Essential Oils for Respiratory Support | Breathe Deep Naturally
It is a wonderful feeling to be clear and to be able to Breathe In and Breathe Out. I used a blend of essential oils to create an inhaler this fall and found it very helpful for breathing deeply and clearly! I think creating a blend using some of the below essential oils for respiratory support would be useful, especially during the change of the seasons.
A Blend of Essential Oils for Respiratory Support
Below are 8 of my favorite essential oils for respiratory support. I chose Eucalyptus radiata instead of Eucalyptus globulus; however, they offer very similar benefits. Studies have been done on eucalyptus for respiratory issues.
Lemon Essential Oil has a bright and refreshing scent. It is a great oil for lifting up your spirit and your energy. It has antimicrobial properties, making it useful for helping to support a healthier you. Especially when you have a stuffy head, cold, or flu.
Sweet Orange Essential Oil is another uplifting oil with a bright and wonderful citrus scent. It is great to add to any blend because it just makes you feel better. It is known for its antiviral and antibacterial properties, making it great for helping to support a healthy you and healthy airways.
Eucalyptus Radiata Essential Oil has more of a minty scent than the more familiar Eucalyptus Globulus, yet it’s slightly more delicate. It offers wonderful decongestant and expectorant properties like Eucalyptus Globulus, making it great for coughs, flus, colds, and scratchy throats.
Spearmint Essential Oil has an uplifting minty scent with analgesic, decongestant, and expectorant properties. It is helpful due to its properties when you have a cold, flu, sinus, and chest congestion. I also like this oil because of its analgesic properties.
Cypress Essential Oil offers a grounding woodsy scent to this blend. It has decongestant and lymphatic drainage properties, making it beneficial for this blend. It’s an oil that moves things.
FIR Essential Oil also adds to the grounding woodsy scent. I love this oil for the respiratory system. It’s a very gentle and effective decongestant and expectorant, making it a great addition to this blend, helping with any respiratory concern and offering immune support.
Ravensara Essential Oil has an herbal scent that may remind you of Eucalyptus Globulus. It has decongestant, expectorant, and immune-stimulating properties. This is a great oil to support your immune and respiratory systems.
Tea Tree Essential Oil has its unique medicinal scent. It also offers decongestant, expectorant, antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-stimulating properties. It works great for any respiratory concern.
Creating Your Own Respiratory Support Blend
You don’t need to combine all 8 essential oils for respiratory support in one blend. Pick some of the above oils and combine them. You can combine them based on your needs or sense of smell, on which aromas appeal to you. A combination of eucalyptus radiata, lemon, fir, and spearmint would give you the fresh, woodsy aroma you can enjoy in a Breathe Deep blend.
Ways to Use Your Blend
The blend you create should work great for supporting your respiratory concern during cold and flu season or when dealing with sinus congestion. Since these essential oils focus on the respiratory system, I like to use a respiratory blend in an Aroma Inhaler or Diffuser. I also like to mix it with a lotion or an oil and rub it on my chest or my feet when I need it.
To make an aroma inhaler, add 10-15 drops of your blend to your cotton wick. You can also add several drops to your room diffuser.
If you want to make a rub. Add about 4-6 drops to a tablespoon of oil or unscented lotion! Don’t forget to rub it on your chest or the bottoms of your feet or both!
You can see why this blend is so effective at Breathing Deeply. It has such a clean, uplifting scent! I carry this in an aroma inhaler so I can use it as needed.
A typical blend is 12 drops per ounce. Below is a recipe using the above four oils: eucalyptus radiata, lemon, fir, and spearmint.
For a topical blend, add the following essential oils to 1 ounce of carrier oil or unscented lotion:
4 drops FIR
4 drops Eucalyptus Radiata
2 drops Lemon
2 drops Spearmint
Remember to follow suggested safety practices when using essential oils.
Essential oils for respiratory support work great and can be very effective on opening up your sinuses and promoting respiratory health. For more ways to support your lungs and respiratory system naturally, read our Breathe Freely article .
References:
Battaglia, Salvatore. The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy. Brisbane: International Center of Holistic Aromatherapy, 2003. Print.
“Essential Oils, Body Butters, Carriers, Hydrosols.” Aromatherapy Pure, Organic Essential Oils | Aromatics International. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov 2016. <https://www.aromatics.com/>.
Pressimone, Jennifer. Holistic Aromatherapy Comprehensive Guide, JennScents, Inc: 2015. Print.