35 Essential Oils for Colds and Flu

Why Essential Oils for Flu?

Exhaustion, fever, chills, all over body aches, headaches, sneezing, coughing, and feeling so sick and drained with no energy.

Whether it is the cold or the flu, you may truly feel like you are dying.

Over-the-counter medications are not your only option to treat your cold and flu symptoms.

Essential oils are all natural and do not produce the side effects of over-the-counter medications.

Essential oils also get rid of viruses in the home, workplace, and car, which makes them a wonderful remedy for the difficult sicknesses of the cold and flu.

The common cold is typically an airborne disease and can result in hundreds of viruses that attack the respiratory system.

Along with washing your hands a lot, keeping your hands away from your eyes, nose, and mouth, and avoiding sick people, essential oils can be used physically, on surfaces in your home, and in the air.

Along with helping with physical symptoms, essential oils can help boost your mood and that of others, which helps you and them feel better emotionally, and can help you feel better physically, as well.

Essential oils can also fight bacteria, inflammation, and viruses.

They shrink body tissue and can be used as a disinfectant and a warming agent.

They will also help you clear your lungs of mucus, will help with circulation issues, and will naturally boost your immune system.

 

Ways to Administer Essential Oils

There are many different ways in which you can administer essential oils.

Aromatherapy, such as using the oils in a diffuser, is one.

You can also put a few drops of essential oils in your bath water, or massage them into your skin by using hot and cold compresses, in addition to inhaling them via steam.

 

Best Essential Oils for Treating Colds and Flu

 

Pine Essential Oil

Pine oil comes in a lot of different varieties, as it is possibly the most popular and most used household fragrance.

It is also well liked in disinfectants and deodorizers.

You can use pine essential oil to keep your home and the air you breathe clean and fresh.

Since pine oil has uplifting and purifying qualities, it can help you eliminate fatigue and worry.

It will also help you clear the air, and rid yourself of negative emotions.

Using pine essential oil in your diffuser will also help keep your household healthy during the cold winter months.

 

How to Use Pine Essential Oil

One way to use pine essential oil is in your diffuser.

It will deodorize the rooms in your house, and also improve the air quality.

This essential oil can also help you feel more alert, clear, and productive.

You can add a number of drops of this essential oil to cedar and neroli to make a good smelling and effective blend.

Pine essential oil can also be used as a compress, or it can be inhaled from hot water, such as when you take a bath or shower.

When it comes time for you to clean your house, you can add it to warm water or whatever cleaners you use around your house.

Also, to help you during the winter months, you can make a Wintertime Assist Blend out of two drops of pine oil, two drops of eucalyptus smithii oil, two drops of lemon oil, two drops of marjoram oil, one drop of rosemary oil, and one drop of thyme oil.

 

Frankincense Essential Oil

Frankincense essential oil is an oil with a lot of health benefits.

The main ones are it can help you build and keep a healthy immune system, and it also can promote your cellular health.

And it can reduce the appearance of any scars or stretch marks you may have, in addition to calming and soothing your skin.

 

Cypress Essential Oil

Cypress oil has a fresh and slight wood scent that is masculine scent and also grounding.

It has been used for a long time for urinary and liver support, and also muscular and joint health.

The main benefits of this essential oil are that it can help you to breathe more easily, which means it is a good essential oil for a cough.

It will also soothe your tight and tense muscles, and help you eliminate oily skin.

And it will help keep your respiratory system healthy and support your localized blood flow.

 

How to Use Cypress Essential Oil

Rub cypress oil on your chest to support healthy breathing, or rub it on your throat to relieve a sore throat.

 

Oregano Essential Oil

Oregano essential oil is a very popular essential oil.

It provides a lot of health benefits, and more are being discovered on a daily basis.

Eating dried or fresh oregano is good for you, but oregano essential oil is even better.

It is used to support the immune and respiratory systems, and it helps the joints and muscles, as well.

Oregano is well-known for being a cleansing and purifying agent.

You will also love that it boosts the immune system, helps with digestion and that it contains a lot of antioxidants.

 

How to Use Oregano Essential Oil

You can take one drop of this oil to help your immune system during cold and flu season, as it is a good essential oil for flu.

Another way to use it to boost your immune system is to rub a mixture of it and fractionated coconut oil on the bottom of your feet.

Dried oregano will help improve the flavor of your spaghetti and pizza sauces, or you can put it on a roast.

To clean your household surfaces, you can put ten drops of this essential oil with water in a sixteen-ounce spray bottle.

To get rid of skin blemishes, put a drop of this essential oil on them to clear and soothe them.

You can also make an all-natural hand sanitizer out of oregano essential and coconut oils.

