?
Home remedies that may help ease cold sore symptoms when applied include: aloe vera. hot or cold compress. zinc. vitamin E. witch hazel.
How to treat cold sores?
Cold sores can be treated with antiviral medications, which may shorten how long the symptoms last. There are various home remedies, as well, which are used to ease their discomfort. Furthermore, a lot of studies have been done that show compounds in certain essential oils may help treat cold sores. Essential oils might have some advantages ...
What essential oils are diluted?
Common carrier oils used to dilute essential oils include: coconut oil. sweet almond oil. olive oil.
Can essential oils be taken orally?
Although they may be helpful in treating the symptoms of the herpes simplex virus, essential oils can be harmful if taken orally.
Does clove help with herpes?
The effect of clove has been studied on the herpes simplex virus as well as other viruses, including hepatitis C. Clove may have an antimicrobial and antiviral effect on the herpes simplex virus. It also may decrease pain associated with a cold sore. Clove is irritating if applied directly to the skin.
Can essential oils cause redness?
Some essential oils can be irritating to the skin and may damage the skin if they are used too much. An allergic reaction is also possible when using essential oils. Hives, redness, or itching at the site of application are signs of an allergic reaction.
Can lemon balm be used as a carrier oil?
Share on Pinterest. To reduce the risk of an allergic reaction, essential oils such as lemon balm should be diluted with a carrier oil before being applied to the skin. When using essential oils to treat cold sores, it is important to understand the risks.
