15 Best Essential Oils for Cough: Benefits & How to Use

The use of essential oils seems appealing due to its natural qualities. Basically, they are extracted from plants grown across different parts of the world. Whenever a person makes use of essential oils to relieve symptoms concerned to a health condition, it is recognized as complementary alternative therapy. Today there are different essential oils available in the market, extracted from different plants. Apart from their healing power to cough, they also have other health benefits. Here we give you a list of top 15 essential oils for cough relief.

Best Essential Oils for Cough

There are various essential oils which can treat cough and related symptoms in unique way. Let’s have a look at brief of some of the best essential oils for cough treatment:

1. Peppermint Essential oil:

• This essential oil is extracted from a common herb named Peppermint which contains menthol. There are many people who make use of this essential oil for relief of congestion and cough.

2. Thieves Essential oil:

• This essential oil is considered as the perfect one to sore throat as well as cough remedy. It is known that the oil provides unique comfort for relieving coughs.

3. Lemon Essential oil:

• Lemon essential oil is famous for its capability to enhance your immune system as well as aid lymphatic drainage, which can assist a person to overcome a cough and cold rapidly.

4. Eucalyptus Essential oil:

• Eucalyptus is considered as an excellent essential oil for treatment of cough as it functions as an expectorant, assisting to cleanse your body of the microorganisms as well as toxins which can let you fall sick.

5. Black Pepper Essential oil:

• This essential oil functions to clear respiratory passages in treating sore throat, throat infections, congestion, cough and cold.

6. Cedarwood Essential oil:

• Cedarwood essential oil has been used since decades to treat cough and cold. It also has capability to cure cancer.

7. Cardamom Essential oil:

• Cardamom oil is known to possess a warming effect. This suggests that it warms up the body, facilitates sweating, assist to clear congestion and coughs.

8. Frankincense oil:

• It can assist to remove phlegm within the lungs. Besides, it even performs as an anti-inflammatory within the nasal passages, allowing the process of breathing to be easy.

9. Ginger Essential oil:

• Ginger is identified as herb with remarkable health benefits. It has capability to cure flu, nausea, chest congestion and even help with stuffy nose.

10. Lemongrass Essential oil:

• Lemongrass essential oil possesses antimicrobial, analgesic, astringent, antiseptic, deodorant, bactericidal, fungicidal, diuretic, and sedative properties which make it an ideal essential oil for relieving colds and for flu relief.

11. Patchouli Essential oil:

• This essential oil soothes inflammation as well as calm convulsions, cough.

12. Pine Essential oil:

• It is known that the health benefits of pine essential oil are credited to its analgesic, antibacterial, antiseptic, diuretic, energizing and aromatic properties. All such properties make pine essential oil to be the perfect one for cough and flu relief.

13. Rosemary Essential oil:

• Rosemary is basically a plant found across the world. This essential oil work to calm the muscles inside your trachea, offering you respiratory relief.

14. Sage Essential oil:

• This essential oil assists you to manage constant cough issues and migraines.

15. Tea Tree oil:

• Tea tree essential oil is known to possess antiviral activity, making it a valuable tool for resolving the cause of your cough and it functions as a natural disinfectant.

How to Use Essential oils for Cough?

Essential oils could be dispensed in number of ways. These oils in their purest form are extremely potent and usually need some kind of dilution before their use. It is recommended not to apply essential oils directly to your skin. Instead, combine them in carrier oil. It is found generally that the recipe is 3 to 5 drops of essential oil in a carrier oils like olive, sweet almond, or warmed coconut oil.

It happens that you may like to inhale essential oils directly from the bottle; however you should only do this for a short amount of time due to their potency. Also, you must never ingest essential oils.

1. Peppermint Essential Oil for Cough

Properly inhaling peppermint infused steam could assist you feel better and let you have a sense of relief from symptoms of cough and cold.

Ingredients:

• 1 diffuser
• Few drops of peppermint oil

Preparation Time: 5-10 mins.

Procedure:

• Initially fill your diffuser using peppermint essential oil and place it near you.
• You can also inhale the steam infused with this oil.
• Alternatively, place few drops of peppermint oil right on your throat and upper chest.
• Now rub it gently for few minutes.

