Essential Oils for Colds, Flu & Congestion: What Works

Eucalyptus, peppermint, thyme, ginger, oregano, lemon and lavender are the essential oils that help most when you have a cold. Breathe them in from a diffuser or a bowl of steaming water, or dilute them in coconut oil and rub them on your chest, and they open a stuffy nose, loosen mucus, ease a cough and help you sleep while your body fights off the virus.126

A cold also tells you something about the state of your body. In traditional Chinese medicine, a cold means you've run cold inside, and that's why so many of these oils are warming.28 As I've explained on my show, the people who get sick most often are the ones who are stressed, short on sleep, over-trained or traveling.6 In late fall, our low levels of vitamin D and higher levels of emotional stress set the stage for viruses.2 Those are the root causes to work on, and the oils support the clearing your airways already know how to do.

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I get a cold maybe once a year, and almost every time it follows a stretch of flying from place to place on too little sleep.6 Holiday travel, late nights and crowded rooms are that same setup, so stock your home medicine cabinet now with oils like oregano, ginger, lemon and peppermint, as I've recommended for cold and flu season.2 For the food, herb and supplement side, see my guide to natural cold remedies.

Did you know?

• Essential oils are 50 to 100 times as concentrated as the herbs they come from, which is why a few drops in a bowl of steam or a teaspoon of coconut oil is enough.1

• In a randomized trial of 138 children with colds, a bedtime chest rub of camphor, menthol and eucalyptus oil helped both the children and their parents sleep better.5

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Which essential oils are best for a cold?

Here are the oils I use in cold season, ranked by the human research on cold symptoms and by how I use each one; my field guide, Top 50 Healing Herbs & Essential Oils, covers most of them in more depth.1 Each entry names exactly what was studied, because several of the trials tested purified compounds or blends.

More oils for cold season

• Tea tree. Tea tree oil is a diffuser oil for cleansing the air at home; the flu section below has how I use it and its research.9
• Clove and cinnamon bark. I like cinnamon because it's very warming and helps get to the root cause of what made you ill in the first place, and clove oil is a fellow warming oil. Diffuse a drop or two in a blend.28
• Lime and cardamom. Two oils I use for a sore throat, covered in the sore throat section below.2
• Camphor. It's the cooling compound in many store-bought chest rubs, including the one tested in children below, and the camphor oil page covers it in full.5
• Wintergreen. I recommend diluted peppermint or wintergreen oil under a warm compress for aching joints when the weather turns cold.2 See essential oils for arthritis for more.

If fall allergies are part of your stuffy nose, essential oils for allergies covers the oils I use for those.9

How do essential oils work in your body when you have a cold?

Symptoms are signals, and with a cold they're signs of your body doing its job. The lining of your nose and lungs makes mucus to trap viruses, and tiny hairs called cilia sweep that mucus out; a runny nose, phlegm and a cough are that system working overtime.1617 The right oils work with it, step by step:

Chinese medicine reads a cold by its pattern, and so do I. As I've explained on my show, ancient practitioners knew that sometimes a cold is a heat pattern and sometimes a cold pattern, and that different herbs suit each.6 I treat thyme and oregano as hot oils for cold, wet coughs, chills and damp congestion, and eucalyptus and peppermint as cooling oils for thick congestion and stuffy sinuses.1 Chinese medicine also teaches combining a cooling oil like peppermint with a warming oil like ginger, which can help open up your sinuses, so several of the recipes below pair the two.9 And because a cold means you're cold inside, Chinese medicine has you drink warm bone broth soups and herbal teas and use warming herbs like ginger.8

Healing with oil is also one of the oldest practices in Scripture. On my show, I've talked about the holy anointing oil and the biblical practice of anointing the sick with oil while praying for them.8 James wrote, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord" (James 5:14).18 Prayer, rest and the plants God gave us have worked side by side for a very long time.

Which essential oils help with congestion and a stuffy nose?

