Relieve Congestion with a Eucalyptus Steam
How It Works
The combination of eucalyptus oil and steam is perfect for breaking up mucus, relieving sinus pressure, and opening nasal passages for better breathing when you have a cold or sinus infection. There are two ways you can do it:
Option 1:
*Bring a large pot of water to boiling.
*Transfer water to a big bowl.
*Add 3-4 drops of eucalyptus oil.
*Hold your head over the bowl (about an arm's length away), and place a towel over your head.
*With eyes closed, take deep inhalations of the steam for about 10 minutes or so, and take as many breaks as you need.
Option 2:
Turn your bathroom into a steam room! You can either take a shower or turn on the hot water and let it run (though, be mindful of the environment). You can simply place a few drops of the oil on the floor of the showers OR you can use a carrier oil + a drop or two of the eucalyptus oil. If you do that, an easy way is to rub the mixture into the palms of your hands, then cup your face with both hands, inhaling the scent deeply.
What You’ll Need
- towel
- eucalyptus oil
- Bowl
- Kettle or Pot
- Stove
- Shower
Difficulty
nor hard Somewhat
challenging Very
challenging
Story
My toddler is still too young to know how to blow his nose, and he really hates when I have to manually remove the mucus with an aspirator or Nose Freida. To help him breathe a bit easier and break up his congestion, I started using this trick but in the shower form (Option 2). (Burns from hot water are a definite risk when you go with Option 1) Since it's worked so well for him, I started doing it for myself as described in Option 1.
