Aromatherapy in Your Steam Shower: Which Essential Oils to Use for Flu and Colds

It's ancient knowledge: a good bath or a hearty shower goes a long way in making us feel better when we're down with the cold or feel the symptoms of the flu coming on. More recently, steam showers have shown to aid us  the steam shower gives us plenty of benefits, including improved blood circulation, better metabolism, clearing those blocked airways, and raising our body temperature for a short while, kind of like an artificial fever. But you can take the steam shower and raise it to the next level  you can complement it with aromatherapy. Yes, especially when you're feeling a bit under the weather. Here's what you should know about aromatherapy in your steam shower: which essential oils to use for flu and colds.

Aroma therapy: using nature

The use of essential oils has been practiced for centuries, even millennia, and there are good reasons why we continue this tradition until today. They have positive effects on our health  both for the body and for the mind. What's so great about them is that they are natural; you can't go wrong with them. By using nature, we rejuvenate and detoxify the healthy way.

Easing the symptoms using oils

The oils that nature provides may not be able to fight the virus directly - that's something only your body can do, but they go a long way in relieving the symptoms and making you feel better, both physically and mentally. Here are some common oils and their advantages:

• Eucalyptus. Often used in over-the-counter cold medicine, this native of Australia's blue forest is a classic and sure to clear up mucus in the lungs and heal the throat and nasal passages.
• Peppermint. This common plant is often used to help the digestive system and is often recommended to pregnant women to reduce the feeling of bloating and morning sickness.
• Lemon and orange. Lemon has been used to combat sore throats and soothe cough for centuries.
• Lavender. Lavender is home to the Mediterranean and was used commonly by the Romans to combat stress and to help relaxation.
• Tea tree oil. This is commonly used in medicine and helps fight infections  viral, bacterial, and fungal.

Aromatherapy in steam showers work because it complements the benefits of the steam shower with its own benefits when you inhale the steam of the steam shower, you automatically soothe the insides of the airways, clearing up your lungs, throat, and sinuses. Adding the essential oils  which can also be converted to steam work wonders in combination with the heat and moisture of the water. It's a simple but very effective cure that is sure to make you feel a whole lot better.