6 Soothing Essential Oils for Sore Throat (Including Strep Throat)

6 Essential Oils That Will Treat And Soothe a Sore Throat (Including Strep Throat)Did you rave too long at the concert last night? Is flu season upon you?

Whatever the case, the scratchy, itchy, and swollen sore throat seems to have moved in and it isn’t easily going away.

Before you head to the nearest store for meds, you might just have an even better medicine in your very own cupboard!

If you’re new to oils, you may be asking “what essential oils are good for sore throat pain?” We’ll list the best oils to help you become an oil-using expert! Once you master using essential oils to soothe a sore throat, you’ll have to give yourself a new, greenie name like Sunburst.

While we list the best, homemade essential oil sore throat recipes, we’ll even throw in an additional list of oils that can help if your kit is just getting started or if your budget is tight!

4 Top Essential Oils for Sore Throat

Peppermint Essential Oil

mintPeppermint happens to be everyone’s go-to essential when they’re hit with a cold and a sore throat. To relieve itchy, scratchy, swollen, and irritated throat symptoms, an essential oil gargle is a quick and natural way to break up thin mucus, cool and soothe the throat, reduce inflammation, and kill off bacteria.

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 Tbsp Salt
  • 10 drops of Peppermint
  • 10 drops of Orange
  • 2 drops of Thyme
  • 2 drops of Myrrh
  • 1 drop of Cayenne (essential oil/optional)
  • 2 Cups of Water

How to Use:

Bring water to a boil, reduce heat and throw in the salt. Simmer for 15 minutes, stir dissolved salt solution, and remove from heat. Add oils and wait for it to cool until you’re comfortable with the temperature to gargle.

Gargle one cupful and then rinse out with fresh water. Repeat with the second cupful. Don’t swallow solution.

Grapefruit Essential Oil

grapefruitA high demand essential, it doesn’t interfere with prescription medications, it detoxifies the body, and it even acts as an expectorant if congestion is causing you grief. Since it’s difficult to get your kids to take any sort of medicine, even a natural one, make your own homemade sore throat spray to give your kids a blast of relief before they know what’s going on!

What You’ll Need:

  • 10 drops of Grapefruit
  • 5 drops of any Immune-Supporting oil blend
  • 1/2 tsp of Raw Honey or Agave Nectar
  • 2 oz glass spray bottle

How to Use:

Add everything to the spray bottle and shake. Spray directly onto inflamed areas of the throat as needed throughout the day.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

eucalyptusThis “cure-all” has proven to be effective for treating everything from minor scratches and cuts to killing cancer cells! But its active compound, cineole, is what makes it an excellent expectorant and upper respiratory aid. So a little treatment of this soothing and antimicrobial oil for a sore throat is a no-brainer!

How to Use:

Go strong with 10-15 drops of Eucalyptus with a carrier oil and massage into the chest, base and back of neck, and temples. You can also apply a little near the nostrils and on the front side of the neck.

Lemon Essential Oil

lemonsLemon is one of the best essential oils for a sore throat because it’ll help keep it moist if excessive dryness is your problem. While it has a lot of rejuvenating, stimulating, immune-boosting, and antibacterial properties, it’s also high in Vitamin C, increases salivation, and reduces inflammation. Use in combo with other powerful essentials by making your own DIY spray to support recovery while protecting your throat and your sanity from irritating symptoms.

What You’ll Need:

  • 3/4 Cup of Water
  • 2 Tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Raw Honey
  • 1 tsp Sea Salt
  • 7 drops of Lemon
  • 3 drops of Peppermint
  • 3 drops of Eucalyptus
  • 3 drops of Clove
  • 1 drop of Cayenne (essential oil or pinch of the ground spice)
  • 2 bags of any Throat Tea (optional)

How to Use:

Boil the water and steep the tea bags if you’re using them. Once cooled to just slightly warmer than room temperature, add the honey, salt, and cayenne (if in powdered form). Once dissolved, add the apple cider vinegar and the essential oils and transfer to a dark, glass spray bottle. Shake vigorously and use as needed.

This DIY throat recipe is also excellent as a preventative. As soon as you feel the tingle of a sore throat coming on, just shake and spray!

3 Soothing Blends for a Sore Throat

doTERRA On Guard Protecting Throat Drops

doTERRA On Guard Protecting Throat DropsDon’t waste a few bucks on the store-bought cough drops. Instead, give your senses, immune system, and throat a shield of protective defense against dry, scratchy, and irritated symptoms with a blend of Rosemary, Myrrh, Orange, Clove, Cinnamon, and Eucalyptus. Kids and adults alike will appreciate the Organic Evaporated Cane Juice and Organic Brown Rice Syrup that gives it a naturally sweet flavor.

How to Use:

Use as needed throughout the day.

You might also be interested in the On Guard Softgels and On Guard Beadlets for internal use for additional immune-system support during flu season. The On Guard Essential Oil Blend can also provide versatility of use with aromatherapy and topical use.

Young Living Thieves Lozenges

Young Living Thieves LozengesThis is a truly, all-natural, and pure lozenge that’s made without sugars, artificial dyes, and any chemicals to provide the ultimate relief and protection against sore throats. Made with only the best essential oils for relieving sore throat, it has Lemon, Peppermint, Clove, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary to help fight off the infection that started the irritations in the first place.

