Best Sinus Soothing Herbal Tea Recipe for Congestion and Post Nasal Drip
Here is an easy herbal tea blend recipe you can make that will soothe congested and inflamed sinuses causing seasonal misery! Allergies to pollen and other seasonal causes like bad colds or flu are no fun, and here’s how you can get rid of the congestion, naturally and gently!
Allergy season plus cold and flu season is here, and with this season comes stuffy and runny noses....Pretty much misery in the sinus area, right? I recently wrote about how to make a great natural decongestant and also about essential oil recipes for roller bottles that work, and here is yet another idea that’s a bit gentler:
Why not make a simple herbal tea that really works to clear up your nose and tastes delicious on top of it?
Tea takes a little bit of time to brew up, but it sure is wonderful for relaxing while your nose and brain clear up the stuffiness like magic! You could even create your own herbal tea ritual and drink some of this daily.
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It's officially allergy season, and the pollen is rockin' & rollin' out there-- causing sinus inflammation and stuffy runny noses everywhere! Here's an herbal tea you can make for your family that will soothe and calm those allergies! #allergytea #teaforallergy #decongestant #getridof #sniffles #healingharvesthomestead
Here's a little bowl of blended Herbal Seasonal Allergy Tea to Clear Up That Sniffly Nose!
Click here and I’ll send you your FREE Herbal Remedy Guide and Cheat Sheet! It’s perfect for your home apothecary or kitchen.
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Recipe for Herbal Tea for Sniffles:
4 parts Peppermint leaves (Mentha x piperita)
3 parts Mullein leaves (Verbascum thapsis)
3 parts Elder flowers (Sambucus nigra or S canandensis)
2 parts Raspberry leaves (Rubus idaeus) or Sage leaves (Salvia officinalis)
1 to 2 parts Elder berries—optional, but excellent for immune support (Sambucus spp)
1 to 2 parts Ginger root (Zingiber officinale)
1 part Yarrow (optional, but recommended (Achillea millefolium)
Place all dried herbs in a large bowl to blend. Mix together with your hands.
About the Parts System:
Parts are simply any unit of measurement you choose. If you want to make a small amount of herbal tea, then use a small part, like a teaspoon or tablespoon. If you want to make plenty to have ready to go, use a larger part, like 1/4 cup.
To store your herbal tea blend for freshness, put any extra into a glass jar with a tightly fitting lid in a cool, dark cupboard.
This is a folk herbalist system, and it’s the way I love to blend and formulate my teas.
You might be interested in How to Formulate Your Own Herbal Tea.
Hey! If you are interested in learning more about using herbs for wellness and blending your very own tea, tincture, and other formulations for health and pleasure and learn deeply about medicinal plants, spend time in an ACTIVE and fun community, take a look at the Confident Herbalist Tribe. It’s seriously the BEST way to get started on your herbal journey!
To Prepare Herbal Tea for Sniffles:
For one cup, use about 2 tsp. per 6 ounces of just boiled water. Allow to steep for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Alternatively, you can make a larger amount in a quart Mason jar and drink throughout the day as needed. Fill about an inch worth in the Mason jar. Cover to within 1 inch of the top with boiling water. Steep for 30 minutes. You can steep longer if you like strong tea, but you may experience some bitterness.
I personally don't mind this, and I like my tea strong---it works extra well! But if you are more into the taste, then go with a shorter steep time. Strain out the herbs, sweeten to taste, and enjoy!
Here is an article with more detail about how to make herbal tea infusions.
About the Herbs to Make a Decongestant Herbal Tea That's Delicious Too!
**I use all organic herbs, and I purchase them exclusively from Starwest Botanicals (unless I grow or wild-craft them myself).
NOTE: If you don't want to bother blending your own teas, Starwest also has some GREAT blends for a variety of different pleasures and conditions.
So...you have a nice choice between buying bulk herbs to blend OR just buying a ready made tea blend from Starwest Botanicals. I have never been disappointed!
Peppermint Leaves (Mentha piperata):
We are all familiar with the decongestant and sinus clearing properties of peppermint! It really works wonders to open those nasal passages. In addition, peppermint is wonderfully soothing for the digestion and helps with mental clarity!
Elder Flowers & Berries (Sambucus nigra):
This is a large shrub native to Europe. It has thankfully naturalized throughout much of North America, and is loved by two-legged creatures as well as four-leggeds such as deer and elk. Elder contains bioflavonoids, flavonoids, phenolic constituents, potassium, beta-carotene, and tons of Vitamin C.
It's super useful for strengthening and enhancing the immune system and fighting off viruses, including the dreaded cold sore. It's an excellent medicinal herb for upper respiratory infections, which is what most folks use it for.
