Cold and flu season officially starts in October and peaks in December. Ready to avoid it as much as possible? Me too! Here are my three must-have essential oils for cold and flu season. If you can only afford a few oils, buy these! I love them because they provide a great bang for the buck and are extremely versatile. In fact, these are the three oils that started me on my essential oils journey and convinced me that there really is something to all the hype.
Disclosure: *This post may include affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the disclosures and terms for more information.
Essential Oils for Cold and Flu Season
Immune Strength
Immune Strength is a powerful essential oil blend that helps fight infections, inflammation, viruses, bacteria, fungus, parasites, and microbes. It supports the respiratory and circulatory systems and helps prevent flu, coughs, and colds. This oil is also useful as an expectorant and helps with cold sores, sinusitis, and headaches. Always dilute before topical application.
Immune Strength is our go-to oil for preventing and treating cold and flu. It has helped me knock out severe headaches by breathing it in from a tissue or cupped hands. I have used it to help stomach aches. Of course, it is always what we use when the sniffles and coughs start to come on. This is not something you want to run out of, so order extra when you can! As a side note, I think it smells great, too.
* (Update) Note that Immune Strength contains oils that are not generally recommended for kids under 6. You may consider other immune strengthening oils such as those listed below or try Tea Tree, German or Roman Chamomile, Melaleuca, or Thyme. As always, dilute properly.
Lavender
Lavender might be the most popular essential oil, and for good reason. Most people love the scent, but it is also one of the safest and most versatile oils available. It is reasonable to try it first for whatever you are addressing.
For fighting cold, flu, and similar ailments, lavender packs a powerful punch. It is anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, helps with insomnia, fevers, ear aches, indigestion, nausea, fatigue, and boosts immunity. Lavender is also known to help with headaches, muscle aches and pains, and is very calming.
Lemon
I love lemon because of the clean scent, versatility, and low cost. You can use it to reduce fevers, treat colds, boost the immune system, treat sore throats, bronchitis, and flu. It is also good as an air disinfectant when there are sick ones in the home.
We often combine lemon with lavender. Not only do they work well together but they smell great. If you have a houseful of kids like we do, lemon and lavender will be your favorites! They are some of the most gentle and yet effective oils available.
How We Use These Oils
These three oils helped cut down on colds and flu a lot in our home last year and I know they will be star players again this year. You will come across different opinions about the best way to use essential oils, but from what I have researched, the most effective way is topically or with a diffuser.
You can dilute the oils and massage them onto the soles of the feet or under the arms for quick absorption. Depending on the issue, you may want to try applying them directly to the area affected, such as rubbing onto the stomach for diarrhea or stomach aches.
At our house, we use a roll-on to apply Immune Strength to everyone’s feet before and after church or other larger group events. If someone is starting to get sick, we diffuse lavender and lemon together and sometimes diffuse Immune Strength as well.
There are a few other oils we use regularly to fight cold and flu, but these three are truly the must-have essential oils in your medicine cabinet this year!
(OVER) Enter to Win!
Rocky Mountain Oils (formerly Native American Nutritionals) is my favorite essential oils company because of their prices, quality, and integrity. You can read all about my skeptic’s journey with essential oils and how I landed on this great company.
RMO has generously offered THREE Proverbial Homemaker readers a set of three cold and flu-fighting essential oils! Enter below for your chance to win Immune Strength, Lavender, and Lemon. Entries accepted through 11:59PM on Friday, 10/3. Giveaway ends 10/4 at midnight. Winners have 48 hours to claim prize before another winner chosen.
{This giveaway is over. Congrats to the winners!}
by Stephanie, The Multi Taskin' Mom
This Post Has 35 Comments
jodie
23 Sep 2014great giveaway!
Tina
6 Apr 2018Looking for something to get rid of scars on face
Penny
23 Sep 2014I have recently started using essential oils & really see their value.
Leslie
23 Sep 2014NAN is my favorite, too. Thanks!
Karen
23 Sep 2014I don’t have a twitter account and really don’t want to get one, would that mean my entry doesn’t count?
Tauna
23 Sep 2014That’s ok! There are several other ways to enter and the high-value entries aren’t Twitter anyway. 🙂
Alicia
23 Sep 2014I have been learning about oils only this year. I would LOVE to win this as my beginning journey with EOs. I read how these were your first as well! So awesome to know that other Mothers are going a more natural way to caring for their families. God Bless, and thank you for the chance at such an awesome give away.
Tauna
23 Sep 2014You are so welcome Alicia, and thanks for the encouraging words! 🙂
L
23 Sep 2014Just started using Immune Strength with our family. Love it! Still trying to learn the correct dilution for children. What do you use to dilute it for your kids? And, how much do you dilute? Thanks!
Tauna
23 Sep 2014I use fractionated coconut oil to dilute, and you can buy that on NAN (http://go.nativeamericannutritionals.com/SH32) or on Amazon (http://amzn.to/XWIgsb), as well as many health food stores.
