Soothing Thyme Bath Soak – How to relieve chest congestion & cough naturally
Have you been under the weather with aches, chest congestion, and a lingering cough? Well, it’s THYME to do something about it! This thyme bath is the perfect thing to get you going on to a QUICK recovery.
This past few weeks I was knocked to my knees with the flu bug that is going around EVERYWHERE! I usually do not get the crud when it’s going around, but since my immune system has been compromised, I got it good. I have experienced so much stress the past month in combination with tapering off the hydrocortisone that I have been taking for years, my immune system didn’t stand a chance at fighting off this wicked bug.
It had been a few days into this illness when I realized I hadn’t even thought of the famous “thyme bath”. What wasn’t I thinking? This natural herbal remedy has been a standby, go-to procedure when anyone in the family caught a cold.
When my kids were small, they would ask for a thyme bath whenever they weren’t feeling well. My youngest son is now 22 and had the flu a few weeks ago. He came home for a thyme bath because the place he lives doesn’t have a bathtub, only a shower. So see how this has been ingrained in their heads as something that WORKS! It has been such a long time since any of us have had to deal with it, I forgot about it, but apparently, he didn’t.
So glad he reminded me about it! I was trying everything else, with not much luck. This would have been really nice to have done when I was in the thick of the aches, better late than never. I still had bad chest congestion and cough, so I got to it.
The thyme bath is not real labor-intensive and most likely you may have everything you need right there in your home. If not, you can get dried thyme at your local health food store.
This is one herb that I would recommend having in your garden!
Benefits of growing THYME
- A great flavoring for many recipes
- Beautiful landscaping plant in the garden (cute tight little green leaves)
- Accessible even during the winter months
- Preserves easily by drying
- Easy to grow inside and out
- Has many medicinal properties
The flowers, leaves, and oil of thyme have been used to treat bedwetting, diarrhea, stomach ache, arthritis, colic, sore throat, cough, including whooping cough, bronchitis, flatulence, and as a diuretic, to increase urination. Thyme is thought to have antifungal, antibacterial, insecticidal, and possibly antifungal properties. Medical News Today
Let’s get to the thyme bath, shall we?
Here is what you will need to gather
- A couple handfuls of fresh thyme, or ½ – 1 cup of dried herb will work as well. If you don’t have any herb, but have thyme essential oil, just use that (20 drops)
- Epsom salt (1 cup)
- 10 drops Thyme essential oil (optional)
What to do
If you have thyme growing in your garden, go out and cut a couple of handfuls of the herb. I have gone out in the middle of winter and uncovered the thyme from the snow and clipped off the plant. It winters very well, even under snow cover.
- If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can use dried herbs.
- Remove any stray leaves from other plants and rinse off.
- Fill a big sauce pan or soup pan with water and bring to a boil.
- Once it is boiling, turn it down and simmer for 20-30 minutes with a lid on it on low heat.
- Add 10 drops of thyme essential oil to 1 cup Epsom salts.
Why is so great about Epsom Salt?
Because of the high magnesium level, Epsom salt is a natural anti-inflammatory remedy that can be used to treat muscle aches and sore muscles. Many people use it to soak in after a hard work out, because it is so soothing to the muscles. This feels so good for those aches when you have the flu.
Epsom salt is very easy to find at your local drug store or online here. This is something good to have on hand in your homes!
- Pour the water into the bath while straining out the herb. Be careful, it is nice to have someone help you strain in it so you don’t burn yourself. Add enough hot water, as hot as you can stand it, but that will not burn you!
Yes, it will look brown and yucky, but don’t let that keep you from stepping in and enjoying some soothing herbal aromatherapy! Yes, your house is going to smell like an herbal kitchen, but so worth it!
- Shut the bathroom door and pull the shower curtain closed to trap in the steam. Soak and breathe in the steam.
- Stay there as long as the water stays hot, or add more hot water if it cools quickly. I personally do not like to take baths, but this is one exception. It really does feel great! You will find it helps relieve the cough right away. You may need to do this a few times a day or for a few nights until the cough has subdued.
Another herbal remedy that I must remind you of is Yarrow.
This is another one of our family’s favorite herbs. Yarrow tea is more of a preventative measure and helps fight many illnesses. It seriously rocks at helping you stay well. I was drinking a ton of it before I finally succumbed to the flu, but like I said my immune system was greatly compromised. The others in the family start getting it and start drinking this stuff.
You can read more about it in this post.
I hope you will keep this in mind and give it a try when you or someone you care about gets the CRUD!
For other alternative remedies that REALLY work, check out my book HERE.
Stay well, my friends!
Jan Howell
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Jan Howell
Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.
