The reality is that you can catch a cold any time of the year. However, if you’ve ever wondered why it seems that you’re more susceptible to coming down with a cold or the flu during the fall and winter, things like cold air being able to weaken your immunity, you spending more time indoors in close proximity to other people and you even taking in more sugary foods during the holidays (that can increase your blood sugar levels, cause bodily inflammation and make it harder for your body’s cells to fight against bacteria) — they all play major roles.
The good news is if you’re someone who would prefer to take a more holistic approach to healing from the cold or flu (at least as much as you possibly can), there are some essential oils that are actually pretty effective. Since, at the end of the day, they are simply a concentrated form of plant extracts that contain antibiotic and antimicrobial properties and since they also can help to reduce inflammation, decrease stress, and so much more — before you feel a sore throat or a bout of the sniffles coming up, make sure that you have at least a couple of the following essential oils in your possession (to put into a diffuser, mix with a carrier oil to rub on your back or chest or even to sprinkle onto your pillowcases), please.
The Best Essential Oils for Colds and the Flu
Getty Images
1. Cinnamon Oil for Colds and the Flu
Whenever I’ve shouted out cinnamon oil on this platform, it’s pretty much in the realm of sexual pleasure (check out “12 'Sex Condiments' That Can Make Coitus Even More...Delicious” and “10 Ways To Have An 'Extra Sweet' Vagina”); however, please believe that it can help you out in other departments too. If you want to boost your moods, improve your oral health, reduce your blood sugar levels, lower the effect that fatty meats have on your system, or even reduce the inflammation that is associated with breakouts or accelerate your hair growth, cinnamon oil is great.
Since cinnamon oil also has really powerful antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties, it’s a good ingredient if you like to make your own household cleaning products in order to keep germs at bay or if you want to put it into a diffuser in order to create an all-natural decongestant.
2. Thyme Essential Oil for Colds and the Flu
Thyme is an herb from the mint family that a lot of people like to cook with. It’s got properties in it that can do everything from help clear up acne and lower your blood pressure to speed up the healing process of yeast infections and other bacteria-related ones. Something else that’s impressive about thyme is studies reveal that it can help to decrease the volume of cancer tumors that are associated with colon cancer and it can help to slow down the growth of breast cancer cells as well.
And yes, thyme is excellent if you’re trying to treat a cold or the flu. One reason is that it’s packed with vitamins (including vitamin C) that will help to give your immune system a boost. Also, thyme can help to reduce the inflammation that can lead to coughing.
Unsplash
3. Lemon Oil for Colds
Lemon oil is bomb; there’s simply no other way to put it. The properties in it have been proven to be able to ease morning sickness for pregnant women, reduce symptoms that are directly associated with depression and anxiety, kill the kind of bacteria that can lead to skin inflammation and cell damage, improve digestion issues (including relieving constipation), boost your brain power, get rid of bad breath, help to prevent cavities and so much more.
Because it is an antibacterial oil, you can use lemon oil as an all-natural disinfectant ingredient to clean your bathroom and doorknobs (you know, places that tend to carry a lot of germs), as well as wash your laundry. Lemon oil is also great for detoxing your system, strengthening your immunity, reducing cough, and soothing a sore throat.
4. Chamomile Oil for Colds and the Flu
Usually, when the subject of chamomile comes up (at least on this platform), it’s in the form of tea. Chamomile tea reduces stress. Chamomile tea soothes your scalp and helps to prevent split ends. Chamomile tea is even good for your vaginal health. Okay, but what about when it’s in the form of an essential oil? What are the ways that it can benefit you then? For starters, chamomile oil can help to reduce anxiety and depression, can bring relief if you’re dealing with something like carpal tunnel syndrome, and it can definitely help you to sleep better.
Since a good night’s rest actually helps you to prevent catching a cold or coming down with the flu in the first place (because sleep helps to keep your immune system in peak condition), that’s one reason why chamomile oil makes this list. Another is the fact that studies have proven that chamomile has a way of making the symptoms that are directly associated with the common cold easier to deal with.
Getty Images
5. Peppermint Oil for Colds and the Flu
Peppermint oil is powerful. It increases blood circulation, reduces gas, eases nausea, helps to keep your skin from itching, soothes headaches, and can help to stimulate your scalp so that healthier hair is able to grow out of it. Something else that’s awesome about peppermint oil is its antimicrobial properties can help to destroy bacteria and yeast, which makes it ideal for treating things like athlete’s foot and something that I am susceptible to, tinea versicolor (a type of skin fungal infection).
If you want to heal from the flu as soon as possible, there are studies that reveal that peppermint oil contains antiviral properties, it can help to reduce any excessive mucus that may be in your system, and it can help to reduce your fever, too. As far as colds go, the menthol in peppermint oil can bring healing to a sore throat or an irritating cough.