I can’t remember the exact dilution ratio, but what do is use a roller bottle and start with 10 drops of Immune Strength and fill the rest with the carrier oil. Eventually I adjusted it up to a level that was a bit stronger but not too strong for my kids. I would just recommend starting with the minimum and working up from there as you observe how your kids handle it and how effective it is to help stave off fold and flu. Increase it or decrease the amount of EO until you find the right balance. I know that’s not the scientific answer you were probably looking for, but I think it’s the best one. 🙂
You can buy the roller bottles on amazon as well (http://amzn.to/1uWl9uA) which is what I did, but I will be replacing them with the ones NAN has because the glass is darker and further protects the oils from chemical degradation. (http://go.nativeamericannutritionals.com/SH3M)
Hope that helps!
L
1 Oct 2014Yes, that helps a great deal!! Thanks so much for taking time to answer. I recently bought the roll-on bottles from NAN, so this “recipe” is great. 🙂
Jessica Yoder
23 Sep 2014I started using NAN Essential Oils because of your journey on your blog and your conclusion. I absolutely love them and am so thankful that you posted the process for the rest of us! Thanks!
Tauna
23 Sep 2014That’s awesome to hear! Thanks so much for the comment. 🙂
Melissa
24 Sep 2014So excited about the awesome products in the giveaway!!! I have been stalking NAN oils for a few months now.
alexandria williams
26 Sep 2014I just started reading all about essential oils as I have been training for my first marathon. My massage therapist recommended a few to me since I had a flare up of asthma and a lower immune system. After researching, studying and such, I just ordered a few oils from them and am really glad to read about the products online.
Diane Hurns
28 Sep 2014We just started using essential oils! I think I’m in love and I would love to add these to my collection!
Mandy
30 Sep 2014Great giveaway! Thanks!
Evelyn
30 Sep 2014I am getting ready to place an order and I am wondering if I do it thru you or thru their website? I would love to have a discount code if you offer one? Anyway, I have never tried this brand, so I am excited to check it out! Thanks! Evelyn
Tauna
1 Oct 2014Yes all orders go through their web site. I’m sorry, I don’t have a discount code for ya! However, they often run specials and coupons, so make sure you sign up on their site for the newsletter or follow them on Facebook!
Laura
1 Oct 2014Beginning to use the oils & would love to win this. What a blessing that would be. Thank you
Shannon
2 Oct 2014Eeekkkk!!! I am so excited for this giveaway. Love essential oils and have been dying to try NAN! 🙂
Daisy Barreto
12 Oct 2014Would you recommend using Immune Strength in a hand sanitizer? I’m trying to do my own hand sanitizer and I’m debating whether IS would be a good option to use. I work with small children all day and I’m constantly being exposed to coughing, sneezing, and outside germs.
Tauna
12 Oct 2014Yes, I think it’s a great option.
Here is a common recipe, combined into a small squeeze container:
5 Tablespoons Aloe Vera Gel
4 Tablespoon Water
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon Vitamin E oil
10 drops Immune Strength
I have also considered trying a witch hazel and oil blend recipe, but haven’t found one I like yet.
Dawn
17 Nov 2014First time to your blog. Really enjoyed it. Looking forward to using the jesse tree lego challenge with my boys! They love legos.
On your roll on oil of lemon and lavender how many drops of each do you use?
Thank you so much.
God Bless.
Tauna
17 Nov 2014Hi Dawn! Glad you’re enjoying it. 🙂 Have fun with that Lego challenge!
I usually fill up a little roll on bottle with about 5 drops of each to start with and then the rest carrier oil. If it doesn’t seem strong enough I double it. I tend to start on the low end just to keep from using more oil than I need or making it too strong, if that makes sense.
Jennifer @ aroma pursuits
16 Jun 2015Immune Strength are so strange for me, but lemon and lavender are so useful absolutely. I think these oils combine well and they will work. Thank you
Melissa @ Oil Diffuser
30 Jun 2015Lemon has a feel good factor about it, always it makes you feel so fresh , lavender is also good though.
Susan J Randall
18 Aug 2015I always love the Lavender, but why dont you recommend the peppermint ? Is that not good?
Tauna
18 Aug 2015You know, I just don’t like it that much. Lol! That makes me weird, I know. I have used it but I don’t like the way it makes makes my eyes and nose feel when I use it for headaches, for example. My kids seem to have the same reaction. But I know people LOVE it.
Carmen johnson
24 Aug 2015What oils are in the immune strength?
Catherine
19 Dec 2015I’m in the Canada winter and looking for some good methods to avoid flu and cold, especially natural ones. And your information is very helpful for me. Lavender and Lemon are very familiar and also are two of my favorite oils. So it”s great! Thank you so much for sharing!
v
12 Jan 2016Thanks. I love your post, it really good and interesting.
EMILY R. SMITH
5 Feb 2016Thank you so much for sharing!
Susan
10 Mar 2016I love the Lemon too, i think peppermint are good, i usually use both for my house 😀
Lea Harrison
27 Dec 2016Thanks for sharing the info.I love essential oil and have been using it for the cold and flu season too..Great posts!