Why natural remedies are your first line of defense during cold & flu season
It’s everyone’s least favorite time of the year; that’s right, we’re talking about cold & flu season. We feel the sniffles coming on just thinking about being surrounded by boxes of tissue, curled up on the couch in yesterday’s pajamas, sipping on your grandmother’s secret soup recipe. The thing is that your grandmother was likely onto something; many of today’s most reliable remedies for cold & flu season were born in the old world thinking that nature has all the answers and cures for what ails us. No, we aren’t going to suggest that you put onions in your socks (though the jury’s still out on whether or not this old folk remedy has merit), but we are going to suggest you explore the many botanicals in the plant kingdom that have centuries worth of history and anecdotes to say that nature knows what it's doing.
Some of the ingredients we love here at Saje when it comes to fighting off a cold and pushing through the flu symptoms like congestion, runny-nose and more have been used in both traditional and ancestral medicine for time immortal, as well as having been studied more traditionally for the way in which they can work to create ease and relief in the body when you’re feeling under the weather. Tea tree, perhaps one of the most well-known essential oils, has been researched as an antibacterial and perhaps an emerging medicinal plant to keep an eye on relative to studies that demonstrate efficacy against certain infections. Eucalyptus, commonly referred to in aromatherapy as ‘the breathing oil’, has been shown to have positive effects in helping promote clear airways, relieving congestion and easing symptoms of respiratory conditions like coughs. All of these ingredients and more make up the hero products in our Immune line of products – read on to learn more about how natural cold remedies can help you get back on your feet, fast.
How to choose a natural remedy for cold & flu
When it comes to selecting a natural product to use in support of relief and ease from cough, cold & flu symptoms, you can start by choosing a product that makes sense for where you’re primarily experiencing symptoms, and the outcome you’re hoping to achieve. Cold & flu symptoms can vary widely, so consider if you’re experiencing symptoms like a runny nose, a cough, soreness in the throat or chest, or if you’re feeling more generally run down. Is your goal to restore a level of energy and vitality that feels missing, or is it to encourage rest and recovery? Once you have your main concerns addressed, it’s simpler to choose the natural remedies to support your recovery.
Natural cold & flu remedies: our top-selling roll-on for cough & cold symptoms
One of our original formulations, blended all the way back in 1992 is our Immune roll-on. This product was created with the express purpose of supporting relief and ease from symptoms of cold and flu, and to help support the body to feel better faster when symptoms strike. Eventually, this formula was licensed as a Natural Health Product in Canada and registered as an OTC in the USA, meaning we’ve met the burden of proof to offer this roll-on as a natural medicine alternative to help alleviate cold and flu symptoms, like cough and congestion.
It’s blended with tea tree and eucalyptus, two of the powerhouse plants we highlighted earlier, alongside pine, geranium, rosemary, peppermint and cinnamon, each included for the ways in which they’ve been studied to encourage relief of symptoms. Geranium for example, is known to have astringent properties, meaning the body experiences it as cleansing, whereas cinnamon is warming and comforting; exactly what the body needs when we’re feeling run down or under the weather.
How to use it? We suggest applying directly to areas you experience symptoms, like rolling liberally along the throat and chest, applying a small dab under the nose or our personal favorite application which is what we call the Saje Breath. Roll generously onto the palms of your clean hands, briskly rub your palms together, make a cupping shape over your nose and mouth and breathe deeply and slowly 2-3 times. Trust us, relief is on the way.
Natural cold & flu remedies: diffuse to freshen the air you breathe
Another option in the Immune family is our diffuser blend. There are countless reasons we love our diffusers, and being able to disperse this cleansing and renewing blend into the air is just one of them. Diffusers work by using an ultrasonic disc to break up essential oils in combination with water to then disperse the ultra-fine particles into the air where they can be inhaled through the nose and mouth. These tiny-sized molecules get to work helping us to feel relief and ease due to their many therapeutic benefits. The two main ways to experience the effects of essential oils are topically and aromatically, which means that the layering effect of using both the roll-on in conjunction with the diffuser blend can help to boost the benefits of the oils in the formula.
