ThisNext Blog

I always feel like I’m the queen of obscure natural remedies, whipping out stuff like anti-cold formulas from traditional Zulu medicine whenever I start sniffling and sneezing. But then this week I received an Ideal Bite daily tip full of cold and flu fighters I’d never heard of before, and suddenly I felt very far from in-the-know. Here’s a look at some of the Biter-approved cold-season essentials I’m going to start storing in my medicine cabinet, right next to the black spruce oil and bee propolis throat spray.

1. Sinus Buster

Of course you want to shoot hot pepper up your nose. Or maybe not. But - weird or no - Sinus Buster’s full of sinus-clearing capsaicin (the hot pepper substance that’s also got lots of pain-relieving properties), along with eucalyptus oil, rosemary extract, and other natural ingredients.

2. Olbas Inhaler

Another up-the-nose remedy, the Olbas Inhaler also contains eucalyptus oil to help clear congestion. The formula features a blend of cooling essential oils - menthol, peppermint, and an antiseptic called cajeput, in addition to eucalyptus - that can save your schnozz when you’re suffering from cold or allergy symptoms.

3. White Flower Analgesic Balm

Essential oils are also the magic ingredient in White Flower Analgesic Balm, a product that gets its aromatherapeutic power from menthol, wintergreen, camphor, eucalyptus, lavender, and peppermint. In addition to clearing sinus blockage and relieving muscle aches and pain, the balm makes for a circulation-stimulating foot soak.

4. Seshmaan Miracle Herbs

For herbal cold relief, turn to Seshmaan Miracle Herbs, which combines 14 botanicals to ease cold symptoms. Featuring ginger, black pepper, licorice, cumin, coriander, and other herbs, the formula works to rev up the immune system and whisk away coughs, aches, and fatigue. Use it at the first sign of a cold - or even when you need to knock out a killer hangover. For extra-cozy cold relief, you can dissolve the Seshmaan sachet’s contents into a cup of hot chai or soup.

5. Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat

An item from the Ideal Bite tip library archives, Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat tea is an old standby for ThisNexter/singer missbloom. “Anytime my throat starts feeling irritated I reach for a big, well-steeped cup of this tea,” she says. “The slippery elm root is very soothing for scratchy, tired throats and the taste is sweet and mellow (though it takes a little getting used to at first)…There’s also an Organic Lemon Echinacea version of Throat Coat - good for those nasty colds that wreck havoc on your throat and lungs.”

6. Hyland’s Standard Homeopathics Cold and Flu remedies

To go for a like-cures-like approach to winter ickiness, choose a product from Hyland’s line of homeopathic cold and flu remedies. My favorite are the Flu Tablets, which dissolve nicely under your tongue and make the achy, feverish, all-around-gross feeling of a flu fade away. It’s a much nicer solution than something like Day-Quil, which always makes me feel like I’m floating around in outer space whenever I take it - and not in a fun and adventurous kind of way.

See more of my Taking a Bite outta colds list at ThisNext.