How it works: It functions as natural decongestant which assists you to have easy removal of phlegm when coughing. Moreover, people facing from rhinitis condition too diffuse peppermint essential oil to feel better.

Repetitions: Once a day.

Best time to apply: At any time of day.

Tips:

• When using this essential oil topically, you could apply it alone, or could mix it with coconut oil as well as eucalyptus oil to create a vapour rub.
• It is recommended not to use peppermint oil over the skin of children below the age of 2.

2. Thieves Essential Oil for Cough

This essential oil is considered as the perfect sore throat and cough remedy. Besides, the oil delivers fast results for relieving coughs.

Ingredients:

• 15 drops of Thieves oil
• 15 drops of a carrier oil like almond, olive or jojoba

Preparation Time: 5-10 mins.

Procedure:

• Initially dilute 15 drops Thieves oil with 15 drops of carrier oil like almond, olive or jojoba.
• Now apply it to your sternum, feet, chest and throat.

How it works: The ingredients used in this essential oil are known to be antiseptic, antibacterial, and antiviral, and possess immune-stimulating properties. This suggest that the oil is capable to fight against any severe cough.

Repetitions: Once or twice a day.

Best time to apply: During evening.

Tips: If you are capable to take a stronger blend, just add few more drops of Thieves oil, to tolerance.

3. Lemon Essential Oil for Cough

Lemon essential oil is recognized for its capability to boost your immune system as well as support lymphatic drainage. This can indirectly assist you to conquer a cough and cold rapidly.

Ingredients:

• 1 glass of warm water
• 4-5 drops of Lemon essential oil

Preparation Time: 5-10 mins.

Procedure:

• First take one glass of warm water.
• Now gargle for 5-7 times with this soothing warm water.
• Now take 4-5 drops of lemon essential oil in your palm.
• Carefully rub both palms against one another till you feel the heat.
• Now apply the warm oil over your throat and upper chest.
• Keep it for 30 minutes.
• Lastly wipe it off using tissue paper.

How it works: Lemon essential oil functions to benefit your lymphatic system, which works to defend your body from outside threats. This is made possible by enhancing blood flow and decreasing swelling inside your lymph nodes.

Repetitions: Once a day.

Best time to apply: In your free time.

Tips: In an effort to relieve your cough, you need to think once about what is causing it in the first place.

4. Eucalyptus Essential Oil for Cough

Eucalyptus essential oil is popular for its capability to treat coughs and related respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, pharyngitis, and sinusitis.

Ingredients:

• 1 glass of warm water
• 4-5 drops of Lemon essential oil

Preparation Time: 10 mins.

Procedure:

• First take one glass of warm water.
• Now add 5-7 drops of eucalyptus essential oil and make sure to stir it well.
• Now just take a sip and gargle all over your throat for about 30 seconds.
• Alternatively, you can apply few drops of the mixture on your throat and massage softly.

How it works:

• Eucalyptus essential oil is actually being investigated as an anti-TB drug.
• There are several products available in the pharmacy which includes eucalyptus essential oil to relieve congestion, counting some cough drops as well as vapour rubs.

Repetitions: Three times a day.

Best time to apply: At any time of day.

Tips: There are many researches which claim that oral consumption of the essential oil is actually toxic. Hence you need to avoid consuming it and just use it topically for getting the best results.

5. Black pepper Essential Oil for Cough

This essential oil clears respiratory passages healing throat infections, congestion, sore throat, cold and cough.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 drops of black pepper essential oil
• ½ Table Spoon Honey

Preparation Time: 5-10 mins.

Procedure:

• Take one half teaspoon of honey.
• Now add 4-5 drops of black pepper essential oil, and mix it and consume.
• Use this regularly every morning in order to prevent cough and to stay away from cold as well as sore throat.

How it works:

• Black pepper essential oil works in clearing the mucus inside the airways and combating issues of cough.
• This essential oil comes with appealing flavor and found to be conveniently working to clear a stuffy nose and jammed mucus.

Repetitions: Once every morning.

Best time to apply: During morning.

Tips: Make sure to use it every day till the issue is recovered.

6. Cedarwood Essential Oil for Cough

The antispasmodic property of cedarwood essential oil assists to relieve many of the muscle spasms as well as irritations happening in the respiratory tracts, this relieving cough.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 drops of any carrier oil like almond oil
• 4-5 drops of Cedarwood essential oil

Preparation Time: 5 mins.

