When those chilly winds come around, the cold germs always come out of the woodwork to greet you. Sure, they tend to be a key part of the winter season, but there is no reason to just passively accept your sneezing, coughing, and stuffy nose. With the right essential oils at your fingertips, you can easily heal and even help prevent cold symptoms.
Prevention And Relief For A Cold
In order to get the most out of your essential oils, you need to find the ones that suit your current symptoms or needs. Luckily, most of these essential oils provides multiple benefits so you may find one that does it all or a simple mix to boost symptom relief.
Head Congestion And Stuffy Nose
A simple steam inhalation or mixing them into a hot bath is the best way to benefit since the steam can help open up and liquefy mucus. If you do not have time for a bath, pour hot water into a bowl and add one drop of tea tree oil and one drop of eucalyptus oil. Tea tree oil is a great disinfectant for the respiratory system and eucalyptus is great for clearing up your sinuses. However, you can also switch out eucalyptus for peppermint for a more stimulating effect. Once you have your essential oils in the bowl, simply breathe in the steam for around 10 minutes to help kill bacteria in your sinus passages.
However, if you have the extra time, try to enjoy a nice hot bath instead. This allows you to get the most out of your essential oils while being able to get the relaxation you need to battle sickness properly.
Trouble Sleeping
If you are trying to get a good night sleep after your bath, add a drop or two of lavender to your bath water to achieve quicker and a higher quality of sleep. After all, your body will be able to prevent or fight off sickness best from a good night’s sleep. Eucalyptus essential oil can also be used or added to the mix for its more soothing properties and calming sensation.
Achy Muscles
Warming essential oils tend to work best in this category. Try using black pepper oil to enjoy its warming, anti-inflammatory properties and its ability to stimulate circulation and blood flow. Ginger also tends to be warming as well. You can mix just a spoon full or two into your bath water in order to enjoy its wonderful anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic qualities. Not only that, but ginger is wonderful for stomach problems as well.
Immune Stimulants
In order to prevent a cold or to stop it in its tracks, you may need to boost your immune system. Believe it or not, there are actually quite a few essential oils known for their immune stimulating properties including lavender, eucalyptus, lemon, rosemary, tea tree, and thyme. However, thyme and peppermint are said to have the strongest antimicrobial properties which are a great help to your immune system.
