Essential Oils for Respiratory Issues

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My eldest son had pnemonia 3 times before he turned 3, and as a teenager still has mild asthma.  If you’ve had similar issues at your house, you know the hum of the nebulizer as well as we do.  His asthma hasn’t acted up in years, but he still seems more susceptible to respiratory illnesses.  Colds tend to settle in his chest.

When I was introduced to essential oils years ago, his breathing issues came to mind.  Finding essential oils for respiratory issues was at the top of my list.  Over the years, we’ve tried a variety of blends.

I know that some folks are kind of militant about their essential oil company being the best.  My perspective?  There are many reputable sources, and I am not brand loyal.

Young Living

Young Living was the first brand of essential oils I was introduced to.  To my knowledge, they have two blends that are beneficial for lung stuff.

R.C. is a blend of spruce, cyprus, myrtle, marjoram, lavender, peppermint, pine, and three types of eucalyptus oils.

Raven contains ravinstara, peppermint, lemon, wintergreen and eucalyptus (radiata).

R.C. is the oil that we’ve used.  We started with that one, as it was more affordable.  I liked R.C. and we used it for several years.  We still have a bottle in our medicine cabinet.

Rocky Mountain Oils

As I started learning more about essential oils, I began looking at other companies, comparing their blends.  I found one called Native American Nutritionals that I read a lot of good things about and decided to give a try.  Their prices were quite good, and I’ve been pleased with the oils I’ve used from them.

The company has since changed names, but the quality and prices have remained phenomemal.

Their blend is called Breathe Ease. It contains two types of eucalyptus, myrtle, peppermint, spruce, ravinstara, pine and marjoram.  (It kind of reminded me of a combination of R.C. and Raven.)

This is the blend of essential oils for respiratory issues that we currently use most often.  It’s very affordable compared to the other blends.  In fact, Rocky Mountain Oils is where I order most of my essential oils these days.  (An added perk in my opinion is that I don’t need to ‘join’ anything to purchase)

DoTerra & Melaleuca

DoTerra has a similar blend called Breathe.  It contains laurel leaf, peppermint, eucalyptus, lemon, melaleuca, ravinstara, ravensara, and cardamon.  I cannot speak to its effectiveness, as I haven’t used it.  The ingredients look a bit different than the other three I mentioned, but certainly may be worth a try.

Another brand that looks slightly different is Melaleuca’s blend called Vapor.  I also have not tried this blend.  The ingredients are:  eucalyptus, peppermint, cypress, may chang, myrtle, bay, and elemi.

How to Use Essential Oils for Respiratory Issues

As with most essential oils, you do not want to apply these blends ‘neat’ (directly to the skin).  They need to be diluted before being applied.  I mix about 15 drops of the oil blend into a roller bottle with some grapeseed oil.  We apply it to the chest and neck at night time when the junk settles in.

I’ve also dotted a few drops of the oil directly onto pajamas at the neckline to inhale deeply while we sleep.

These blends are also great for diffusing.  And, I have had great benefit adding several drops to a hot bath or adding to a bowl of hot water (just under boiling), covering my head with a towel and breathing in the steam for 15 minutes or so.

Click here for tips on general cold-combatting tips and tricks.

Have you tried essential oils for respiratory issues?

 

** Information on medicinal uses for essential oils are provided on this site for educational use only, and is not intended as medical advice.  I’ve made every attempt at accuracy,  but cannot make guarantees.  If you have any serious health concerns, you should always check with your doctor before self-administering anything.**