10. Peppermint Cough Relief
Peppermint is one of the best essential oils for cough. Among other things, the herb soothes pain and clears congestion. These cough drops are soft and can be chewed slowly to coat your throat to relieve pain.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup raw honey
- 2 drops food-grade peppermint essential oil or peppermint extract
Instructions:
- Heat coconut oil until it’s soft, but not melted.
- Add honey and peppermint and stir to combine well.
- Then, press mixture into small silicone molds.
- Refrigerate until firm, stirring every few minutes so that the honey doesn’t settle at the bottom of the mold.
- Remove from mold and cut cough drops into 1/2 inch square pieces.
- to finish off, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
11. Elderberry Lozenges
Elderberries are loaded with vitamin C, the most powerful antiviral nutrients. Ginger is great to reduce inflammation in your throat as well.
To make the tea base:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups water
- 60g fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons dried elderberries
Instructions:
- Before you begin, place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Simmer for about 8-10 minutes and strain.
- When done, store in a clean, sealed jar or use to make the lozenges below.
To make the lozenges:
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup of ginger and elderberry tea
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup iced water
Instructions:
- Firstly, lightly coat a silicone ice tray with coconut oil.
- Heat all the ingredients but the ice water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and do not stir. Leave to gently boil for about 20-30 minutes.
- Then, test the liquid using the ice water method. Once the mixture comes to the ‘hardened cracking’ stage, take off the boil and evenly pour the mixture into the mold.
- Place the mold in the fridge or freezer and chill.
- Lastly, store in the refrigerator and use as needed when you have a cold or flu.
12. Hibiscus Lemon Cough Drops
Believe it or not, hibiscus is edible and medicinal. In fact, “[Hibiscus] Extracts showed antibacterial, anti-oxidant, nephro- and hepatoprotective, renal/diuretic effect, effects on lipid metabolism (anti-cholesterol), anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive effects among others.” (7)
Hibiscus has been used in the tropics for ages to ease coughs due to its emollient (skin softening) properties.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup strong hibiscus tea
- 1 1/4 cups coconut sugar
- juice of half a lemon
Instructions:
- Firstly, grease a silicone candy molds with coconut oil.
- Place the tea and sugar in a small saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Boil until your candy thermometer reads 300F. Do not stir.
- Turn off the heat, stand back, and add the lemon juice.
- Quickly spoon the mixture into the molds.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- Lastly, un-mold the drops and lightly coat them with arrowroot powder to keep them from sticking.
- Finally, store in an airtight container and refrigerate.
13. Honey Lollipops
Lollipops are an ideal way to soothe your child’s sore throat. Plus, they reduce the risk of swallowing a lozenge whole or choking. This is one “candy” cough drop for kids you can feel good about giving them.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup honey
- Lollipop sticks
Directions:
- Cook honey in a small saucepan over medium heat, watching carefully until it reaches the hard crack stage (302°F).
- Spoon a teaspoon of honey onto a piece of parchment paper and place the top of a lollipop stick into the honey.
- Quickly repeat the process for the remainder of the honey.
- To finish off, cool for 10 minutes, remove from the tray and wrap individually using parchment paper.
14. Sage Thyme Cough Drops
Sage’s beneficial phytochemicals include antioxidants and antiseptics. Additionally, its essential oils are known to ease congestion and support lung health. Hyssop, another key ingredient, is a popular home remedy for respiratory ailments, including asthma, and is an effective expectorant.
For its part, molasses contains vitamin B6, iron, magnesium, selenium, potassium, and other important minerals.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon dried sage
- 1 tablespoon dried hyssop leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 ¼ cups honey
- 3/4 cup of organic black strap molasses
Directions:
- First off, combine the herbs with one cup of hot water. Let them steep for 15 minutes, covered.
- Strain and set half the mixture aside.
- Next, combine all the ingredients 9including the 1/2 cup of tea) in a medium saucepan.
- Prepare the mixture using the candy method mentioned in the first recipe
- Once it is ready, pour into hard candy molds, greased parchment paper on a cookie sheet, or greased 9 X 13 baking pan.
- Cut out the lozenges immediately using a pizza cutter.
- Remove the cubes store your cough drop pieces in an airtight container.
- Finally, chill and store for up to a year.
15. Lemon Menthol Lozenges
The menthol in these drops isn’t synthetic like the popular brand you can buy at the drug store—they come from natural essential oils. People like menthol (a substance found in all kinds of mint) because the vapors have a cooling effect that penetrates a stuffy head and relieve the inflammation of a sore throat.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup dried elder flowers
- ½ cup dried horehound
- ½ cup dried hyssop
- ¼ cup dried lemon balm
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ cups honey
- 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 10 drops food-grade peppermint essential oil or extract
- 5 drops food-grade lemon essential oil or extract
- 5 drops food-grade menthol essential oil or extract
Directions:
- Firstly, combine water and herbs in a large saucepan.
- Next, bring to a steady simmer over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and strain.
- Return 1 cup of tea to the heat in a clean saucepan.
- Add the honey and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir frequently and continue to cook until the liquid reaches 300°F. Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter to help stabilize the mixtures if it begins to scorch.
- Remove from heat and stir in the essential oils or extracts.
- Grease a baking sheet and let it cool just until it can be handled by hand.
- Roll the syrup into lozenges and set aside on a lightly greased plate to harden completely.
- Store in an air-tight jar. Keeps for 3-6 months in dry conditions.
16. Thieves and Lemon Cough Drops
Thieves oil is a blend of essential oils combined for their antiseptic, anti-catarrhal, and anti-viral properties, stimulating the respiratory and circulatory systems. Together, these oils offer a powerful immune system boost and work to soothe your throat, calm your cough, and relieve congestion. More specifically, they include cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, lemon, and rosemary.
You can find thieves oil at a natural food market or make your own by combining 1 teaspoon of each herbal extract with an ounce of extra virgin olive oil.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup honey
- 10 drops thieves oil
Directions:
- First of all, heat the honey to 300°F, about 20 minutes. Adjust heat as necessary to prevent boiling over or burning.
- Cool for several minutes, until it starts to thicken.
- Drop the mixture, a teaspoon at a time onto a sheet of parchment paper.
- Finally, cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container.
Do-it-yourself natural cough remedies are easy to make, cost less than over-the-counter, and don’t contain any harmful ingredients. Using herbs, honey, fruits, and essential oils, they are suitable for everyone, including children and people with compromised immune systems or underlying health issues.
Most of all, these cough remedies promote good health and treat the problem rather than artificially masking the symptoms. The best throat lozenges are those that naturally ease pain and suppress your cough.
These lozenges promote good health and treat the problem rather than artificially masking the symptoms. After all, the best throat lozenges are those that naturally ease pain and suppress your cough.