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Aromatherapy Compress to Tame a Cough

An Aromatherapy compress is a wonderful thing for coughs, colds and congestion.  Here is Georgia enjoying one a few years ago.  It is a great treatment to use along with steams for those coughs that won’t go away.
I also have used Aromatherapy Compresses for sore throats and they have worked magic!
Next time you feel a cold, sore throat or cough coming on (or taking over)-give one a try.

It sounds complicated to set up, but it really isn’t.

 

You need:
A big bowl of hot water
A medium sized towel (like a large dish towel)
Some essential oils like Spike Lavender (Lavandula latifolia),(My favorite. It smells like a lovely combination of the calming of Lavender and the congestion-fighting power of Eucalyptus),
Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)Essential Oil which is great for fighting germs, Frankincense (Boswellia sacra)  which is soothing and encourages you to breathe deeply, and, of course, Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus smithii) which is great at breaking down congestion and fighting back germs. (which is why it has been an ingredient in Vick’s vaporub since 1894.)
Some plastic wrap or a gallon ziplock bag
A microwave warmie or a heating pad
A towel to lay underneath you, so your sheets don’t get wet.

 

Here’s how to make one.

 

Fill a large bowl with hot water (not boiling).
Add several drops of essential oils to the hot water and swish about. (They float on the top of the water so you want to disperse them as best you can.)
Dip the towel in the water and swish it about again .
Wring out the towel so it is wet but not really dripping.
Have a bed or couch set up with a towel or waterproof pad and nearby have the hot warmie or heating pad set up along with the plastic wrap or bag.

 

Lie down on the towel or waterproof pad
Lay the warm/hot wet compress with the dispersed oils on your chest and around your neck.
Put a plastic layer down between to protect the warmie or heating pad from getting wet and to help contain the essential oils.
Top layer is the warmie or heating pad.

 

AHHH.

 

Cover all of that with a blanket and RELAX. It smells wonderful and forces you to lie down and sit still for a while.
I love using a heating pad because I can keep the heat going and stay there longer, but a warmie is great, too.
Lie there for 20 minutes to several hours (the scent and warmth are very sleep inducing.)

 

The essential oils both soak into your skin and are inhaled through your nose helping to heal inflammation and congestion.
Sometimes it seems like a lot of work to gather all these things and lie down for 20 or more minutes, BUT, it really is worth it!

 

Tell me how it goes or if you have any questions.

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