I’ve been battling a head cold and winning. My main weapon has been a neti pot with Real Salt and iodine. That has stopped the post-nasal drip and the irritating night-time cough that goes along with it. I just mix one drop of iodine into each teaspoon of salt I use for the neti-pot in a little glass jar. I use that salt to make a normal saline solution. I make my saline as 1/3 teaspoon to every cup of warm water.
I’m taking my normal nutritional supports of elderberry, Vitamin D, sodium ascorbate and andrographis. I’m not giving the kids the andrographis due to only having it in tincture form and that is the most bitter thing I think I’ve ever put in my mouth.
I’m also making liberal use of homemade vapor rub. This recipe is quick and easy to throw together and use to keep your nose and mouth from getting sore. I’m using it on my kids, especially as the younger is not able to use a neti pot yet. Their little noses are starting to turn red. If this moves into our chests, I’ll use it at night to help stop the coughing so everyone can rest. I’m allowing the kids to sleep in until they wake up on their own each morning, to give their bodies extra rest so they can heal.
Now that I have some menthol crystals, I’ll likely add a little in the next time I make this. That would make it more like Mentholatum instead of Vapor Rub.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tbs grated beeswax
60 drops eucalyptus essential oil
15 drops peppermint essential oil
15 drops rosemary essential oil
15 drops clary sage essential oil
Place the olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the beeswax and heat over medium-low heat until the beeswax dissolves, whisking regularly. Allow to cool until slightly warm. Add essential oils and whisk thoroughly. Pour into a small, wide-mouth glass jar. Massage onto chest or onto upper lip as needed.
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You’ve been rockin’ the helpful tips today. Loved the schedule and now this. Great idea with the iodine. You are a wealth of knowledge.
Get well soon, all of you!!
1st thanks for this recipe. I will be trying it… with one omission. My son has asthma. Rosemary oil (Rosmarinus officinalis) can cause asthma flare ups. Please do not use this around people (adults and children) with asthma. I goofed and had been using it for a few days in a vaporizer. It does take care of runny stuffy noses quickly for the rest of us. I’ve switched to eucalyptus oil in the vaporizer and it works just as well for us as the Roesmary oil.
Thank you for sharing! I don’t have a child with asthma, so I wasn’t aware of the issue with rosemary.
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I was interested in your caveat, as my youngest granddaughter has just been diagnosed with asthma, so was trying to find sources for this warning, but the websites I’ve found state that rosemary can actually help asthma. I’d appreciate knowing your sources so that I can read up on this. Thanks!