Top 5 Essential Oils for Sore Throat Pain
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Essential oils are nature's medicine, and they work wonders in so many aspects. Whether you're trying to stimulate hair growth, moisturize your skin, clear up your acne, or deal with an annoying ache or pain—there's an essential oil for it. Bubbly Belle can't get enough of essential oils and their array of benefits. Not only do they smell amazing, but they can offer different levels of relief too. Count us in!
While not many realize this, essential oils are often used to help heal minor medical inconveniences like headaches, insomnia, and, yes, even sore throats.
How Can Essential Oils Help a Sore Throat?
A sore throat is usually caused by an infection or sickness, AKA the flu or a cold. Studies have been done regarding essential oils and sore throat healing.
Essential oils are an all-natural substance. Often they work for one issue or person, but not the other. It's all about trying out things until you find a solution.
It can be confusing to know that essential oils can heal a sore throat, but we're going to explain how and why.
Essential oils are the oils extracted from bark, leaf stems, and flowers. The oil is extracted by steaming or diluting the natural materials. The purpose these oils serve naturally is quite fascinating. These plants' natural oils can help protect them from predators, fungi, and other bacteria.
Like plants, humans can benefit from these oils as well. Essential oils can help reduce inflammation, kill germs, and speed up the healing process.
To get the most beneficial results, you want to inhale your essential oil or apply it directly to the skin. Of course, it depends on what you're using it for. You shouldn't consume essential oil as some are toxic and can lead to health issues.
Essential Oils That Help With Sore Throat Pain
There are a variety of essential oils that can help with a sore throat. Let’s check out some information on which ones work, and why!
1. Thyme Essential Oil
The whole reason essential oils can help reduce infection and speed up the healing process is because of their antibacterial properties. According to a 2011 study, thyme essential oil can help deter the symptoms of a sore throat thanks to its antibacterial properties.
Thyme can also help with muscle spasms. Coughing is a type of muscle spasm that can cause your throat to hurt even more.
2. Lavender Essential Oil
While the studies stating that lavender's anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties can help soothe a bad sore throat are minimal, we think you should still give it a try! Yes, the results from this study are looking good, but more studies must be done to confirm or deny if it actually works.
The great thing about working with essential oils is that regardless if you get the results you were hoping for, they're good for you either way. If they don't fix one issue, they might help with another.
Essential oils are also seen as good prevention products, meaning if you're using lavender in hopes to cure your sore throat, or might even prevent another infection from happening.
3. Tea Tree Essential Oil
Much like thyme, tea tree essential oil has strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects against germs. Believe it or not, tea tree oil has often been used as an antiseptic for gum infections or oral issues.
4. Cinnamon, Wild Carrot, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary Essential Oil Blend
Like many things, sometimes essential oils can do the most good when paired up. Don't be scared to opt for an essential oil blend over just one single oil!
Here is a solid blend that can help heal your sore throat, and here's how.
A common result of a weakened immune system is a sore throat, so if you're looking for a way to clear up any unwanted bacteria or viral infections, then you should look into an essential oil blend. One we recommend is a blend of cinnamon, wild carrot, eucalyptus, and rosemary essential oils.
One study showed strong results stating this blend could help treat the flu and common cold.
5. Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Commonly used as an antiseptic to treat a nasty cough, eucalyptus is a great essential oil to try out if you can't kick yours.
Researchers found that eucalyptus oil has antibacterial properties that can help clear up the infection and deter symptoms caused by the flu or a cold.
Important Information
When it comes to essential oils, you mustn't buy the wrong kind. Essential oils aren't regulated by the FDA, making it difficult to know what is in them. Your best bet would be sticking to essential oil companies that are transparent about their ingredients and their quality. Look for labels that include the oil's botanical info, origin, and expiration date.
The last thing anyone wants is to use essential oil with sketchy ingredients or ingredients you don't know of. Like anything you put in or on your body, you should know what is and what's in it.
Of course, our main focus today is how to soothe a sore throat, but we want to touch base on what can happen if you aren't paying attention to what is in your essential oils, especially if you're using them for your hair or skin.
You never want to put anything on your hair or skin that you don't know 100% of the ingredients, because it can cause damage and unwanted breakouts. Suppose you're using essential oils in your hair or skincare routine. In that case, that's even more of a reason to make sure your essential oils are of the highest quality.
How To Use Essential Oils for a Sore Throat
The first step to using essential oils to soothe a sore throat is choosing one. We've listed some of our favorites and ones we think will help you get your throat feeling good as new.
- Steam inhalation: Add three to seven drops of your essential oil of choice into a boiling pot of water. Now take a damp cloth and drape it over your face. Let the steam penetrate the cloth and into your mouth and throat. Keep eyes closed to prevent irritation.
- Direct inhalation: Take a cotton ball with a few drops of your essential oil of choice and lay it next to your pillow during your sleep. If you're someone that tosses and turns, maybe put one on each side.
- Diffusion: You'll need a room diffuser for this one, but we think they're honestly a great investment that everyone should have anyways. Set your diffuser up and add two to three essential oil droplets into the diffuser. All you have to do is sit back, breathe in, and relax.
- Topical Application: Take your essential oil of choice, dilute it with a few tablespoons of carrier oil, such as jojoba or coconut, then apply it to your skin.
Bubbly tip: Yes, essential oils are natural, but that doesn't mean they are meant for everything. You should never ingest them, and if you plan on using them for topical application, you must dilute them with a carrier oil first.
Ease Your Sore Throat
Essential oils are awesome! Not only do they smell amazing, but they're a natural way to help you with minor aches or pains. Each essential oil can be used for a different reason.
Just because one essential oil works for one person's issues doesn't mean it will necessarily work for you and vice versa. Finding an essential oil that works takes patience, as it can be trial and error. However, we hope the list we've formulated helps you make the right choice.
The biggest takeaways are that you should never ingest essential oils, always dilute if you plan to put on your skin, and know what is in your essential oils. Look for oils that are 100% Therapeutic Grade, like ours!
Sources:
9 Essential Oils for Treating Sore Throats | Healthline
Everything you need to know about essential oils | Medical New Today
The Best Essential Oils for Sleep | Sleep Foundation
Antibacterial activity of thyme and lavender essential oils | NCBI
Lavender essential oil: a review | CSIRO
Antimicrobial efficacy of five essential oils against oral pathogens: An in vitro study | NCBI
Antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral effects of three essential oil blends | NCBI
Antibacterial activity of essential oils from Eucalyptus and of selected components against multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens | TANDF