Homeopathic Cold Remedies

It's cold & flu season! Ick. Even though Barrett and I lead pretty healthy lives, we both sometimes come down with whatever is going around. Being teachers doesn't help either! I don't do flu shots and I try to stay away from store-bought cold remedies as much as possible.... so what DO I do?

I strongly believe in homeopathic methods of healing and have been a long time lover of aromatherapy & the many benefits of essential oils. Whenever I start to feel yucky, I rely on these stand-by recipes.

Homemade Throat/Cough Syrup:

(yields 1 jelly jar)

2 to 3 organic lemons

4 slices of raw ginger

(I slice my ginger fairly thick for this recipe, but you can also grate it, chop it, or slice it paper thin... whatever your preference!)

Local honey

Layer your lemon and ginger in your glass jar and cover with honey, repeat this layering process until your jar is full. Allow your syrup to cure in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours

To use your new delicious throat syrup you can:

Eat a spoonful

Add it to your tea

Add it to hot water and sip

Add a few spoonfuls to your Theraflu (Bear does this and loves it)

Another awesome home remedy is vapor discs in the shower. A ton of companies make these and the price tag is outrageous. Making vapor discs is so simple and only takes a few ingredients.

Cold-Busting Shower Discs

(yields 12 discs)

3c Baking Soda

30 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil

15 drops Lavender Essential Oil

a bit of water

Mix your essential oils into your baking soda to fully incorporate

Add water by the tablespoon until your get a thick paste

Spoon your paste into a muffin tin

Bake at 350 for 25 mins or allow to sit out for at least 24 hours

Pop your discs out and place in your shower... and inhale the cleansing vapor!

Lastly, I found this recipe recently while browsing through an essential oil recipe book.... it smells great and certainly feels nice, time will tell whether it works or not though.

Cough Be Gone Massage Oil

3oz Carrier Oil (I used organic Grapeseed oil)
Eucalyptus Essential Oil (30 drops)
Lavender Essential Oil (15 drops)
Tea Tree Essential Oil (10 drops)
Peppermint Essential Oil (5 drops)
Clove Essential Oil (5 drops)

Combine all ingredients in a glass bottle

This stuff smells delicious- a deep inhale from the bottle brings instant cough relief!

 To use, massage the oil on your chest and back at bedtime for cough relief. I also recommend rubbing some on the soles of your feet and wearing socks to bed as well.

So, those are my homeopathic cold remedies. Along with the above remedies, I use a lot of essential oils for cold cures. 

Some of my favorite EO blends:

Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, and Lavender on a cotton ball is great for congestion

Tea Tree, Peppermint, and Eucalyptus in a steam pot does wonders at the first sign of a cold

Lavender Mint is excellent for bedtime cold treatment

Aside from those recipes and my EO mixtures, I swear by a few tricks:

Vicks on the feet at bedtime

Echinacea (both pills & tea)

Local honey

Garlic! Lotssss of garlic!

Frequent Neti Pot usage

Detox baths (baking soda, epsom salts, & a few drops of lavender mint EO)

Airborne

REST

And, as always when using EO's and when making your own home remedies, use a glass bottle/jar of some type. Healthier and safer... no seeping plastic in your cures!

Stay healthy, my friends!

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