Procedure:

• Combine cedarwood essential oil with any carrier oil like almond oil.
• Now apply it to the chest or neck prior you go to sleep.

How it works: This can cut down coughing and improve breathing while you are trying to treat the infection and begin recovering.

Repetitions: Once a day.

Best time to apply: Before going to sleep.

Tips: Pregnant women need to consult doctor before using this.

7. Cardamom Essential Oil for Cough

Cardamom essential oil is known to possess a warming effect. This suggests that it warms up the body, facilitates sweating, and works to relieve coughs. It is the best essential oil for unclogging a packed nose due to colds and in offering relief from a cough.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 drops of Cardamom essential oil
• An 8-ounce glass of warm water

Preparation Time: 5 minutes.

Procedure:

• First add 1 drop of cardamom essential oil to an 8-ounce glass of warm water.
• Now gargle with it to relieve pain in the throat.

How it works:

• Cardamom essential oil is the best to serve warming effect. When a person is suffering from cough, he/she needs severe warming effect.
• This essential oil can reveal the jammed throat by its warming effect.

Repetitions: Once or twice a day.

Best time to apply: During morning.

Tips: Make sure to use warm water only.

8. Frankincense Oil for Cough

Frankincense essential oil is considered as one of the finest herbal oil which incorporates rejuvenating and healing properties. These properties help to decrease inflammation of throat quickly and thus aid in relieving cough.

Ingredients:

• 1 bowl of warm steaming water
• 5 drops of Frankincense essential oil

Preparation Time: 10-15 mins.

Procedure:

• First take a bowl of hot steaming water.
• Now add 5 drops of Frankincense essential oil and stir it well.
• Carefully put your head above the bowl and then inhale for few minutes.
• After the mixture temperature gets down, use it to gargle.
• Lastly, take a sip and gargle and swish inside your mouth.

How it works:

• The frankincense essential oil applies anti-inflammatory and expectorant properties for treating cough and cold.
• Besides, it even functions as natural decongestant convenient for relieving chest as well as nasal congestion.

Repetitions: Twice a day.

Best time to apply: At any time of day.

Tips: Keep this essential oil away from kids below 2 years of age.

9. Ginger Essential Oil for Cough

Ginger is basically known to be herb with surprising health benefits. The corresponding Ginger essential oil can help to cure cough, chest congestion and stuffy nose.

Ingredients:

• 1 glass of warm water
• 10 drops of Ginger essential oil

Preparation Time: 5-10 mins.

Procedure:

• First take a glass of warm water.
• Now mix 10 drops of ginger essential oil in it.
• Now cover the glass and allow it simmer for 5 minutes.
• Work to bring the glass near to your nose.
• Lastly, remove the cover and just inhale the vapour several times.

How it works:

• Ginger is the key ingredient used in this essential oil, possessing antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and expectorant properties.
• Whenever you consume this essential oil for several times, it functions to raise your body temperature which lets it difficult for virus to grow.

Repetitions: Twice a day.

Best time to apply: During morning.

Tips: Pregnant women must consult their gynecologist prior consuming this essential oil.

10. Lemongrass Essential Oil for Cough

Lemongrass essential oil is conventionally utilized in Ayurvedic medicine to help to lower fevers and condition of cough.

Ingredients:

• 1 glass of warm water
• 10 drops of Lemongrass essential oil

Preparation Time: 10 mins.

Procedure:

• First take one bowl of soothing warm water.
• Now add 8 drops of Lemongrass essential oil.
• Stir the mixture well and soak a towel using this solution.
• Carefully wring out additional water.
• Now apply it softly over your throat and chest.
• Hold it for 30 seconds and then repeat.

How it works: Lemongrass essential oil possesses antimicrobial, analgesic, astringent, antiseptic, deodorant, bactericidal, fungicidal, diuretic, and sedative properties which functions to treat colds and for cough relief.

Repetitions: Once a day.

Best time to apply: At any time of day.

Tips: The lemongrass essential oil is basically a moderate irritant hence make sure to carry out a skin patch test to confirm that it will not trouble your skin.

11. Patchouli Essential Oil for Cough

Patchouli essential oil possesses antidepressant and sedative qualities, suitable for relieving cough and relaxing your body by promoting a healthy and peaceful sleep at night.

