Which essential oil to choose for a cough? Top 10 essential oils for a cough.

Try natural essential oils for cough, which have a beneficial effect on the upper respiratory tract.

When we catch a cold and are accompanied by a troublesome cough, it is worth quickly implementing natural methods such as inhalation of essential oils to prevent bacterial superinfections. It is worth developing an action plan in advance to act quickly at the beginning of the disease.

Aromatherapy - what is it?
What are essential oils?
What to look for when choosing an essential oil and how to use them safely.
TOP 10 essential oils for cough.

1. Aromatherapy - what is it?

Who among us does not love perfumes, they improve our mood, we feel good surrounded by the mist of our favorite scent. The ancients already knew about the beneficial effects of scents on our well-being. Aromatic substances were used as an aphrodisiac, to disinfect rooms, perfumes and cosmetics were produced. However, aromatherapy is more than just a scent.

Aromatherapy uses compounds contained in essential oils to have a beneficial effect on our body. Although aromatherapy is classified as unconventional medicine, it can certainly be an interesting complement to standard treatment.

It is believed that the field of aromatherapy was initiated by the French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé, who was involved in research on essences and perfumes in a family perfume company. As a result of an explosion in the company's laboratory, he suffered extensive skin burns. Since the wounds would not heal using conventional methods, he used lavender essential oil and thus discovered its antiseptic effect.

2. What are essential oils?

Essential oils are volatile mixtures of organic chemical compounds. They contain dozens of aromatic substances that have therapeutic effects. Over 1,500 compounds isolated from various essential oils have been discovered.

Essential oils are obtained by solvent extraction, pressing or steam distillation. This depends on the type of raw material from which we want to obtain the essential oil. During distillation, plant parts - leaves, flowers as well as bark, seeds and roots - are exposed to steam and then condensed, obtaining the essential oil. The method of producing the essential oil can affect its properties. The use of a solvent can cause a minimal amount of it to remain in the oil, and subjecting it to high temperature during distillation can cause the loss of certain chemical substances.

3. What to look for when choosing an essential oil and how to use them safely.

When choosing an essential oil, you should choose certified products with a confirmed composition. Let's not fool ourselves that for a few zlotys we will buy a natural product, obtained from good quality raw material and with the properties we are looking for.

Did you know that to obtain 1kg of lavender essential oil, you need to distill from 25 to 175kg of lavender flowers.

Let's buy certified, organic essential oils. For skeptics, I suggest an experiment. Buy a selected uncertified essential oil at a very low price and a certified, more expensive one. Check their scent, you will immediately feel the difference. More sensitive people may feel discomfort. In my case, it manifested itself with a headache.

A very interesting company producing certified essential oils is Physalis. All Physalis essential oils have ecological certificates, guaranteeing their high quality and safety. Some of the essential oils of this company are marked with a certificate for organic food, because they are intended for consumption in limited quantities. However, such therapies should be carried out under the care of a certified aromatherapist, because improper use may have serious consequences for health.

When using essential oils, it is worth paying attention to a few issues to ensure safety:

use essential oils for massage or inhalation

the packaging should include the exact botanical name, chemotype, which determines what ingredient is present in the oil, the origin of the raw material and the extraction method

when reaching for essential oils, be careful and follow the instructions on the packaging

the substances contained in the oils may cause allergies, so before starting the massage, check if an allergic reaction on the skin will occur

aromatherapy should be avoided by pregnant women, people with high blood pressure, allergy sufferers, people with epilepsy and asthma

the use of essential oils in children should be consulted with a doctor.

4. TOP 10 essential oils for cough

The most popular essential oils used to help relieve coughs include:

tea tree
lemon eucalyptus
eucalyptus australis
marjoram
thyme
scots pine
rosemary
field mint
camphor cinnamon
atlas cedar

Essential oils for coughs