One specific essential oil you’ll find in the Immune diffuser blend that is not found in the roll-on is white thyme. White thyme has been shown to be particularly effective when dispersed in the air, as it is renowned to be one of the most purifying and effective cleansing essential oils. One promising piece of cited literature shares, “thyme essential oil and extracts show diverse antiviral activity" which is why we chose to include it in our aromatic product.
Natural cold & flu remedies: soak your symptoms away
One of the most beloved inclusions as part of our Immune line of products is our bath salt soak. It would be easy to say that all bath salts are created equal, but we humbly disagree. Bath salts offer two main pathways; their aromatic benefits come from breathing in the vapors released in the water, and their topical benefits come from having the skin immersed while in the bathtub.
What makes bath salts extra special at Saje is the way the preparations are made. Our salts are naturally derived and never synthesized; after sourcing, Saje salts are solar evaporated, kiln dried & blended with essential oils to create a highly concentrated and deeply effective bath salt soak. This is why we say a little goes a long way; because our bath salts are thoroughly saturated with essential oil blends, we recommend only about 2-5 tablespoons of salts per bath, swished to disperse in your tub. Make sure to read the full packaging instructions on each blend for more information and to make the most of your soak.
Natural cold & flu remedies: one kit, 3 ways to support your overall health & well-being
The last product we’re offering as part of our assortment for natural relief from cough, cold and flu symptoms is a 3-in-1 wellness powerhouse called the Get Well Kit. This feel-good trio includes three different formulas and product formats to help you feel better fast and get back on your feet, including our hero roll-on, kit-exclusive nasal inhaler and a community-favorite for relief and restoration of the throat, our Echinacea throat spray.
This kit was curated to support relief and ease at a time of year when people are prone to coming down with coughs and colds or are generally likely to feel run down and under the weather as the seasonal changes occur. The wellness need it meets is relief of symptoms like cough, sore throat, unease in the throat and chest and generally feeling unwell. When looking for natural alternatives to conventional medications or treatments that can be found at the drugstore that work to soothe, ease, restore and renew the body and mind, look no further than our Get Well kit.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are the best natural remedies for cold and cough?
A: We think the best natural remedies for cold and cough are those that are made with ingredients that are well studied and well researched to support the body in relief of symptoms and getting you back to feeling like yourself, fast. Some of these hero ingredients for cold and cough include tea tree, eucalyptus, pine, cinnamon and white thyme. All of these ingredients and more can be found in Saje’s Immune collection of products.
Which Saje products help with congestion and breathing relief?
A: Similar to what we would recommend as the best natural remedies for cold and cough, the products that will help with congestion and breathing relief will contain specific ingredients that are renowned for their respiratory benefits. The most common of these ingredients is eucalyptus, frequently referred to in aromatherapy as ‘the breathing oil’. This sharp and camphorous herb can help you breathe more deeply and with clarity and is soothing and relieving when feeling stuffed up and congested. Look for eucalyptus in diffuser blends like Deep Breath and Immune
Do natural cold remedies really work?
A: At Saje, our answer is a resounding yes. Immune was one of the original formulations at Saje, dating all the way back to the early 1990’s and is still a staple in our assortment today. Expanding the line of products to include a personal mist, diffuser blend, nasal inhaler and bath salt has allowed us to provide relief and ease to countless thousands of community members across the globe for more than 30 years. We’re using only 100% natural plant-derived ingredients that have been used throughout history for their cleansing, fortifying and restorative properties, so yes, we stand behind the belief that natural cold remedies really work.
Is it safe to use natural remedies alongside conventional medicine?
A: Every product we create at Saje is made from 100% plant-derived ingredients and never contains any synthetics or artificial ingredients of any kind. That being said, it’s always important to us that we recommend to our community members to speak with a trusted healthcare professional before introducing any of our products into their wellness routines, especially if they’re using conventional medicines that may have side effects or contraindications with other products or ingredients. We believe in full transparency and every ingredient used is always listed on the bottle, packaging, and/or our website.
When should I see a doctor instead of using natural cold remedies?
A: You know your health best, and we would always encourage full autonomy in making choices that involve your personal health and well-being. While we cannot make decisions or recommendations about the right time to consult with a healthcare professional, we’re more than happy to share any information about Saje products in our cold and flu category.