This mixture can be used to kill germs, and stop them from spreading during cold and flu season.

All you need to do is combine ten drops of oregano essential oil with two tablespoons of coconut oil to make your own do-it-yourself, cost-effective sanitizer.

If you have a sore throat, you can add a few drops of oregano essential oil to juice, milk, or water to soothe it.

 

Rosemary Essential Oil

Rosemary essential oil helps the immune, respiratory, and nervous systems, and provides a lot of other benefits, as well.

If needed, it can also improve your memory, open your conscious mind, and help you learn.

And it supports your respiratory system’s proper function.

 

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Eucalyptus essential oil helps with the respiratory system, deodorizing, and more.

The main benefits of this essential oil are helping you breathe easily, which means it is a good essential oil to treat congestion.

 

How to Use Eucalyptus Essential Oil

You can make a shower melt to help your respiratory health with this essential oil.

It is a good essential oil for a cough.

All you need is two cups of baking soda, water, ten drops of eucalyptus oil, ten drops of peppermint oil, five drops of rosemary oil, and five drops of lavender oil.

First, you will gradually add the water to the baking soda and make a thick paste.

Then you will add the essential oils in, mix them well, and put them in a small mold of your choice.

Let them air dry overnight, and then put them in an airtight container.

Put a melt in your shower when you need respiratory support.

 

Ginger Essential Oil

Ginger essential oil has effects on the digestive and nervous systems.

It helps with indigestion, nausea, warming the body, and supporting digestive health overall.

Ginger can help you with your emotional, mental, and spiritual health by removing feelings of being powerless and a victim.

To help you during the winter months, you can make a winter diffuser blend by combining two drops of lemon, two drops of wild orange, one drop of ginger, and two drops of frankincense essential oils.

 

Tea Tree Essential Oil

Melaleuca oil (also known as tea tree oil) has been used for centuries by cultures throughout the world to soothe.

This essential oil can cleanse and rejuvenate your skin, support your immune system (which makes it a good essential oil for flu) and help you against environmental and seasonal threats, making it a great essential oil for colds.

 

Clary Sage Essential Oil

Clary sage essential oil is regularly used to support the hormonal system (typically in women), but it can also help you with stress, mood swings, and soothing the skin.

The main benefits of this essential oil are that it helps with menstrual cramps, to balance hormones, to soothe tension, to lighten moods, and is calming and soothing to the skin.

 

Lemon Essential Oil

Lemon essential oil mainly helps with the digestive and immune systems, and respiratory problems, to make the body function as healthily as it possibly can.

For this reason, it is a good essential oil for a cough.

It is a very popular essential oil, and it is very versatile.

You can use it to cleanse and purify the air, naturally, cleanse the body, help with digestion, and promote a positive mood and cognitive ability.

Since it also supports the respiratory system, it is a great essential oil for colds.

And it can help you release stagnant energy and lethargy, which will support your physical health.

 

How to Use Lemon Essential Oil

You can combine this oil with peppermint and lavender essential oils to help with seasonal respiratory problems.

If you have lymph node swelling, you can rub this essential oil on them.

 

Thyme Essential Oil

A lot of research done on thyme has shown that it may support the immune system, muscular health, respiratory health and wellness, joints, infection treatment, and emotional health.

One of its main uses is to promote good health in the winter time, which makes it a great essential oil for flu.

 

How to Use Thyme Essential Oil

Two drops of this oil can be added to veggie capsules to improve your immune system.

When your skin feels dry (especially during the winter months), you can dilute this essential oil with fractionated coconut oil to cleanse and purify your skin.

 

Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender essential oil is used for a lot of household tasks and health purposes.

It has become so popular and has so many applications that many people say “when in doubt, try lavender.”

The main benefits of this essential oil are that it is calming and relaxing, it soothes occasional skin irritations, it heals skin in a timely manner, and it eases muscle tension.

 

Juniper Berry Essential Oil

Juniper essential oil is regularly used to help the urinary system, skin, and digestive and nervous systems.

It can be used to help you cleanse and detoxify, also.

The key benefits of this essential oil are supporting healthy kidney and urinary function, and it can help troubled skin areas.

It can also act as a natural cleansing and detoxifying agent, and it can help you get rid of stress and tension.

Joints can stiffen during the cold winter months, and a spray made out of this essential oil can help.

All you need to do is put four drops of juniper berry and three drops of peppermint, marjoram, Roman chamomile, helichrysum, and ginger essential oils in a five-milliliter roller bottle.

Top with fractionated coconut oil.

 

Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint oil is mostly used to support the digestive, nervous, and respiratory systems, as well as muscular and joint health.

The main benefits of this essential oil are promoting healthy respiratory function and clear breathing.

