So posts have been fewer and far between because I’M SICK. For the past 3 weeks, I’ve been battling what seems to be a very intelligent strain of flu virus, but who the heck really knows? All I know is this virus has morphed itself from fever and chills to sore throat and no voice to head cold and then to chest cold. As someone who suffers from asthma, chest colds are never welcome news and can last for weeks.

Since getting sick I have used an arsenal of products to help me fend off and ease the worst symptoms. Typically I make my own natural remedies and use them often but I realize that not everyone has the time or resources to do this. Also, when you’re really sick you need something quick and convenient. For times like these, I turn to a few trusted products that are effective and can easily be purchased at your local health food store.

The Best Remedies You can Buy for Cold and Flu

Below I describe the products I recommend for each illness category. You certainly don’t need them all, but having a few on hand will definitely help get you well and ease discomfort. I have personally used all of these products and highly recommend them.

Products for Immunity

Immunity Shots

This formula contains:

• Zinc
• Ginger root- loosens phlegm and mucus and boosts immunity. Warming in nature.
• Astragalus- Stimulates the immune system to attack the virus.
• Olive leaf- Powerful against viruses and boosts immunity.
• Grapefruit seed extract- Kills basically all germs and viruses.
• Wild oregano oil (70% carvacrol)- One of the BEST remedies against cold and flu.
• Licorice extract- soothes the throat and digestion. Boosts immunity.

As you can see, the herbs in this formula are powerful against colds and viruses. It doesn’t taste great by any means, sort of a spicy pasta sauce type flavor, but it works quickly and effectively. This formula comes as a spray and a liquid.

Wellness Formula

Hands down one of the best and most well-known formulas for cold and flu is Wellness Formula and for good reason!

This formula contains a staggering amount of herbs and essential vitamins and minerals targeting a vast array of symptoms. It has herbs for flu, chest cold, sinus infection, sore throat, and digestive upset.

This formula comes in liquid, capsules, and tablets.

Honey Gardens Elderberry Syrup

This is my favorite elderberry syrup because it doesn’t contain any sugars other than raw honey.

Elderberry is known far and wide as one of the best remedies to use against cold and flu. If taken daily, you can actually prevent most colds from taking root and if you do happen to get sick, elderberry will shorten its duration.

You can get this amazing elderberry syrup here.

Oregano Oil- Oreganol P73

This wild harvested oregano oil is one of the most potent available. It’s sourced from the high mountains of the Mediterranean making it rich in carvacrol. This formula only requires that you take 2 drops where others require 4 drops. This stuff is so potent that it will literally drain your sinuses! I love taking it in my homemade wellness shot recipe for even better results.

You can get this formula here. And yes, the price is WORTH it!

Gypsy Cold Care Tea

I always have a box of this comforting tea in my medicine cabinet. When nothing else appeals to sick friends and family (hey, maybe they have hippie-phobia?) this tea does the trick!

It contains:

• Elderflower- great for breaking fevers!
• Yarrow- an incredibly diverse herb, it helps with fever and shortening the duration of colds and flu.
• Peppermint- relieves upset stomach and digestive complaints. Good for green mucus.
• Hyssop- A fantastic expectorant. Great for white or clear mucus.
• Rose hip- high in vitamin c. Boosts immunity.
• Cinnamon bark- warming. Helps ease digestive complaints. Eases chills.
• Ginger- breaks up mucus and soothes sore throat.
• Safflower petal- great for digestion and improves circulation.
• Clove- warming. Breaks up mucus.
• Licorice root- great for sore throats and digestive complaints.

You can get this tea here.

Diffusing Four Thieves Blend

I looooove diffusing four thieves blend! Not only does it smell wonderful, it is also great for killing airborne germs making it perfect for colds and flu. Breathing in this fragrant oil while it’s diffusing will also clear the lungs and sinuses and helps shorten the duration of illness.

Thieves oil contains:

• Clove
• Lemon
• Cinnamon
• Eucalyptus
• Rosemary

I have this fancy diffuser, but I also love this one.

You can learn how to make four thieves blend here.

Products for Chest Cold and Cough

Himalayan Salt Inhaler

I love my salt inhaler so much I wrote a whole article about it!

Recently I have been adding a few drops of eucalyptus radiata essential oil to the salt and inhaling it for 20 minutes each day. The salt kills germs and helps thin mucus making it easier to expectorate. The eucalyptus cuts through mucus and opens the lungs.

I love this salt inhaler, but there are many choices!

Gaia Bronchial Wellness

This is a great preventative syrup as well as a treatment for congested lungs. It supports bronchial health especially for those exposed to pollutants or who suffer from asthma.

This formula contains:

• Plantain- Soothes irritated tissues and lessens inflammation. Cooling.
• Grindelia- supports the respiratory system by assisting in the production and elimination of mucus. It is also soothing to an irritated throat.
• Helichrysum- soothes bronchial irritation. Highly antioxidant.
• Eucalyptus- Normalizes expectoration. Breaks up congestion.
• Star anise- Warming. Very soothing for the throat and respiratory system.
• Lemon essential oil

You can get bronchial wellness as a syrup or tea, both of which work very well!

Olba’s Cough Syrup

Another fantastic remedy, Olbas Cough Syrup is potent! This formula is made with 5 herbal extracts, six different essential oils, and wildflower honey.

Olba's Cough Syrup Ingredients:

• Thyme
• Licorice
• Plantain
• Horse chestnut
• Pine
• Peppermint essential oil
• Eucalyptus essential oil
• Cajeput essential oil
• Juniper essential oil
• Wintergreen essential oil
• Clove essential oil

This formula is really good for thick stuck mucus in the lungs. The herbs helps you to expectorate while the essential oils loosen the phlegm, promoting clear and healthy bronchial passages.