Eucalyptus is the oil for a stuffed-up head and sinus pressure, and it has the deepest human research of any oil on this page. Its main compound, 1,8-cineole, thins mucus and calms airway inflammation.1 In the sinus trial above, the 152 adults took 200 mg of purified cineole three times a day for 7 days, and by day 4 their symptoms had already eased more than with placebo, with less headache on bending forward, less nasal blockage and less drainage.3 In a second randomized trial of 150 adults with viral sinusitis, cineole capsules eased symptoms more than a comparison herbal remedy at both day 4 and day 7.19 When researchers pooled 47 randomized trials of 18 herbal medicines for sinus problems, cineole ranked among the most effective for the sinus symptoms that linger after a cold, with moderate certainty in the evidence.20

Those trials used capsules of the purified compound. At home, you get eucalyptus's cineole by breathing it from steam, a diffuser or a hot shower, or from a diluted chest rub.1

Peppermint works differently. Its menthol switches on the cold-sensing nerves in your nose, so air feels like it's moving freely.1 In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 62 adults with cold congestion, an 11 mg menthol lozenge made the nose feel clearer within 10 minutes, though menthol made no difference to the airflow the researchers measured.11 In a second placebo-controlled trial of 60 adults with colds, that clearer feeling lasted up to 30 minutes.12 When you're trying to fall asleep or get through a workday, that cool, open feeling is real relief.

Steam carries these oils straight to your sinuses. Breathing steam from a bowl of hot water or a hot shower is a simple comfort for a cold, one even the CDC lists, and I recommend a humidifier, a saline nasal spray and steam from a running shower.216 My home remedy for a cold is to mix eucalyptus and peppermint oils, add ginger, then put a towel over your head over a bowl of warm water and take deep breaths, or put the same oils in a diffuser.2 The steam-bowl recipe below gives you the drops.

Which essential oils help chest congestion and a cough?

When you're really congested with a chest cold and bringing up mucus, I recommend rubbing eucalyptus oil, diluted in coconut oil, on your chest.6 The research on eucalyptus's main compound points the same way. In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 242 adults with acute bronchitis, the medical name for a chest cold, 121 people took 200 mg capsules of cineole three times a day and 121 took placebo capsules. After 4 days, coughing fits had improved by 1.18 points on a 0-to-5 scale with cineole, against 0.64 points with placebo, and the overall bronchitis score had improved by 3.55 points, against 2.91; breathlessness and the amount of phlegm improved about equally in both groups.4

A capsule distilled from eucalyptus, sweet orange, myrtle and lemon oils kept pace with an antibiotic for chest colds. In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 676 adults with a chest cold, about as many people improved within a week on the capsule as on the antibiotic cefuroxime, and more than on placebo.10 In a second randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 413 adults, it cut coughing fits by 62.1% by days 7 to 9, against 49.8% with placebo, with less sleep lost to night-time coughing; researchers from the capsule's maker took part in both trials.22 Most colds are caused by viruses, so that's a natural option worth knowing.21

Thyme loosens a wet, phlegmy cough. In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 361 adults with a chest cold and a wet cough, a syrup of thyme herb and ivy leaf extracts cut daytime coughing fits more than placebo by days 7 to 9, and people got down to half as many coughing fits sooner.13 Breathing thyme oil itself helped in a randomized trial of 140 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, in which there was no placebo and people knew which treatment they got: after inhaling it three times a day for 5 days, they had less cough, breathlessness and phlegm and higher oxygen levels than patients on routine care alone.14

For children, a chest rub at bedtime brings calmer nights. In a randomized, one-night trial of 138 children aged 2 to 11 with colds, a rub of camphor, menthol and eucalyptus oil on the chest and neck before bed helped them sleep better than plain petroleum jelly or no treatment; their cough improved more than with no treatment and slightly more than with petroleum jelly.5 The trial was funded in part by the rub's maker. The homemade rub below follows my own vapor rub recipe, with no camphor, and for more cough blends, see essential oils for cough.9

Can essential oils soothe a sore throat?