Lips and skin can get dry and irritated during the winter months, and peppermint essential oil can help with that, as well.

You can make an invigorating lip balm by heating two tablespoons of oil with one teaspoon of beeswax.

Then you will add ten tablespoons of peppermint essential oil.

You can use the balm when it is cool and firm.

To make a soothing skin salve, combine two cups of oil with ¼ cup of beeswax until well mixed, and heat until it is well combined.

While it is still hot, add twenty drops of peppermint and fifteen drops of lavender essential oils.

 

Basil Essential Oil

Basil essential oil mainly helps with muscular, respiratory (which makes it a good essential oil for congestion), and joint support.

What makes the oil so powerful is that it is so potent.

The main benefits of this essential oil are that it soothes sore joints and muscles, and it helps people breathe clearly.

It can also soothe mild skin irritation that occurs during the cold winter months.

If you are having trouble with clear breathing, you can apply this essential oil topically, or put it in a diffuser.

 

Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil

Cinnamon essential oil has been used as a tonic, digestive aid, and more for many centuries.

It can help you with immune system issues, and to “fight off the funk.”

The main benefits of this essential oil are that it promotes circulation when it is taken internally or put on the skin, and it helps maintain a healthy immune system.

 

How to Use Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil

To support your immune system, put two drops of this essential oil in an empty veggie capsule.

When you have a sore throat, put a drop of cinnamon essential oil in hot water or tea to relieve the pain.

In the winter when you have achy and cold joints, dilute the oil with a carrier oil and rub it on the problematic joints.

 

Sandalwood Essential Oil

Therapeutically, this essential oil is mostly used to support healthy skin, the nervous system, and muscles and bones.

It has a huge impact on health and wellness, especially the brain.

Sandalwood essential oil is one of the oils with the capability of passing the blood-brain barrier, a necessary component in supporting cellular health.

 

Clove Bud Essential Oil

Clove bud essential oil is traditionally used for immune, respiratory (which makes it a great essential oil for colds), and digestive support.

The main benefits of this essential oil are that it has powerful antioxidant qualities, promotes circulation, supports cardiovascular health, helps soothe teeth and gums, promotes oral health, and supports a healthy immune system.

If you get a sore throat (which is very common during the cold and flu season), you can put a drop of this essential oil in two ounces of water, and gargle to get relief.

To boost your immunity in the winter, put this essential oil in veggie capsules.

 

Grapefruit Essential Oil

This essential oil has an uplifting scent that is said to raise people’s energy levels and give them more stamina.

It also helps people increase their activity levels, and helps clean your system from the inside out.

The main benefits of this essential oil are that it cleanses and purifies, helps with oily skin issues, supports a healthy metabolism, and helps reduce mental and physical fatigue.

To clear congestion (since this is a problem especially during cold and flu season), diffuse this essential oil, or apply it topically to the congested areas.

 

Lemongrass Essential Oil

Lemongrass is typically used in cooking.

However, since the essential oil is highly concentrated, it actually has more benefits.

The main benefits of this essential oil are that it supports healthy digestion, soothes aching muscles and tension, and purifies and tones skin.

 

Lime Essential Oil

This essential oil is mostly used for digestive support, boosting the immune system, and respiratory function.

Its smell is very invigorating and uplifting.

The main benefits of this essential oil are that it is a powerful antioxidant that supports a healthy immune system, and it has stimulating and refreshing properties that improve moods.

It is also used as an aromatic, topical, and internal cleanser, and it promotes emotional balance and well-being.

 

How to Use Lime Essential Oil

You can use this essential oil in a diffuser to clean the air.

 

Hyssop Essential Oil

These days, hyssop essential oil is used in aromatherapy to help treat problems connected with respiratory issues.

It can help you with respiratory illnesses like colds, coughs, and the flu.

During the winter when colds and flu are prevalent (as well as fevers), this essential oil can help you lower your body temperature and fever.

 

Roman Chamomile Essential Oil

This essential oil has been known to help with the nervous system, emotions, and skin.

It has also been used for many centuries to help people get a good night’s sleep, which makes it a popular oil to use right before bedtime.

It is commonly drunk as a tea, but you can also put it on your nightclothes or pillows.

The main benefits of this essential oil are that it has a therapeutic and calming effect on the skin, mind, and body, and it soothes the body’s systems.

It may also help support your healthy immune system function.

 

Fennel Essential Oil

Fennel essential oil is known for its cleansing and cooling properties.

It has an expectorant effect that helps to loosen thick mucus in the respiratory passage.

That is why it is ideal for fighting cold and flu symptoms.

This essential oil is used in a lot of cough drops and over-the-counter medications.

If you have a cold or the flu, mix with a few drops of carrier oil and massage it into your chest.

 

Helichrysum Essential Oil

This essential oil was originally made to reduce the intensity of respiratory problems that include asthma, whooping cough, liver illnesses, bronchitis, and chronic coughs.

It is still widely used today, and it is well-known as one of the best essential oils for colds and flu.

Helichrysum has an antispasmodic effect that will help soothe a cough.

It also helps clear up mucus and sinusitis.

When you want to use this essential oil, put three to four drops of it in a bowl of hot water, and inhale the steam.

 

Manuka Essential Oil

This essential oil is obtained by distilling it with steam from the leaves and twigs of the plant.

It is a powerful antihistamine that treats allergic reactions and colds.

It also acts as an antibacterial, and it is very good at treating colds and the flu.

 

Niaouli Essential Oil

This essential oil is mainly used as an astringent and a disinfectant.

That means that it will help your body fight infections, like very bad colds and the flu.

It is also a decongestant and an expectorant.

It relieves congestion in the respiratory passages, and it can improve conditions like sinusitis, bronchitis, and catarrhal.

To use this essential oil to alleviate colds and the flu, put two to three drops of it into hot water.

Drape a towel over your head with your face over the bowl, and inhale the steam for a few minutes.

You can also add it to your diffuser or vaporizer if you wish.

 

Blue Tansy Essential Oil

This essential oil is well-known for its antihistamine properties, and it does a great job of helping with stuffy noses, as well.

All you have to do is put a small amount of this essential oil on a Q-Tip, and rub it in or around your nose.

It will also help remove mucus from your lungs, and relieve symptoms, as well.

Blue tansy is also a great anti-inflammatory and anti-allergen.

 

Ravensara Essential Oil

This essential oil has antiviral properties that inhibit the attack and growth of viruses and bacteria that cause diseases.

It accomplishes this by breaking through the external layer of the pathogen and destroying it from the inside out.

The expectorant elements in this essential oil help clear the lungs of phlegm and, therefore, provide you with relief from coughs, breathing issues, congestion, and tightness in the chest.

This essential oil improves the immune system’s health and can stop you from getting the flu and other respiratory problems.

This natural antispasmodic will also provide you with relief from the muscular aches that are a common part of having the flu.

 

Bay Laurel Essential Oil

This essential oil is great for fighting colds and congestion.

Before you use it, you need to dilute it with a carrier oil.

If you do not, it will cause irritation, which will do you more harm than good.

After you dilute it with a carrier oil, you can rub it into your lymph nodes to fight off the cold and congestion that often come with the flu.

It is not to be used for a long period, though, and pregnant women should never use it.

 

Cajuput Essential Oil

This essential oil is a natural immune booster.

It will give your immune system the kick it needs to recover more quickly from an illness.

If you use this essential oil on a regular basis, it will hopefully prevent you from getting sick, to begin with.

 

Thieves Essential Oil

Thieves essential oil is interesting because its name is from thieves finding it.

If you have the flu, you can use this essential oil to purify the air in your home and clear out the virus.

It can also help soothe your sore throat.

 

Bergamot Essential Oil

This essential oil helps recharge the central nervous system with a renewed energy that indirectly helps strengthen the immune system.

The coumarin content of this essential oil has been found to stimulate white blood cell transformation values in cancer patients.

 

Menthol Essential Oil

Menthol essential oil is rejuvenating and fresh.

It is well-known for its effect on easing breathing.

This essential oil for colds and flu can be put on the back or chest or inhaled.

It can be safely applied to the skin, and it is very good at helping to clear the sinuses.

 

Myrtle Oil

Myrtle oil became popular because it has antimicrobial, astringent, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, decongestant, and stimulant properties.

It is also an effective deodorizer.

And it has a long history of helping treat a multitude of diseases and illnesses, and today aromatherapists use it for respiratory and skin ailments.

If you have any respiratory problems like asthma, bronchitis, and cough, you may benefit from its expectorant properties.

It will remove excess mucus from your respiratory tract.

This oil is also gentle, and so is particularly helpful for those children and the elderly who struggle with nighttime coughs.

To treat respiratory ailments, diffuse the oil.

You can also add four to five drops to your bath salts and mix it with the warm bath water, or put a diluted blend of it on your back.

As a thirty-five-year-old mom of two children, life is very busy, hectic, and sometimes stressful.

I love using essential oils (like the ones mentioned here) to keep myself healthy emotionally, mentally, and physically.

And they can help my children with emotional and physical issues like allergies and trouble sleeping.

I can even use some of them when I cook meals for my family.

With all their great benefits and uses, essential oils are a vital part of my life, and my family’s life, as well.

If you try them out, I think essential oils will become a vital part of your life, too.