6. Cajuput (White Samet) Essential Oils for Colds and the Flu
If you’ve never heard of cajuput essential oil before, don’t feel bad — I seriously doubt most folks have. Long story short, it’s a type of oil that’s made from the cajuput trees, which are popular in Southeast Asia and Australia. As far as its health benefits, your skin will like it because its strong antibacterial properties can help to prevent pimples. Your hair will like it because it can help to keep your scalp nice and healthy. Some people also say that it can be helpful when it comes to relieving the discomfort of a toothache or muscle and/or joint discomfort.
What particularly caught my interest about this oil is cajuput is not only used by individuals to speed up the healing process of the common cold, some studies are saying that its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties may just slow down COVID too. Listen, since COVID is known for peaking during late fall and winter, it certainly couldn’t hurt to have some cajuput oil in your bathroom cabinet.
Unsplash
7. Camphor Oil for Colds and the Flu
Camphor oil ain’t nothin’ to play with. The reason why I say that is because it’s a potent organic compound known as a terpene that comes from the wood of camphor trees. The benefits that come from applying camphor oil are it can help to relieve skin irritation, treat toenail fungus, reduce the discomfort that is associated with arthritis and migraine headaches, and if you’re someone who gets muscle cramps from working out, due to its antispasmodic and relaxant properties, it can help out in that department too.
And why would you want to consider using it if you have a cold or the flu? Well, thanks to its antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties, camphor oil is a pretty effective decongestant; plus, it can help to decrease any coughing fits that you may have (especially during the night). Just make sure that, with this one especially, you use it with the “a little bit goes a very long way” approach.
8. Tea Tree Oil for Colds and the Flu
Wanna knock a zit out overnight? Unless it’s a blind pimple (because sometimes those are deeper beneath the surface than you might think), applying some tea tree oil to it will almost certainly get it done. What are some other ways that you can literally apply tea tree oil to your life? Since it has both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties (ones that are hella potent, too), this is an oil that can help to reduce dandruff, heal eczema, treat nail fungus, fight gingivitis, heal wounds, and, because tea tree oil also contains antifungal properties, it can bring relief to irritated skin that is associated with a yeast infection (so long as you dilute it first).
You definitely need this type of oil around during cold and flu season because it can be a disinfectant that kills not only the germs that cause those viruses but the coronavirus as well. That’s actually why some people use it as a main ingredient in their DIY hand sanitizer (a recipe for how to make your own is here).
9. Bergamot Oil for Colds and the Flu
Bergamot is a type of citrus fruit that grows in southern Italy. As an essential oil, it’s good for you because it helps to decrease stress levels, lower your cholesterol levels, reduce bodily inflammation and pain, is a great spot treatment for zits, and can even destroy the bacteria that is associated with food poisoning. Aside from all of this, bergamot oil is also known for helping to soothe psoriasis and reduce abdominal fat, and it provides an all-natural alternative if you’re looking for a way to treat insomnia.
As far as the flu and even COVID goes, you definitely need some bergamot oil in your life. The potent antiviral properties that it contains can be therapeutic for when you inhale the vapors from the oil. Just make sure to keep in mind that since the oil is so powerful, you don’t need a ton of it. Thinking that less is more is wise.
10. Eucalyptus Oil for Colds and the Flu
And finally, eucalyptus. Eucalyptus oil smells like…the woods-meets mint-meets a medicine cabinet. That’s why I personally wouldn’t recommend it as a fragrance; however, if you want something that will kill bacteria, heal cold sores, level out your blood sugar levels, ease joint pain, or cause your breath to be fresher — this is the essential oil that you want.
And definitely, now that the cold and flu season is here,get some eucalyptus oil in case you need to break up congestion, decrease your cough, or simply don’t want to struggle so much to breathe out of your nose. It’s a signature oil that will make healing these types of viruses easier…so that you can enjoy all that fall and winter have to offer, y’all.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by RECVISUAL/Getty Images
RELATED
So, today? Today, we’re going to tackle how sex impacts us when it comes to our energy fields. What (mostly) inspired this is once reading a science-based article about how it is a fact and not a myth that just like plants can absorb energy from other plants, humans can do the same thing by being in the space of other human beings. And when you stop to really think about it, doesn’t that make all of the sense in the world?
Otherwise, there wouldn’t be terms out here like “peer pressure” and big grown folks wouldn’t be out here trying to look and act just like some of their favorite celebrities or IG influencers (and yet, on that point, I digress).
So, since energy impacts us in some pretty significant ways, let’s take a few moments to see how it goes down when it comes to copulation — just so that you’re (even more) aware of what you’re getting yourself into when you “do the do,” as far as your personal energy space is concerned.
Energy. Revisited.
GiphyOkay, so before we get all up in how energy is exchanged during sexual activity, what is energy as it relates to human beings, in general? Well, in some ways, it all depends on who you ask. For instance, the famed Greek philosopher Aristotle once said that energy is about having the capacity to do something. Some medical experts say that energy is all about how something impacts you on a mental or physical level.