How to Use:

Use one lozenge as needed throughout the day.

You might also be interested in the Thieves Essential Oil Blend that you can also use for aromatherapy and topical support for the additional aches and pains a sore throat typically comes with.

Healing Solutions Breathe Blend

Healing Solutions Breathe Essential Oil BlendThis essential oil blend clears and opens the airways while soothing the symptoms of a sore throat and cold. It helps you breathe easier allowing you to get the much-needed rest that you need without your throat swelling up or nostrils taking turns at being blocked up. For a fast remedy to cure the sore throat and cold within days, the Breathe Blend is just what you need!

How to Use:

Add a few drops to a humidifier or diffuser.

For other sore throat fighting blends, you may want to try Healing Solutions Exhale, Health Shield, and Protective Blends. Any one of these blends applied to the feet and chest can soothe a cough, cold, and sore throat starting immediately!

2 Top Essential Oils for Strep Throat

Clove Essential Oil

cloveWhile gnawing on a raw clove bud has been proven to help relieve the symptoms of a sore throat, why not skip the chewing part and use clove oil instead? Clove boosts the immune system, reduces inflammation, and kills off various strains of microbes including strains of Staphylococcus. Using essential oils for strep throat, a cough and cold, or a simple but irritating sore throat is the smart way to get instant and effective results!

What You’ll Need:

  • 3 drops of Clove
  • 3 drops of Juniper Berry
  • Large bowl (or sink) of hot, boiling water

How to Use:

Add oils to the water and drape your head and the bowl with a towel. Deeply inhale the steam for 5 minutes.

Oregano Essential Oil

oreganoThis essential oil is a powerful antifungal and antiviral remedy for external and internal sicknesses of all kinds! But, when it comes to sore throats, it’s effective because not even boiling water can diminish its superpower abilities! For relief against a sore throat, Oregano has your back!

What You’ll Need:

  • 2-3 drops of Oregano
  • 1 oz Carrier oil
  • Q-tip

How to Use:

Prepare the solution and soak the q-tip. Dab the q-tip on infected areas of the throat. If it’s too “hot” for you, add more carrier oil to suit your preferences.

You can also add 1 teaspoon of salt to hot water with 2-3 drops of oregano and use as a gargle for relief in about an hour.

If you have the bacteria-causing Strep Throat, you might want to consider putting 2-3 drops of Oregano in a capsule filling the remaining space with a high quality carrier oil. Take 2-3 times a day for a 5-7 day period.

Oil Blend for Strep Throat

Edens Garden Fighting Five Synergy Blend

Edens Garden Fighting Five Synergy Essential Oil BlendThis synergy oil blend has some of the most powerful sore throat remedies that you could want when fighting off a bacterial infection. It contains Lemon, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Clove, and two types of Eucalyptus! Spray this essential goodness everywhere – in your throat, on your bedding, and into the air to kill off the germs and bacteria that exacerbate your symptoms!

How to Use:

Add as much Fighting Five Blend to a spray bottle with Colloidal Silver and use on your throat for immediate relief. You can also use with with water to spray on other desired items in the house.

You can also use this blend topically for fighting the pains of strep and relieving the other symptoms that come with it.

Potential Side Effects of Using Essential Oils

Using essential oils for a cold or sore throat is nothing new to the modern world. It’s proven to be extremely effective because it’s safe, it works, and it doesn’t interfere with prescription medications or over-the-counter medicines. In fact, they’re generally considered to be safer than either of those methods because they’re chemical free, all-natural, and when used correctly they don’t have the risks of serious side effects.

But, using essential oils topically and internally can cause side effects in individuals with sensitivities. Always skin test first for negative reactions. Discontinue use if you experience redness, inflammation, itchiness, or rashes on the skin.

Internal side effects can include heartburn, indigestion, shortness of breath, and nausea. Discontinue use immediately if any abnormal symptoms occur.

Always use 100 percent pure and natural essential oils for internal use. Never consume oils labelled for aromatherapy, fragrance only, or perfumed.

More Essential Oils for a Sore Throat

If you’re new to using essential oils or you’re just barely getting into natural alternatives for treating sickness, then your oil kit may not be as extensive or complete as some of the recipes call for. Here’s some additional oils that can be effective on their own if your budget is tight.

ginger

  • Thyme
  • Lavender
  • Orange
  • Cinnamon
  • Hyssop
  • Juniper Berry
  • Melaleuca/Tea Tree
  • Ginger

These essential oils are all effective when inhaled. You can put a few drops into a diffuser, place on a handkerchief, or inhale directly from cupped palms for soothing benefits.

You can also massage into the chest, feet, and back of the neck for its healing and protective properties to be distributed throughout the body.

Try an oil bath if you’re reluctant to consume them. It can help to open the airways and relax muscles and the body while the essential oils soak into the skin to help ward off infections and boost the immune system.

Plus, if you have a head pain to go along with your sore throat, why not try using essential oils for headache relief as well?

A Cure-All for Sore Throats!

Whether it’s a simple, dry throat from a viral infection or a nasty case of bacterial-induced Strep, essential oils can help with that! It can heal the pain, remove the hoarse, course cough, and soothe the swelling.

No virus or bacteria is safe from the antimicrobial-distinguishing powers of essential oils. When using oils in combination, you have a recipe for success! Say goodbye to sounding like an ogre and looking like one too!