The berries should not be eaten raw (although I ate plenty when I foraged with my family as a child). The flowers do have a diaphoretic action, which means they help cause sweating and therefore speed healing from fevers. They are fine to take in the quantity in this tea in terms of safe use.
Raspberry Leaves (Rubus idaeus):
This powerful herb contains a ton of Vitamin C! In fact the berries contain 1-2% acids, of which 90% of that happens to be citric acid! Raspberry is probably best known for how it helps women during pregnancy, childbirth, with painful menses, etc. However, it's also wonderful for helping soothe respiratory distress because of its astringent properties.
Ginger Root (Zingiber officinale):
Ginger is an absolute miracle herb, and most of us have it right in our kitchens! Ginger works wonders for inflammation throughout the body. Ginger is a warming herb with decongestant properties. The fact that it is a "warm" herb means that it is stimulating and will help increase the active properties of the other herbs. It’s also helpful for the respiratory system.
Yarrow (Achillea millifolium):
Yarrow is an antiseptic herb, and it is also an amphoteric--this means it moves to where it is needed in the body as an anti-inflammatory and mild sedative.
It’s a great complement to stronger decongestant herbs, as it helps with the inflammation caused by swollen sinuses. As an aside: Yarrow is traditionally known as the "battle field" herb, due to its styptic (blood clotting) properties. This means it helps clot blood and stop bleeding in case of wounds---just a little fun fact! (Yarrow should be avoided during pregnancy.)
If you’d like to learn to make your own homemade, natural Quikclot for your First Aid kit at home, here are the directions.
Mullein (Verbascum thapsis):
I LOVE mullein. I generally forage mine from the mountains around our home, and have even begun cultivating it in our yard. I believe it's seriously a wonder plant when it comes to anything to do with the upper respiratory system.
I use it freely during allergy season as well as when I have that good old stuffy/runny nose going on. It's an expectorant, which means it helps break up mucous, as well as having antiseptic properties. It also contains a bit of mucilage, which means it's great for helping to relieve inflammation. It's soothing and safe.
Safety Considerations: Except for the Yarrow, which should be avoided during pregnancy, these plants are all considered safe to use.
Click here, and I’ll send your FREE Herbal Remedy Guide and Cheat Sheet! It’s 12 pages with information on how to use 10 common and easy-to-find herbs. It’s perfect for your kitchen or home apothecary!
Where You Can Get Medicinal Herbs?
I actually grow or forage for many of the herbs I use often. Otherwise, since I can't grow everything I need, I go to Starwest Botanicals for quality fresh dried herbs, quick shipping, and great customer service.
Also, if you want to buy herbal tea that's already blended and not hassle with making it yourself, you can find some high quality blended teas there too!
Final Thoughts on Allergy Relief Tea Made With Herbs
I love this stuff!
You see, I suffered terribly from allergies most of my entire life. When I began using herbs for my health, I discovered that my allergy symptoms and other issues actually disappeared!
This is because herbs help heal your body. They do so much more than just mask symptoms that are caused by other things. It’s wonderful being allergy free.
And once in awhile, when I do get a little flare up from pollen in the spring time, I just take my allergy tincture until those horrible allergy symptoms subside! OR, I use this delightful tea, which is wonderful to have ready to go in a pinch!
If you have questions or comments, please leave them in the comments section!
You may also be interested in these related articles in my cold and flu care series:
What Herbs & Remedies to Take if You Feel a Cold or Flu Coming On,
How to Recover Quickly and STAY Recovered.
Also, here is an article for children specifically: How to Boost Your Child's Immune System.
Click! I’ll send you my free Guide to Relaxing with Medicinal Herbs and Essential Oils! It’s 24 pages of great information on stress plus lots of remedies and recipes to enjoy!
Also, I'd love to share a valuable gift with you! It's my eBook on How to Relax in the Evening Using Herbs. When you sign up for my newsletter, you’ll get access to the Free Resource Library, which has this book and lots of other free goodies just for you! Just complete the form below!
Hugs, Health, & Self-Reliance!
Heidi
Click here to get your guide! If you want recipes and remedies for relaxation and more, this guide on How to Relax Using Herbs and Essential Oils is for you!
Resources:
Gladstar, Rosemary. Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide.
Tierra, Michael. The Way of Herbs.
Cech, Richo. Making Plant Medicine.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, and in no manner are the statements in this article or elsewhere on my website or shop meant to imply any cure, diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of any illness. These are simply my personal opinions based on study and experience. Please see a medical professional for concerns.
Have allergies? Here is an easy tea blend you can make yourself to help your body deal with common seasonal allergy symptoms: sinus inflammation, congestion, stuffy nose, runny nose, and overall misery. You’ll enjoy this herbal home remedy! #allergy #allergyremedies #seasonal #herbaltea #tea #sinus #spring #pollen #dust #naturalseasonal #healingharvesthomestead