Ingredients:

• 10 drops of Patchouli essential oil
• 1 tub of Epsom salt bath

Preparation Time: 10 mins.

Procedure:

• Initially add about 10 drops of Patchouli essential oil inside an Epsom salt bath.
• Now take a nice long soak.

How it works: This essential oil functions to smooth inflammation as well as sedate tremor, cough, and epileptic attacks causing due to hypersensitivity or hyper-reactivity of the nerves.

Repetitions: Once a day.

Best time to apply: Before going to sleep.

Tips:

• The long-lasting smell of patchouli essential oil, may be sweet, but it may be very strong and distasteful to few people.
• It is recommended to be cautious about using or inhaling excessive amount of this essential oil because its aroma could be irritating.

12. Pine Essential Oil for Cough

The health advantages of pine essential oil are credited to its analgesic, antibacterial, antiseptic, diuretic, energizing and aromatic properties. It is known that all such properties allow pine essential oil to relieve cough easily.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 drops of Coconut oil
• 4-5 drops of Pine essential oil

Preparation Time: 2 minutes.

Procedure:

• Combine 4-5 drops of Coconut oil with 4-5 drops of Pine essential oil.
• Now apply it as a chest rub.

How it works:

• In order to relieve cough and sore throats, the anti-inflammatory as well as expectorant properties of pine essential oil function in effective manner.
• The oil can help cut through the phlegm and let it simple to push out the bacteria-containing substance from your body.

Repetitions: Once or twice a day.

Best time to apply: During morning.

Tips: Pregnant women need to consult doctor before using it.

13. Rosemary Oil for Cough

Rosemary essential oil employs a relaxing effect on your tracheal smooth muscle, assisting you to relieve the cough.

Ingredients:

• 2 drops of Rosemary oil
• ½ teaspoon of coconut oil

Preparation Time: 5 mins.

Procedure:

• First combine 2 drops of Rosemary essential oil with half a teaspoon of coconut oil.
• Now rub it over your chest.

How it works: This essential oil includes cineole, which has demonstrated to decrease the frequency of coughing fits in people facing with asthma and rhinosinusitis.

Repetitions: Five times a day for three days.

Best time to apply: At any time of day.

Tips: The essential oil must not be used on kids below the age of 4 and also it is not safe for females who are pregnant.

14. Sage Essential Oil for Cough

The antispasmodic property of sage essential oil is helpful in curing pain resulting from cough.

Ingredients:

• 1 bowl of warm water
• 5 drops of Sage essential oil

Preparation Time: 10 mins.

Procedure:

• First take a bowl of warm steaming water.
• Now add 5 drops of Sage essential oil and stir it well.
• Now carefully put your head above the bowl and then inhale for few minutes.
• After the mixture temperature reaches down, use it to gargle.
• Lastly, take a sip and gargle and swish inside your mouth.

How it works: The expectorant property of this essential oil function to provide you relief from a cough, cold, and related infections happening inside your chest as well as respiratory tracts.

Repetitions: Once a day.

Best time to apply: During evening.

Tips: If a woman is pregnant or under a doctor’s care, then she should consult your physician.

15. Tea Tree Oil for Cough

The essential oil’s powerful antimicrobial properties offer it the power to kill off harmful bacteria which can lead to problems in respiratory conditions.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 drops of Tea tree essential oil
• ½ teaspoon of Coconut oil

Preparation Time: 5-10 mins.

Procedure:

• First dilute 1–2 drops of Tea tree essential oil with a half teaspoon of Coconut oil.
• Now rub it into the chest and back side of your neck.

How it works:

• This essential oil demonstrates antiviral activity, making it a helpful tool for resolving the cause of your cough and functioning as a natural disinfectant.
• Moreover, this essential oil possesses an invigorating scent which aids to clear congestion and simplify problems of cough and other respiratory symptoms.

Repetitions: Once or twice a day.

Best time to apply: At any time of day.

Tips: Tea tree essential oil is not for internal use and it must not be used during pregnancy.

All the discussed essential oils possess appropriate properties helpful to cure cough. It is known that essential oils must be utilized with care, because they are potent and unregulated. Besides, you must consult a doctor for a serious cough or when you have some serious health condition.

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