Yes, and quickly. A throat spray of five essential oils eased a sore throat, hoarseness or cough within 20 minutes in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 60 adults with upper respiratory infections in six family clinics in Israel: each person's worst symptom improved in 73.1% of the 26 people who used it, against 41.2% of the 34 who used a placebo spray.15 The spray blended peppermint, eucalyptus, lemon eucalyptus, rosemary and Syrian oregano oils, sprayed into the throat five times a day.15 By day 3, 72.0% of the spray group and 58.8% of the placebo group had improved, a gap too small to count as a real difference, so the spray's advantage was its fast relief in those first 20 minutes.15

At home, diffuse lime or cardamom oil, my sore-throat oils.2 Gargle with warm salt water and a drop of peppermint (the recipe is below), and stir a spoonful of Manuka honey into ginger or thyme tea, a pairing I recommend when you're sick.6 For more blends, see essential oils for sore throat.

Which essential oils are best for the flu?

When the flu brings fever and body aches, the oils here bring comfort and rest while your immune system does the heavy lifting. On my show, I've put it simply: "Get plenty of rest. Go to bed early, sleep in, and make sure your room is dark and cold."6 My Deep Sleep Protocol builds the same cool, dark bedroom into its wind-down phase, along with a warm shower and prayer before bed.23

Food is medicine here too. When I do get sick, I eat chicken broth or chicken vegetable soup at every meal for 4 or 5 days straight, and I recommend lots of herbal teas, with thyme and ginger among the best.6 My cold-and-flu kit pairs eucalyptus oil for steam and oregano oil capsules with elderberry syrup, echinacea tincture and holy basil tea.1

Diffuse tea tree oil through your home to help cleanse the air, the way I use it in allergy season.9 In lab cells, tea tree oil held back an influenza A virus from multiplying when it was added within 2 hours of infection.24

For flu aches, soak in a warm bath with a cup of Epsom salt and 5 drops of oil, such as eucalyptus and lavender, mixed into a spoonful of carrier oil first.1 If a fever comes along, see how to get rid of a fever, and for the bigger picture, how to boost your immune system.

How to use essential oils for a cold

A teaspoon of carrier oil is about 5 mL, and about 20 drops of essential oil make 1 mL, which is how the table below turns drops into a strength.1

Can you take essential oils by mouth for a cold?

A few oils from foods you already eat, yes, by the drop. With ginger oil, you can take a single drop internally or diffuse it for its warming effects,6 and I'll add a couple of drops of lemon oil to a warm ginger tea or a spoonful of Manuka honey.9 Small internal doses, 1 or 2 drops, are for oils from commonly eaten plants, such as ginger and lemon.257 Oregano oil goes in as an emulsified, food-grade capsule, for a short course of up to 10 days, the limit I've given for taking it internally.12 Take any drop in honey, tea or a smoothie, the way I do.29

Essential oil recipes for colds

These 10 recipes cover colds, the flu, a sore throat and sinus congestion, with exact drops you can follow. They're for adults unless a recipe says otherwise, and each uses the dilutions in the table above.

See my homemade vapor rub for the original recipe, made with beeswax, coconut oil and olive oil.9

For more ways to rest well while you recover, see natural sleep aids.

Are essential oils safe when you have a cold?

Yes, when you dilute them, use them by the drop and keep the bottles out of children's reach.1

Interaction check: Low. Wintergreen's main compound, methyl salicylate, passes through the skin and raised the effect of the blood thinner warfarin in a documented case, so skip wintergreen rubs if you take a blood thinner.26 I don't recommend combining lavender oil with sleep medications such as zolpidem, so if you take one, leave lavender out of your bedtime blend.25

Never swallow the tree oils. Eucalyptus, tea tree, wintergreen and birch oils should never be used internally.725 In 109 young children hospitalized after swallowing eucalyptus oil, minor drowsiness could follow 2 to 3 mL and serious drowsiness 5 mL or more, though all recovered.27 Of 251 children reported to one poison center over 16 months, 183 had swallowed a vaporizing liquid or a mentholated chest rub.28 Store oils and rubs locked away, like medicine.1

