It's Not All a Bunch of Hocus Pocus

IT'S NOT ALL A BUNCH OF HOCUS POCUS!

Natural Remedies to help ease the signs & symptoms of those pesky cold & flu like symptoms!

“It’s that time of year again,” I’ve found myself saying that at least half a dozen times over the past couple of weeks with the number of people I’ve heard coughing and blowing their nose – usually quickly followed by “I’ve done a test and it’s negative!”

So as the days get colder, and darker, I thought for this Wellbeing Wednesday, I’d offer up some advice in terms of essential oils for dealing with the common cold. 

Essential Oils

If you missed my previous post on aromatherapy – there is some key info in that in respect of using essential oils safely, so I’d highly recommend heading here first before using any of the oils I suggest below.

The long an short of aromatherapy however is this; Essential oils are the hormone of the plant that is extracted, which is why they have a biological & physiological impact on the body – Cool right! (Well I think so! Ha ha!)

The following essential oils are all Anti viral & Anti bacterial, some of which have even been used in studies to help combat influenza (H1N1) and with amazing results.

• Tea Tree Oil
• Cinnamon
• Bergamot
• Lemongrass
• Thyme
• Lavender
• Clove
• Peppermint
• Eucalyptus
• Rosemary

Both Tea Tree Oil & Cinnamon showed 100% inhibition of H1N1 after 30 mins of inhalation. Whereby Bergamot, Lemongrass, Thyme & Lavender showed 95%, 90%, 70% & 80% respectively after 30 mins of inhalation.

In liquid form Cinnamon, Bergamot, Thyme, Lemongrass & Thyme showed 100% inhibition of the H1N1 virus on application. Whereby Lavender showed only 85% - still pretty high though! (You can read more on the study here by the International Journal of Molecular Science)

I think it goes without saying that I absolutely, do not suggest you sit there for 30 solid minutes inhaling your oil of choosing, however  do suggest purchasing a decent diffuser which will release the oils into the air for you, or adding a few drops to a tissue and inhaling intermittently throughout the day. More tips can be found here

Below you can find the contraindications of each oil - I would highly recommend reading through each of these if you are on any long term medication or suffer with any health condition that you are under medical supervision for, before choosing your oil

Rosemary Essential Oil is a great one, and one I tend to hurl around like Holy Water at this time of year – however it does come with some warnings! Avoid using at all costs if you are Pregnant, have High Blood Pressure or suffer with Epilepsy

Tea Tree Oil & Lavender essential oils are the only two that are safe to apply to the skin directly, however Lavender naturally lowers blood pressure & can be a trigger for some migraine sufferers

Cinnamon essential oil should be avoided if you have any liver damage, take anti-coagulants, are on diabetic medication, have any blood disorders or are about to undergo surgery - as it can thin your blood!

Bergamot essential oil can make the skin photosensitive, not really an issue for this time of year unless you’re going on holiday or using sunbeds. It should be avoided if you are diabetic though, as it can naturally lower your blood sugar levels

Lemongrass is for the most part a pretty safe oil. It can, in rare cases cause skin irritation, but that’s about it.

Thyme similar to Cinnamon can thin blood, so it's advisable to avoid if you’re awaiting surgery and for at least two weeks afterwards. Avoid if you suffer with anything oestrogen related or have other hormone related conditions such as breast, uterine or ovarian cancer, endometriosis or uterine fibroids as there is evidence to suggest that the body may treat it as oestrogen potentially making the issue worse

Ahhh Clove, great for tooth ache, aches pains, coughs & colds – but only in the smallest of amounts! I would absolutely never use this on children and in adults, use only a 1% dilution. Also known to thin the blood.

Peppermint essential oil is a beautiful menthol oil which is not only Anti-Viral & Anti-bacterial, but also a great for opening up your airways, however it is reccomended to avoid in children under 2 and pregnant or breastfeeding women

Eucalyptus smells amazing, and great for calming coughs when applied to a carrier oil and applied to the chest. However, there is evidence to suggest that it can interfere with several medications including those used to treat narcolepsy & ADHD

I would suggest Dilution as follows:

Infants 0.3% | 1 drop of essential oil to 1 tbsp of carrier oil

Children 1% | 1 drop of essential oil to 1 tsp of carrier oil

Adults 2%-4% | 3-6 drops of essential oil to 1 tsp of carrier oil

All these oils are great when blended with a carrier oil for rubbing on the feet or back (in babies & children) or chest, back & back of neck in adults

I do make my own and sell a blend called Of Air which has been used by adults & children alike to help them fight through the congestion & coughs of the common cold, as well as prolong the life & marriage of snorers.

It is simply a combination of Eucalyptus & Peppermint oil and can be purchased from me directly as:

A candle (great for cosy evenings in)

A balm (great for snorers when swiped across the top of the nose), or as a body oil (great for after the bath or shower)

A roll on (great for keeping in your bag to apply to your pressure points, temples and forehead).

Both the oils & balm can be applied directly to the skin and are perfectly safe to use unless you have any of the contraindications above.

As with any product containing essential oils it’s important to try them on a small area of skin first to make sure there is going to be no adverse reactions

Other Great Ways to Keep your Immunity Up &/or to help you Recover Faster

Yogi Tea - Head here for the recipe!!

Avoid Smoking

Avoid Alcohol

Get your vitamins! Vitamins that keep your immune system in tip top condition include A, B6, B12, C & D as well as Copper, Folate, Iron & Zinc

Eat more fresh fruit & veg

Exercise Regularly

Rest & regularly Sleep

Stay Hydrated

Meditation​ - Stress is known to naturally lower the immune system, so if we can reduce stress, we can in turn help to protect our immunity

Thank you so much for connecting with me today!

I would love to know if you've tried any of these or have any other great ideas or remedies that work for you!

Be Well, Be Blessed & have the most wonderful day!

Anna x