You can get Olba’s Cough Syrup here. They also make a fantastic tea!

Eucalyptus Radiata Essential Oil

This is my go-to essential oil for chest colds. Eucalyptus radiate essential oil can be mixed into balms, oils, and lotions and applied to the chest, under the nose, the back of the neck, and the bottoms of the feet for an all-around system of mucus relief.

Another favorite way to use it is diffusing it and also breathing it in through a salt inhaler. I have found that when dry coughs wake me up at night, taking a few deep breaths from a eucalyptus-infused salt inhaler calms the spasms.

You can get eucalyptus essential oil here.

Night Night Tea with Valerian

Typically used in western traditions as a relaxer for sleep, I like to use Valerian as an antispasmodic for those coughs that are incessant and dry. When a dry cough threatens a good night’s sleep, this is the tea I reach for.

Restful sleep during times of illness is incredibly important so I always have a box of this tea in my house at all times.

This tea contains:

• Valerian
• Passionflower
• Lemon balm
• Peppermint
• Caraway
• Licorice root

You can get Night Night Tea here.

Products for Stuffy and Runny Nose

Neti Pot

I cannot tell you how much I have loved my neti pot these past few weeks! I have a whole article on the benefits and usage of neti pots.

Neti pots help drain congested sinuses and soothe dry ones. You will be amazed by how much stuff you can get out using one of these.

This is my favorite neti pot to use but I also like this one for travel.

Pressureze

When I’m at work and am unable to use a neti pot, this is the nasal spray I reach for. It’s specific blend of salts cut through mucus, clear congestion, and soothe irritation in the nasal cavity. Not only that, it also clears your ears which is wonderful if they’re clogged up from blowing your nose too often.

You can get this amazing nasal spray here.

Products for Sore Throat

Gaia Throat Shield

This is hands down the BEST throat spray I have ever used! Its potent ingredients take away sore throat pain like no other throat spray I’ve come across. I highly recommend it!

This throat spray contains:

• Myrrh
• Sage
• Aloe vera gel
• Peppermint essential oil
• Cinnamon bark essential oil

All of these ingredients are soothing and pain relieving. The aloe helps the formula to stick where you spray it, allowing the plant extracts and essential oils to ease pain, kill bacteria, and bring down inflammation. This spray has a really unusual yet handy application nozzle that makes it very easy to spray the formula exactly where you need it.

You can get it here. Throat Shield also comes as a tea.

Herb Pharm Soothing Throat Spray

Another great throat spray, this one also has immune boosting Echinacea and expectorating hyssop to offer a spray for both sore throat and cough. This is what I reach for when I run out of the Throat Shield spray as it still relieves pain pretty well if you gargle with it.

This formula contains:

• Echinacea- boosts immunity
• Propolis- soothes sore throat pain
• Hyssop- helps clear mucus and supports bronchial pathways
• Sage- relieves pain
• St. John’s Wort- kills germs and bacteria (don’t use this throat spray if you use oral contraceptives)

You can get it here.

Zand Lozenges

These lozenges have been such a life saver! Depending on the formula/flavor you choose they conveniently help keep your lungs clear and your throat soothed while at work or school. I love using the blends that contain slippery elm or elderberry.

You can get my favorite one here.

Thayers Slippery Elm Lozenges

There’s a reason singers, speakers, teachers and vocalizers have used slippery elm to soothe their dry throats since 1847; it works!

Slippery elm is a dependable demulcent that moistens the throat and quells dry cough. I often use it in public places when I have a dry tickle that won’t go away, you know, the kind of cough that leaves you gagging and breathless. It really saves me the embarrassment of coughing till I turn blue in the face. These lozenges will also coat an inflamed throat and offer some measure of relief.

You can get these amazing lozenges here.

Throat Coat Tea

Drinking hot tea is one of the simplest and most effective remedies for sore throat so why not sip on one formulated for it?

This tea contains amazing herbs that soothe the throat while killing germs and bringing down inflammation. I recommend sipping on it throughout the day as hot as is comfortable. The heat itself with soothe pain quickly.

This tea contains:

• Slippery elm- a soothing demulcent.
• Licorice root- soothes sore throat and eases digestion
• Marshmallow root- demulcent. Eases digestive complaints.
• Sweet orange peel- expectorant and soothing.
• Cinnamon bark- warming, pain relieving.
• Wild cherry bark- expectorant.

You can get this tea here.

Products for Fever and Chills and other Flu Symptoms

Oscillococcinum

Also called ocillo, this homeopathic remedy is one of the best for flu-like symptoms, especially fever. Whether you’re feeling achy, have the chills, or just run down by the flu, this formula works! It also doesn’t taste bad which is a relief when you have the flu right?

I usually take this as soon as I suspect the flu coming on for fast relief.

You can get ocillococcinum here. They also have a children’s version that you can get here.

Alvita Elder Flower Tea

For a simple remedy for fever, I always turn to elder flower tea. It’s quick, soothing, and delicious with a teaspoon of raw honey.

Elder flower works by gently raising your body temperature by relaxing your tissues and allowing blood flow to the peripheral areas in order for your immune system to really wreak havoc on the virus. Once the virus has been taken care of, your fever will break.

This tea works best if taken has hot as is comfortable otherwise it will not work as a diaphoretic (cause sweating).

You can get this tea here.

There you have it! The best remedies you can buy for cold and flu. What have been some of your favorites?

Here's some great tips on how to recover from a cold quickly!