Children. Keep peppermint and eucalyptus away from the face of a child under 6, diffuse lightly and briefly, and use the children's dilution in the table.1 For steam, sit with a young child in a steamy bathroom with the shower running rather than using a bowl of hot water.21 Keep camphor products locked away from children: as little as 500 mg of camphor, the amount in 5 mL of a 10% product, has been fatal to small children.29 In the children's rub trial, parents of 28% of the children given the rub reported a burning feeling on the skin, so keep rubs to the chest and away from the nose and eyes.5 Honey isn't for babies under 1.30

Skin. Patch test your diluted blend on your inner forearm for 24 hours first. Cold-pressed lemon, lime and bergamot can burn skin in sunlight, so keep treated skin out of the sun for 12 hours.1

Pregnancy. My guide says to avoid thyme, oregano, rosemary, myrrh, clary sage and cedarwood, while gentle choices like lavender and lemon, diffused, are generally fine, so before the third trimester, make the sleep blend with lavender alone.1 I don't recommend lavender in the third trimester.25

Pets. Cats can't process many oils, so keep tea tree, citrus, peppermint and wintergreen away from them, and never apply oils to a pet without a vet.1 Of 443 dogs and cats sickened by 100% tea tree oil, 89% were given or treated with it on purpose.31 See essential oils for pets.

For more on everyday use, see essential oil safety.

