Herbal Steams Part 2: Essential Oils + Steam for Cold Symptoms
Most often, when people talk about using an herbal steam to help ease cold symptoms, they’re not talking about actual herbs. They’re talking about essential oils.
The True Herbal Steam was addressed in Part 1 of this Herbal Steams series. In fact, for a milder head cold, I find herbs are often enough to help open the breath and provide respite from cough, congestion, and other upper respiratory cold symptoms.
However, when head cold symptoms are more intense, essential oils can provide that extra boost. And because they pack a powerful aromatic punch, just a single drop of essential oil or decongesting essential oil blend is needed in an essential oil steam.
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In this Post:
Selected Essential Oils for Cold Symptoms
Essential oils can be used on their own, but I typically combine them with herbs in a steam.
I also like to include essential oils in shower steaming sessions when we have upper respiratory cold symptoms. For adults, place a drop or two of your chosen essential oil or blend on the shower floor opposite the shower head. Then shower as usual, allowing the aromatic steam to envelope you.
- Black Spruce* (Picea mariana) – decongesting, eases cough, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial; kid-friendly
- Cedarwood, Atlas (Cedrus atlantica) – decongesting, reduces stuffiness; kid-friendly
- Cedarwood, Virginian (Juniperus virginiana) – decongesting, encourages expectoration, thins mucus; kid-friendly
- Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) – decongesting, anti-inflammatory; kid-friendly
- Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) – decongesting, encourages expectoration, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial; kid-friendly
- Eucalyptus spp* (Eucalyptus globulus / E. radiata) – thins mucus, encourages expectoration, decongesting, antimicrobial
- Red Myrtle* (Myrtus communis) – decongesting, encourages expectoration, anti-inflammatory
- Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) – decongesting, encourages expectoration; kid-friendly
- Siberian Fir (Abies siberica) – eases cough, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial; kid-friendly
- Spike Lavender* (Lavandula latifolia) – eases cough, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial
- Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) – eases cough, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial
- Thyme (Thymus vulgaris ct linalool) – may ease cough, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, calming; kid-friendly
- Thyme (Thymus vulgaris ct thymol) – use only as a small part of a blend, eases cough, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial
- White Pine (Pinus strobus) – calming, decongesting, antimicrobial; kid-friendly
*These are my favorite essential oils to use singly in a steam for cold symptoms, especially when combined with herbs.
🌺See my Recommended Suppliers below
⭐️Family Favorite Essential Oil Steam Blend
Make this blend in a 5ml essential oil bottle or 3ml dropper. This is enough for 35-40 steam inhalation sessions.
Remember, only ONE drop of this blend is needed per steam. I recommend using this blend with adults and children over 10 years old (for the under tweens see Shower Steaming below).
- 16 drops Red Myrtle essential oil
- 12 drops Black Spruce essential oil
- 8 drops Spike Lavender essential oil
- 4 drops Thyme ct thymol essential oil
🌺See my Recommended Suppliers below
Shower Steaming for Cold Symptoms
Way back when my kiddos were just kiddos, whenever they had croupy coughs or head congestion, we’d sit with them in the bathroom and inhale the steam from the running shower. Shower steaming is a safe way to steam with littler ones.
My favorite kid-friendly essential oils to use in shower steaming with younger kids are:
- Black Spruce
- Cedarwood, Virginian
- Cypress
- Douglas Fir
- Siberian Fir
- Lavender
⭐️Kid-Friendly Shower Steaming Blend
Use one of the kid-friendly essential oils above or make this blend to use during shower steaming. Make it in a 5ml essential oil bottle or 2ml dropper bottle. This makes about 1.5ml, enough for 30-32 shower steaming sessions.
- 12 drops Siberian Fir essential oil
- 12 drops Virginian Cedarwood essential oil
- 4 drops Black Spruce essential oil
- 4 drops Thyme ct linalool essential oil
🌺See my Recommended Suppliers below
Add ONE drop of this blend to the floor of the shower out of the spray’s reach. Then close the bathroom door and run the shower on full hot mode. As the hot shower runs, the aromatics will naturally diffuse into the steam. Sit with your child in the steamy bathroom with the door closed for 10-15 minutes.
