"Gotta eat a pound of dirt before ya die"
~My mom, (and I couldn't agree more)
Knock on wood my kiddos and I rarely catch the latest cold, flu or stomach bug as they get passed around from person to person during the winter months. At most, we end up with a stuffy nose and cough and life carries on.
I try to be proactive with vitamins, good foods, elderberry syrup, vitamin C, etc throughout the year and I don't obsess with sanitizers and anti-bacterial stuff - we just keep a good balance of healthy living and "eating dirt" so to speak.
Nothing like that cough that wakes a parent from their sleep ~
My boy this week has definitely caught something that was enough to cause a decent cough and stuff his nose up. He stayed home from school as I'm a firm believer in missing school to get well and heal the body. I pumped him full of the typical homeopathic remedies that have worked for him since he was a baby, made tea with lemon and honey, and fed him a simple easy to process diet.
On the first night of his cold, I heard "the cough" you know the one. Its the one, that makes me think "it's time for the big guns" - chest rub and diffuser!!
I set up a diffuser in his room with essential oils of eucalyptus, rosemary and lavender so he could begin to inhale and breathe a little easier. I love diffusers whether you're sick or not - a great way to fill the air with whatever benefits you seek. Whether it's to relieve headaches, purify the air, relax - so many benefits.
Homemade chest rub for the win ~
When I heard him coughing, I rummaged through cabinets and realized I didn't have any chest rub - so I pulled out my "book of spells" as my kids call it, which is basically my recipe book for all the lotions, hand salves, tinctures, etc that I make, sell and use.
I found the chest rub recipe and whipped it up in 15 minutes! It beats vicks or store bough brands every-time in my opinion and there is definitely something empowering about creating something like this that helped to heel you or your family.
It worked so well for him and truly gives relief at any age when you just have that cough and cold and need to breathe a bit lighter.
Chest Rub Recipe* ~
Gather the following ingredients:
- 1/4c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2-3tsp of PURE Beeswax (1oz bars of beeswax 2 for $10 can be found HERE)
- Essential oils - Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Lavender. (for this purpose, you can find decent enough essential oils on Amazon these days)
You will also need a glass measuring cup, wooden skewer to stir with or anything you don't mind getting oils or beeswax on, and a container to pour this whole concoction in when you're done. Small glass jelly jars work great, but in a pinch a small dressing or tupperware container works just fine.
Here's what ya do -
In the glass measuring cup, measure out 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and add 2-3 teaspoons of shaved beeswax. You can use a cheese grater or a knife to break it up - measurements do not have to be exact, but close.
You can heat this in low water bath on the stove in a pot, (careful not to get water into the olive oil and beeswax mixture) OR you can heat it in the microwave, which is what I did, because time was of the essence and why not?
Let the olive oil cool just a little before you add the essential oils otherwise you almost cook off their goodness. Add the following to the olive oil/beeswax blend:
- 20-25 drops of Eucalyptus oil
- 20-25 drops of Rosemary oil
- 10-15 drops of Lavender oil
Stir and that's it! Pour into the container - You will see it begin to cool the minute you pour it into the jelly jar or tupperware container.
I immediately took a spatula to what was left in the glass measuring cup and used that to rub on my sons chest while the remainder of the batch cooled.
Rub on chest and soles of feet at will ~
Use at will and as often as needed. I usually rub in onto the front and back of the chest and lungs and on the soles of the feet. Often I tell my kids to put in on their chest too BEFORE showering so the steam and hot water can help to open airways as well as they breathe it in.
CONGRATULATIONS - Dr mom and/or dad - you did it!
I hope you don't have to use this and that you remain well and illness free. But if you do, let me know what you think.
Lots of love and may you always BEE Well
xo, B
PLEASE NOTE: The following is for informational purposes only and by no means do I claim to be a doctor or have more knowledge than the medical community what so ever. I am simply sharing my experiences with herbals and essential oils. These products and the information provided come from personal research, trial and error, and from recipes past down to me and that I have gathered and found beneficial in my world. I highly recommend consulting with your health care provider first if necessary and certainly taking the time to read the warnings I have provided for each product.This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease