How to Make Homemade Natural Cough Syrup

How to Make Homemade Cough Syrup

Post by: Rachel Raba in All, essential oils

Recipe for Homemade Cough Syrup #coughremedies #coughsyruprecipe #coughremediesforadults

We do everything in our power to stay healthy, but sometimes things go awry.

Two weeks ago today, my daughter threw up and then developed a cough. The type of cough that got worse when she laid down to sleep and woke her (and me!) frequently throughout the night for long periods. It was MISERABLE!

On the worst night we experienced, nothing that I typically did to soothe coughs seemed to be making a much of an impact. And I was out of the cough syrup I typically keep on hand for emergencies like this.

So, in desperation, I made this cough syrup for her at 2 am (this is not the time I like to be devising new concoctions!).

But it worked! She got a few hours of solid sleep before the next coughing fit.

As her cough was winding down, I developed an intense cough.

And, you guessed it... I made more cough syrup! But this time, not in the middle of the night!

IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTES

Essential oils are powerful wellness tools and should be used with purposefulness and thoughtful consideration.

Be EXTREMELY careful about the sourcing of the essential oils you use in general, but particularly so for internal use. There is a lot of junk out there. There is a lot of adulteration of oils. There is a lot of synthetics.

If you're not absolutely sure where your chosen company is sourcing their oils from, whether there is a middleman involved, the standards under which the plant material was grown, and whether the company is testing EVERY lot of oil for purity before bottling, I HIGHLY suggest that you opt for something else.

$3 oils from TJ Maxx may seem like a good deal, but will not give you the therapeutic effect you are seeking (and could be harmful)!

If you have questions about oil sourcing or need some quality brands to consider (yes, I use more than one brand!), please send me a message.

Second, internal use is the most potent way to use essential oils and should be done with caution.

This recipe, as written, is not recommended for use by children under 8 years of age.

For children ages 5 - 7, halve the amount of each of the essential oils when making the recipe, while keeping the amount of raw honey the same.

Honey is considered to be unsafe for babies under 12 months of age. This recipe is in no way intended for babies!

Avoid taking this cough syrup if pregnant or breastfeeding.

If you are taking medication or have a serious medical condition, ask your doctor or a qualified aromatherapist first before taking.

Finally, here's the recipe! To download a PDF copy for easy saving, jump here.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup raw local honey
8 drops peppermint
8 drops lemon
8 drops lavender
8 drops frankincense
3 drops clove
3 drops wild/sweet orange
1 drop cinnamon

TO MAKE

Mix together all ingredients in a glass jar that has a lid.

TO USE

Adults: Take 1 tsp every 3 hours, as needed.

Ages 5-12: 1/2 tsp 3 – 4 times a day.

Here's another version of honey-based cough syrup that is slightly more involved:

Gently heat 1 ¼ cups of a steeped herbal tea for coughs (such as Yogi Throat Comfort or Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat) and ¾ cup raw honey in a double boiler over low heat.
Stir to combine.
Remove from heat and add 80 total drops of essential oil: 35 drops Rosemary + 35 drops Fennel + 10 drops Peppermint (use Spearmint instead of peppermint for children).
Take 1 tsp 2 – 3 times/day for adults and ½ tsp for children ages 5 – 12.