I had a friend ask me the other day of the best way to use essential oils for a cough and congestion. A couple of great ways came to mind. I like using a roller ball applicator and placing a breathe blend near my nostrils, along my jaw line, and rubbed onto my chest. Be sure your oils are well diluted (about 5-6 drops per ounce of a carrier oil like olive oil or grapeseed oil) if applying directly to the skin. I love using campherous oils like Rosemary, Eucalyptus, and Peppermint for this purpose. These oils act fast at clearing acute congestion.
Another great way is through a steam facial bath. Using hot, steamy water in a mixing bowl, I add about 10 drops of my favorite sinus oils (I prefer grapefruit and lavender for this purpose), place a towel over your head and lower above the bowl and inhale deeply. The steam breaks up mucous and carries the essential oil molecules into your sinuses, helping to clear them. Because of the chemical components in both the grapefruit and lavender (limonene, linalol, and linyl acetate) this blend is great for boosting the immune system, fighting inflammation, and is also antispasmodic, helping to control coughing.
Inhalation is the other very effective way to use essential oils for allergies and congestion. It takes a very small amount of oil, and, in the spirit of Earth Day, I recommend reusing essential oil bottles rater than purchasing plastic personal inhalers. The great benefits of this are cost (let's face it, you probably have at least 3 that you could dig out of your recycle bin), because they are glass, they wash and sanitize easily in the dishwasher, and you are reusing something for a similar use to what it was originally intended. You can make an inhaler 2 ways. Always start with a clean, sanitized essential oil bottle, 15ml or larger works best. Remove the plastic orifice reducer (this can be recycled or saved for other applications). Place several drops of your essential oils of choice on a clean cotton ball or piece of quilt batting small enough to push into the bottle. Place the cap on the bottle and let the blend settle in. As needed, open up the bottle, hold close to your nose, and inhale. When you want to change the blend (maybe the allergies are gone but now you have nausea!) just use a tweezers to pull the cotton ball out, wash, and reuse again. An alternative to the cotton ball is to fill the bottle with course Himalayan Sea Salt. The small salt molecules that are carried with the essential oils as you inhale can help to thin out mucous, clearing congestion, and also benefit the immune system with it's anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and antibacterial properties. Enjoy!
Another great way is through a steam facial bath. Using hot, steamy water in a mixing bowl, I add about 10 drops of my favorite sinus oils (I prefer grapefruit and lavender for this purpose), place a towel over your head and lower above the bowl and inhale deeply. The steam breaks up mucous and carries the essential oil molecules into your sinuses, helping to clear them. Because of the chemical components in both the grapefruit and lavender (limonene, linalol, and linyl acetate) this blend is great for boosting the immune system, fighting inflammation, and is also antispasmodic, helping to control coughing.
Inhalation is the other very effective way to use essential oils for allergies and congestion. It takes a very small amount of oil, and, in the spirit of Earth Day, I recommend reusing essential oil bottles rater than purchasing plastic personal inhalers. The great benefits of this are cost (let's face it, you probably have at least 3 that you could dig out of your recycle bin), because they are glass, they wash and sanitize easily in the dishwasher, and you are reusing something for a similar use to what it was originally intended. You can make an inhaler 2 ways. Always start with a clean, sanitized essential oil bottle, 15ml or larger works best. Remove the plastic orifice reducer (this can be recycled or saved for other applications). Place several drops of your essential oils of choice on a clean cotton ball or piece of quilt batting small enough to push into the bottle. Place the cap on the bottle and let the blend settle in. As needed, open up the bottle, hold close to your nose, and inhale. When you want to change the blend (maybe the allergies are gone but now you have nausea!) just use a tweezers to pull the cotton ball out, wash, and reuse again. An alternative to the cotton ball is to fill the bottle with course Himalayan Sea Salt. The small salt molecules that are carried with the essential oils as you inhale can help to thin out mucous, clearing congestion, and also benefit the immune system with it's anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and antibacterial properties. Enjoy!
 | Hi, I'm Angie...wife, mom, creative maker, and keeper of the YB Urban? Homestead with my husband, Chris, son, Kai, and daughter, Ani. I have been professionally developing handmade products throughout many disciplines for over 14 years, and been creating fresh, natural personal care products under the YB Urban? label since taking the city-to-farm leap in 2012. With over 20 years of self-study in the effective use of essential oils, I decided to take that to a whole other level and become a Certified Aromatherapist (currently deep in training) through the Aromahead Institute. I also love to teach Yoga and Pilates, and am most passionate about living a full, fun life, embracing nature's gifts, and spending plenty of unscripted family time on the farm. |
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