The bottom line

Essential oils for colds: frequently asked questions

References

1. Axe J. Top 50 Healing Herbs & Essential Oils. DrAxe.com protocol; 2026 ("Read This First: Essential oil safety & dilution," the page before p. 40: oils 50 to 100 times more concentrated than the herb, dilution chart, phototoxic citrus oils, patch test, pregnancy, babies and kids, pets, diffusing 3 to 5 drops per 100 mL for 30 to 60 minutes, soaking with 5 drops in a cup of Epsom salt; Frankincense and Lavender, p. 40; Peppermint and Eucalyptus, p. 41: eucalyptus best for congestion, cough, sinus pressure and stuffy airways, steam 2-3 drops, chest rub 2-3%, diffuse 3-5 drops, shower 3 drops on the floor, "1,8-cineole thins mucus and calms airway inflammation"; Tea Tree and Lemon, p. 42; Oregano, p. 43; Roman Chamomile, p. 44; Bergamot, p. 45; Cedarwood and Thyme, p. 46; "Eight signature blends": Deep Sleep; "Your Natural Medicine Cabinet": cold and flu kit).
2. Axe J. Fall Essential Oils for Colds, Sore Throats and More. Dr. Josh Axe on YouTube. October 18, 2017 (a cold in Chinese medicine means cold inside at 0:23; thyme oil as an expectorant at 0:32; ginger oil through the fall, in tea, smoothies or applesauce or with coconut oil and thyme on the chest, at 0:54; eucalyptus, peppermint and ginger steam under a towel, or a diffuser, at 1:43; peppermint and menthol open the airways at 2:54; low vitamin D and stress in late fall at 4:55; lime, cardamom and cinnamon bark for a sore throat at 5:08; oregano oil for a flu at 5:41 and no more than 10 days in a row internally at 6:02; peppermint or wintergreen with a warm compress for aching joints at 6:52; eucalyptus "the number one" oil to open airways at 8:14; essential oils as ancient medicine and stocking the home medicine cabinet at 8:51).
3. Kehrl W, Sonnemann U, Dethlefsen U. Therapy for acute nonpurulent rhinosinusitis with cineole: results of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Laryngoscope. 2004;114(4):738-42. doi:10.1097/00005537-200404000-00027
4. Fischer J, Dethlefsen U. Efficacy of cineole in patients suffering from acute bronchitis: a placebo-controlled double-blind trial. Cough. 2013;9(1):25. doi:10.1186/1745-9974-9-25
5. Paul IM, Beiler JS, King TS, Clapp ER, Vallati J, Berlin CM Jr. Vapor rub, petrolatum, and no treatment for children with nocturnal cough and cold symptoms. Pediatrics. 2010;126(6):1092-9. doi:10.1542/peds.2010-1601
6. Axe J. How to Prevent & Heal Cold & Flu Naturally (Foods, Supplements, & Herbs for Rapid Recovery). The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2024 (heat and cold patterns of colds at 2:24; who gets sick most, including the stressed, sleep deprived, over-trained and traveling, at 5:52; a coconut-oil balm on the chest in a hot shower at 22:14; lemon oil and the lymphatic system at 22:26; eucalyptus rubbed on the chest with coconut oil at 23:00; ginger oil, a single drop internally or diffused, at 23:11; get plenty of rest at 25:52; herbal teas such as thyme and ginger at 26:06; a cold about once a year, usually after travel and poor sleep, at 26:17; chicken broth or soup at every meal at 26:43; humidifier, saline spray and steam from a running shower at 30:34; herbal teas with Manuka honey at 33:26; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw-cciZ5TTY&t=1334s).
7. Axe J. Dangers of Essential Oils: Top 10 Essential Oil Mistakes to Avoid | Dr. Josh Axe. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2017 (oils never to take internally, including eucalyptus, birch and wintergreen, and oils fine in small doses, at 2:19; smaller amounts and a carrier oil for children at 7:13; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vuLggcLDLg&t=139s).
8. Axe J. 8 Surprising Essential Oil Remedies. The Dr. Axe Show. 2017 (a cold means too cold inside, in Chinese medicine, at 14:33; warm broth soups, herbal teas and warming herbs such as ginger at 14:44; ginger and clove as warming oils at 14:51; thyme and ginger against the common cold and flu at 15:12; orange oil and mucus at 15:23; the holy anointing oil and praying for the sick at 15:37; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWEEKIaHbeQ&t=843s).
9. Axe J. Top 5 Essential Oils for Allergies & DIY Vapor Rub. Dr. Josh Axe on YouTube. March 30, 2017 (a cooling oil with a warming oil to open the sinuses at 1:43; eucalyptus "the king of opening up the respiratory airways" at 4:05; lemon oil as an expectorant at 5:13, a few drops in ginger tea or Manuka honey at 5:49; tea tree oil never internally, diffused to cleanse the air, at 7:02; vapor rub of olive oil, coconut oil, beeswax, peppermint and eucalyptus at 8:03).
10. Matthys H, de Mey C, Carls C, Ryś A, Geib A, Wittig T. Efficacy and tolerability of myrtol standardized in acute bronchitis. A multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel group clinical trial vs. cefuroxime and ambroxol. Arzneimittelforschung. 2000;50(8):700-11. doi:10.1055/s-0031-1300276
11. Eccles R, Jawad MS, Morris S. The effects of oral administration of (-)-menthol on nasal resistance to airflow and nasal sensation of airflow in subjects suffering from nasal congestion associated with the common cold. J Pharm Pharmacol. 1990;42(9):652-4. doi:10.1111/j.2042-7158.1990.tb06625.x