For instance, negative energy tends to be very heavy and draining while positive energy can increase feel-good chemicals throughout your system which makes it easier for you to do things like be creative and problem-solve. Something else that I think is important to keep in mind as far as human energy goes is it’s impacted by a myriad of things including a person’s stress levels, how healthy a person is, what their life choices are (as far as how their decisions influence them) and even what their sleep patterns are like.
And if all of this is true, then something else that Aristotle once said about energy would be beyond accurate: “The energy of the mind is the essence of life.”
Energy is life. Whew, so if this is indeed the case, does this mean that when you choose to have sex with someone, you are sharing your life force — whatever state that may be — with someone as they are doing the same to/for/with you? YES.
What Does It Mean to Exchange Sexual Energy?
GiphySince I grew up in an entertainment industry household, I think that’s probably why I’ve ended up with some close friends who are in the industry as well. That said, I will never forget when I was talking to one of them one day about a particular artist. When I expressed how much sex appeal that she had, my (male) friend simply said, “Yeah, I’ve been in her presence a few times before. She has some really dark energy. I didn’t even hug her.”
Now from a scientific standpoint, dark energy is simply what causes the universe to accelerate in growth over a certain period of time; however, when a person is described to have dark energy, that usually means that they have an evil and/or negative and/or heavy and/or draining aura about them. And y’all, here’s what’s semi-wild about what he said: did you know that science backs that hugs do indeed transfer energy?
Yep, research reveals that a hug from someone can literally alter your brain and body chemistry — so you definitely need to be discerning about who you let up into your affection space. Straight up. And so, since a hug has the capacity to do that, how much more can SEX?
To further emphasize this, let’s begin with an article that I read on Healthline’s website entitled, “Do We Really Exchange Energy During Sex?” After checking it out, one of the main things that I appreciated was when a doctor who was interviewed for the piece said:
“Every sex act is an exchange of energy [because] every sexual act raises or lowers your energy level…Therefore, a sexual relationship isn’t a purely psychological or physiological, mechanical act…Rather, it’s an energetic action. When we have an intimate relationship with someone, the two energies merge.”
Okay, so according to science, when two people have sex, energies merge. Well, according to Scripture, when two people have sex, oneness transpires (Genesis 2:24-25). Let’s keep going.
There was once a Physician-scientist by the name of Wilhelm Reich (who actually died in prison, in part, because of his radical beliefs on sex and orgasms during his time), who once said that having a healthy sex life (which, to him, including orgasms and is what he referred to as “orgastic potency”) is what played a huge role in one’s emotional health and well-being. That’s because, to him, without the release of sexual energy, neurological disorders would be come to be.
My takeaway from this is when you think about the fact that things like serotonin, dopamine, and the “the bonding chemical” oxytocin are all released during sex (and most certainly during orgasms), and also since sex (and orgasms) reduce stress — you need to tend to your sexual energy for the sake of your holistic health. Let’s continue on.
After reading an article on sexual energy on Cosmo’s website in which one of the sex therapists said that “our sexuality is our power" and then reading an article on the same topic on Well + Good’s platform where another expert stated that, “Many belief systems believe sexual energy is an expression of the soul's connection to the cosmos and the rest of the universe”, I thought about the word “power” and then “soul connection.”
At the end of the day, power isn’t just ability but the capability to influence and even take authority over something or someone. And a soul connection? Several years ago, when I penned a piece for the platform entitled, “I’ve Got Some Ways For You To Start Pampering Your Soul,” one of the things that I made sure to emphasize is your soul IS also your life. This means that soul connections are life connections.
And so, it would appear that sharing sexual energy also means that you are making a life connection with someone. And that type of connection has the power to influence you in ways that you couldn’t even begin to imagine. That is how deep exchanging sexual energy is.
What You Should Always Keep in Mind Before Sharing Sexual Energy with Someone Else
GiphyNow are there degrees to this whole sexual energy thing? Of course. The type of connection that a husband and wife of 20 years can make via sex is very different than a one-night stand. However, it would appear that science believes that it doesn’t really matter what you tell yourself about sex with someone (or even how many condoms you may use during sex) — potent energy is exchanged regardless.
That’s a huge part of the reason why I will forever roll my eyes about how ridiculous “casual sex” sounds to me, because, although I do believe that it is very possible to engage in coitus that has no real purpose (casual is purposeless, by definition), what isn’t possible is for there not to be a significant connection made from a scientific standpoint. Because again, if a mere hug can alter you (shoot, a handshake too), do you really think that allowing a man’s penis into the sacred space known as your vagina will not? After reading all of this…do you really?
When it comes to energy, author T. Harv Eker once said, “Energy is contagious: either you affect people or you infect people.” With all that was just shared about sexual energy, each and every person you choose to “engage” with, they are either going to affect you or infect you — just with their energy alone.
Knowing this, if there was ever a time to choose wisely, this would be it.
Your energy is your power. Who you exchange power with? CHOOSE WISELY.
EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON.
And because energy can shift…be cognizant of what you’re doing…EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Giphy