Stuffed Nose: 5 DIY Nasal Decongestants

Cold, stuffy nose, mucus: this is a very common situation, especially in winter. The airways are congested. We struggle to breathe through our noses and cough often to try to get rid of phlegm. Some natural ingredients allow us to prepare do-it-yourself decongestants to clear the nose and respiratory tract, to be taken as a syrup, massaged on the chest or applied to the nostrils. Here are some useful recipes to prepare homemade decongestants.

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Cold, stuffy nose, mucus: it is a very common situation, especially in winter. The respiratory tract are congestionate. We struggle to breathe through our noses and cough often to try to get rid of phlegm.

Some natural ingredients allow us to prepare gods decongestant fai-da-te to clear the nose and respiratory tract, to be taken as a syrup, massaged on the chest or applied to the nostrils. Here are some useful recipes to prepare homemade decongestants.

Index

Lemon and ginger decongestant

Everyday Roots suggests preparing a decongestant e expectorant a basis of ginger powder, cayenne pepper, organic honey, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Helps to expel mucus and reduce its production. Honey, cayenne pepper and ginger are natural expectorants. To prepare this remedy you will need:

½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ginger powder
3 tablespoons of organic honey
60 ml of lemon juice
60 ml of apple cider vinegar

Pour the vinegar and lemon juice into a saucepan and heat until the liquid is simmering. Add the honey, ginger, cayenne pepper and mix. Store in a glass jar, in a cool place away from light. Shake before use. Assume 1 or 2 tbsp of the preparation everyday. Take a spoonful at night if you suddenly wake up with a stuffy nose. The remedy is kept for a long time. Take into consideration the expiration date of the honey.

photo source: everydayroots.com

Saline solution

On the market we find numerous saline sprays to be used in case of a blocked nose. In Herbalist he explains how to prepare one in a simple way saline solution in the form of a home remedy. You will need to have a sterilized bottle of about 220 ml in which to pour it and a nebulizer suitable for applying it. You will need:

1 cup of water
¼ teaspoon of non-iodized salt
¼ teaspoon of baking soda

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Pour in the salt and baking soda and stir until dissolved. Let the saline solution cool until it is at room temperature before pouring it into the container of your choice without filtering it.

photo source: wikihow.com

The saline solution is also used for cleaning of the nasal cavities which takes its name Jala Neti and which is carried out thanks to a special container, called Burbot, to be filled with water and a pinch of salt or turmeric. It is an ancient technique related to Yoga. See also: 10 natural remedies for nasal congestion.

Decongestant with lemon and onions

From the Titus2Homemaker blog here are some helpful tips for preparing a natural expectorant made with garlic, onions, honey, lemon juice and radishes. It is described as a useful remedy for congestion in the nose and chest. To prepare it you will need:

240 ml of lemon juice
300 gr of honey
5-7 radishes
1 small red onion
6 cloves of garlic

Wash, peel and slice the onions, garlic and radishes. Pour them into the mixer along with honey and lemon juice. Blend until you get a mixture as homogeneous as possible. Filter with a colander. Pour everything into a glass jar with lid. The preparation can be kept in the refrigerator for about a week. The doses are 2 tablespoons a day for adults and 1 tablespoon per day for children. The expectorant effect begins after 24 hours.

photo source: titus2homemaker.com

Expectorant lotion

From Whole New Mom here's a super simple recipe for one decongestant and expectorant lotion to be prepared in a few minutes, when needed. It is a simple compound consisting of olive oil and essential oils, from massage on the chest to promote the elimination and dissolution of mucus. To prepare it you will need:

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
12 drops of eucalyptus essential oil

Get a small container with a lid in which to pour the oil. You may need a roll-on vial to facilitate the application of the preparation on the chest. Pour the extra virgin olive oil andessential oil of eucalyptus. Gently massage onto the chest. The remedy is also suitable for children, but in this case it is better to reduce the amount of essential oil to only 5 drops. Do not apply pure essential oil directly to the skin. Keep the container with the lotion away from light and heat sources. It keeps for a long time. The important thing is that the oil does not go rancid. It can be convenient to prepare the necessary quantity when needed, simply by pouring 2 or 3 drops of eucalyptus essential oil in 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil.

photo source: wholenewmom.com

Decongestant balm with essential oils

Thanks to the recipe proposed by Mighty Nest you will prepare a decongestant balm for the respiratory tract to be massaged on the chest. For the preparation of this natural remedy you will need:

60 ml of coconut oil
2 teaspoons of beeswax or shea butter
20 drops of peppermint or lavender essential oil
15 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
15 drops of rosemary essential oil

Heat and melt the coconut oil and beeswax in a double boiler, which you can replace with shea butter. Turn off the heat, add the essential oils and mix. Pour everything into a glass jar and let it cool. As it cools, pure coconut oil will solidify and form a easy to apply conditioner. If the coconut oil is already solid before starting the preparation, place the bottle or jar in which it is contained in a bowl of hot water, so that you can easily pour it into the saucepan and measure the indicated amount. This decongestant balm can be stored without problems in the refrigerator. Add a few drops of Vitamin E can facilitate storage.