🔸If your child experiences increasing tightness in the chest, turn off the water and leave the room.
What’s your favorite essential oil to use in a steam for cough and cold symptoms? Do you use just essential oils in your steams, or do you like to use herbs, too? Please let us know in the comments below!
Additional Reading Suggestions
Thyme Herb & Essential Oil: Kowalczyk, A., Prychodna, M., Sopata, S., Bodalska, A., Fecka, I. (2020). Thymol and thyme essential oil—new insights into selected therapeutic applications. Molecules, 25(18):4125. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25184125
Essential Oils for Respiratory Infections: Horvath, G., Acs, K. (2015). Essential oils in the treatment of respiratory tract diseases highlighting their role in bacterial infections and their anti-inflammatory action: a review. Flavor Fragr J, 30(5):331-41. https://doi.org/10.1002/ffj.3252
Mom’s Shopping List
Here are my specific recommendations for each of the essential oils I’ve used in the cough and cold steams in this post:
- Black Spruce essential oil (Picea mariana):
- Aromatics International, organic💛
- Plant Therapy, organic (Direct and Amazon).
- Atlas Cedarwood essential oil (Cedrus atlantica):
- Aromatics International, organic💛
- Plant Therapy, organic (Direct and Amazon).
- Virginian Cedarwood essential oil (Juniperus virginiana):
- Aromatics International, wildcrafted
- Plant Therapy, sustainable (Direct and Amazon).
- Cypress essential oil (Cupressus sempervirens):
- Aromatics International, organic
- Plant Therapy, organic (Direct and Amazon).
- Douglas Fir essential oil (Pseudotsuga menziesii):
- Aromatics International, wildcrafted
- Plant Therapy, conventional (Direct and Amazon).
- Eucalyptus globulus essential oil:
- Aromatics International, organic
- Plant Therapy, organic (Direct and Amazon).
- Eucalyptus radiata essential oil:
- Aromatics International, organic
- Plant Therapy organic (Direct and Amazon).
- Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia):
- Aromatics International, organic artisan (grown and distilled in Montana)
- Plant Therapy, organic (Direct and Amazon)
- TIP: Plant Therapy’s Lavender Hydrosol (Direct and Amazon) is lovely for skin care and general aromatherapy.
- Scots Pine essential oil (Pinus sylvestris):
- Plant Therapy, sustainable (Direct and Amazon)
- Edens Garden, sustainable (on Amazon).
- Spike Lavender essential oil (Lavandula spicata):
- Aromatics International, organic
- Edens Garden, sustainable (on Amazon).
- Siberian Fir essential oil (Abies siberica):
- Aromatics International, wildcrafted
- Plant Therapy, sustainable “Fir Needle” (Direct and Amazon).
- Tea Tree essential oil (Melaleuca alternifolia):
- Aromatics International, organic
- Plant Therapy, organic (Direct and Amazon)
- TIP: Plant Therapy’s Tea Tree Hydrosol is excellent for skin care (Direct and Amazon).
- Thyme essential oil (Thymus vulgaris) – both chemotypes:
- Aromatics International, ct linalool (gentle), organic
- Plant Therapy, ct linalool (gentle), sustainable (Direct and Amazon)
- Aromatics International, ct thymol (powerful), organic
- Plant Therapy, ct thymol (powerful), organic (Direct and Amazon).
- White Pine essential oil (Pinus strobus):
- Aromatics International, organic.
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is for educational purposes only.
All recipes provided are for personal use and are not designed for re-sale or large-scale manufacturing.
Please consult your doctor, naturopath, herbal practitioner, or other qualified health professional for medical advice and before starting any herbal regimen, particularly if you are pregnant or nursing, have any existing medical conditions, or are taking any medications.
Chris P | Author, Certified Aromatherapist, Natural Skin Care Formulator
Chris (“Mom”) enjoys formulating bespoke aromatherapy, skin care, and herbal products to support her family, pets, friends, and clients. She also loves experimenting with recipes in the kitchen. An avid reader, writer, and lifetime learner, Chris enthusiastically explores research rabbit holes and then writes about her discoveries.💚 (Learn more >>)