12. Eccles R, Morris S, Jawad MS. The effects of menthol on reaction time and nasal sensation of airflow in subjects suffering from the common cold. Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci. 1990;15(1):39-42. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2273.1990.tb00430.x
13. Kemmerich B, Eberhardt R, Stammer H. Efficacy and tolerability of a fluid extract combination of thyme herb and ivy leaves and matched placebo in adults suffering from acute bronchitis with productive cough. A prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Arzneimittelforschung. 2006;56(9):652-60. doi:10.1055/s-0031-1296767
14. Öner U, Cengiz Z. The effects of aromatherapy with thyme oil on disease symptoms, vital findings, and hemodynamic parameters in COVID-19 patients. Explore (NY). 2024;20(4):544-553. doi:10.1016/j.explore.2023.12.004
15. Ben-Arye E, Dudai N, Eini A, Torem M, Schiff E, Rakover Y. Treatment of upper respiratory tract infections in primary care: a randomized study using aromatic herbs. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2011;2011:690346. doi:10.1155/2011/690346
16. Juergens LJ, Worth H, Juergens UR. New Perspectives for Mucolytic, Anti-inflammatory and Adjunctive Therapy with 1,8-Cineole in COPD and Asthma: Review on the New Therapeutic Approach. Adv Ther. 2020;37(5):1737-1753. doi:10.1007/s12325-020-01279-0
17. Hasani A, Pavia D, Toms N, Dilworth P, Agnew JE. Effect of aromatics on lung mucociliary clearance in patients with chronic airways obstruction. J Altern Complement Med. 2003;9(2):243-9. doi:10.1089/10755530360623356
18. The Holy Bible, King James Version. Project Gutenberg eBook #10 (Exodus 30:23-25; James 5:14). Verse text quoted from this file.
19. Tesche S, Metternich F, Sonnemann U, Engelke JC, Dethlefsen U. The value of herbal medicines in the treatment of acute non-purulent rhinosinusitis. Results of a double-blind, randomised, controlled trial. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2008;265(11):1355-9. doi:10.1007/s00405-008-0683-z
20. Hoang MP, Seresirikachorn K, Chitsuthipakorn W, Snidvongs K. Herbal Medicines for Rhinosinusitis: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2023;23(2):93-109. doi:10.1007/s11882-022-01060-z
21. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Manage Common Cold (Overview; Manage symptoms; When to seek medical care). CDC; March 11, 2026.
22. Gillissen A, Wittig T, Ehmen M, Krezdorn HG, de Mey C. A multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial on the efficacy and tolerability of GeloMyrtol® forte in acute bronchitis. Drug Res (Stuttg). 2013;63(1):19-27. doi:10.1055/s-0032-1331182
23. Axe J. The Deep Sleep Protocol. DrAxe.com protocol; 2026 (Phase 2, Wind-Down: a cool, dark bedroom at about 65-68°F and a 20-minute evening routine of a warm shower, stretching, reading on paper and prayer).
24. Garozzo A, Timpanaro R, Stivala A, Bisignano G, Castro A. Activity of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil on Influenza virus A/PR/8: study on the mechanism of action. Antiviral Res. 2011;89(1):83-8. doi:10.1016/j.antiviral.2010.11.010
25. Axe J. Ancient Remedies: Secrets to Healing with Herbs, Essential Oils, CBD, and the Most Powerful Natural Medicine in History. Little, Brown Spark (Hachette Book Group); 2021 (internal use limited to oils from commonly eaten plants, 1 or 2 drops; tree oils including eucalyptus, tea tree and wintergreen dangerous to ingest; lavender safest inhaled or applied to the skin, not combined with sleep medications, avoided in the third trimester).
26. Joss JD, LeBlond RF. Potentiation of warfarin anticoagulation associated with topical methyl salicylate. Ann Pharmacother. 2000;34(6):729-33. doi:10.1345/aph.19309
27. Tibballs J. Clinical effects and management of eucalyptus oil ingestion in infants and young children. Med J Aust. 1995;163(4):177-80. doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.1995.tb124516.x
28. Flaman Z, Pellechia-Clarke S, Bailey B, McGuigan M. Unintentional exposure of young children to camphor and eucalyptus oils. Paediatr Child Health. 2001;6(2):80-3. doi:10.1093/pch/6.2.80
29. Love JN, Sammon M, Smereck J. Are one or two dangerous? Camphor exposure in toddlers. J Emerg Med. 2004;27(1):49-54. doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2004.02.010
30. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Botulism Prevention (infant botulism: do not feed honey to a child who is younger than 1 year old). CDC.
31. Khan SA, McLean MK, Slater MR. Concentrated tea tree oil toxicosis in dogs and cats: 443 cases (2002-2012). J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2014;244(1):95-9. doi:10.2460/javma.244.1.95

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

Doctor of Natural Medicine · Founder, DrAxe.com

Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has spent 20+ years in clinical practice helping people heal at the root cause and founded one of the most-visited natural-health platforms in the world.

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This article is for educational purposes. See our medical disclaimer.