You’re looking for the best essential oil for your sore throat, and no wonder. Sore throats are uncomfortable. They affect the way you talk, eat, and swallow. Complete mood killers.
The good news is that sore throats usually go away in a few days on their own, but even 48 hours can feel like an eternity when you have a bunch of things to do.
Luckily, the right essential oils can be a wonderful soothing agent for your dry, scratchy throat and allow you to reconnect to your day. Below are 8 of the best essential oils for your sore throat!
The Quick Rundown
If you’re impatient, here’s most of the information distilled into one neat table.
| The Oil | Good For | My Favorite One |
| Peppermint | Sore throat. Irritable bowel syndrome. Common colds, including sore throats. Headaches. | Buy on Amazon |
| Lemon | Antibacterial. Antifungal. Antiseptic. Cough suppressant. Immune system booster. | Buy on Amazon |
| Lavender | Anxiety. Fungal infections. Allergies. Depression. Insomnia. Eczema. Nausea. Menstrual cramps. | Buy on Amazon |
| Garlic | Bronchitis. Relieve coughing. Preventing tick bites. Fungal skin infections. | Buy on Amazon |
| Tea Tree | Pain reliever. Cough suppressant. Anti-bacterial. Anti-viral. | Buy on Amazon |
| Eucalyptus | Pain relievers. Anti-viral. Anti-bacterial. Antiseptic. Cough suppressant. Respiratory support. | Buy on Amazon |
| Thyme | Strep throat. Mosquito repellant. Yeast infections. Cough suppressant. | Buy on Amazon |
| Ginger | Nausea. Arthritis. Digestive issues. Colds. Migraines. | Buy on Amazon |
Best Essential Oils For Sore Throats
Peppermint Essential Oil
Peppermint oil is festive and versatile in applications, one of them being a sore throat. The main compounds of peppermint oil are menthol and menthone.
Menthol is a name you may be familiar with. It is an agent that helps break up mucus that is found in most cough drops. Peppermint oil has proven antiviral and antibacterial properties and is suitable for:
- Sore throat
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Common colds, including sore throats
- Headaches
Check out my favorite peppermint essential oil on Amazon.
Lemon Essential Oil
Lemon essential oils have natural properties that are ideal for soothing a sore throat. They are made by cold-pressing lemon peels, which makes for an incredibly potent and very healthy oil. It has the following benefits.
- Antibacterial
- Antifungal
- Antiseptic
- Cough suppressant
- Immune system booster
Not only is it good for sicknesses, but it can also alleviate the following:
- Exhaustion
- Depression
- Inflammation
- Kills Viruses and bacteria
- Clears skin
Check out my favorite lemon essential oil on Amazon.
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender is a popular essential oil because of its versatility. It has so many benefits. In the case of a sore throat, lavender contains several anti-microbial compounds, the biggest one being linalool.
Linalool is a powerhouse component against various harmful bacteria, including the ones that cause your sore throat. Lavender can also help with the following:
- Anxiety
- Fungal infections
- Allergies
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Eczema
- Nausea
- Menstrual cramps
Check out my favorite lavender essential oil on Amazon.
Thyme Essential Oil
We use thyme almost daily to add spice to our food; if not directly, it’s usually present in many store-bought spices. But did you know it is a bonafide pain reliever as an essential oil? It gives a whole new meaning to comfort food. Thyme’s compounds include Thymol and Linalool.
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These ingredients make thyme essential oil act as a pain reliever, cough suppressor, and anti-viral, which is vital for the respiratory tract and makes it the best essential oil for a sore throat. Thyme is popular in treating the following:
- Strep throat
- Mosquito repellant
- Yeast infections
- Cough suppressant; respiratory viruses
Check out my favorite thyme essential oil on Amazon.
Garlic Essential Oil
Garlic is one of the most misunderstood essential oils; many people get turned off because of its high potency and the correlation with bad smell.
However, it’s very healthy and can also soothe an itchy throat. The trick with garlic essential oil is that it should be slightly diluted before use.
Garlic contains diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide. Both of which are useful in clearing up a sore throat. But garlic shouldn’t only be known for treating colds and its aggressive smell, it also significantly helps the following:
- Bronchitis
- Relieve coughing
- Preventing tick bites
- Fungal skin infections
Check out my favorite garlic essential oil on Amazon.
Tea Tree Essential Oil
People usually associate tea tree essential oils with skin products. But tea tree oil offers much more; it has the following medicinal properties:
- Pain reliever
- Cough suppressant
- Anti-bacterial
- Anti-viral
With all of these properties, tea tree essential oil is suitable for the following:
- Sore throat
- Hand sanitizer
- Natural deodorant
- Sinusitis
- Laryngitis
- Bronchitis
Check out my favorite tea tree essential oil on Amazon.
Eucalyptus Essential Oil
When you think of eucalyptus, you might think of a fluffy little koala munching on the tree. Or, maybe it’s the soothing effect and pleasant smell of eucalyptus in lotions; whichever the case, eucalyptus as an essential oil makes an excellent solution for sore throats.
Eucalyptus essential oil consists of eucalyptol and alpha-terpineol. These properties also make it great for the following uses.
- Pain relievers
- Anti-viral
- Anti-bacterial
- Antiseptic
- Cough suppressant
- Respiratory support
Check out my favorite eucalyptus essential oil on Amazon.
Ginger Essential Oil
Ginger has been spicing up dishes for centuries, but it is a divine healing agent when you concentrate its benefits into an essential oil. It is a powerful pain reliever and cough suppressor that can be very helpful for a sore throat. It has served as a remedy for thousands of years in the treatment of the following things:
- Nausea
- Arthritis
- Digestive issues
- Colds
- Migraines
Check out my favorite ginger essential oil on Amazon.
How To Use Essential Oils For A Sore Throat
The healing powers of essential oils have been utilized for a long time. But if you’re ready to soothe your dry, itchy throat, you should do it right. It is important to note that you should not drink essential oils under any circumstances. The correct way to use essential oils is in one of the following methods.
- You can gargle essential oils.
- Fill a 12 oz. (350ml) glass with warm water
- Add 1-2 drops (or recommended dose) of the essential oil
- Gargle for 30-60 seconds
- Spit out
- You can inhale essential oils.
- Boil 2 cups of water
- Pour them into a bowl
- Add 7-8 drops of essential oil
- Cover your head with a towel and stay close to the bowl
- Breathe in deep, preferably keep your eyes closed
- You can also place 8-10 drops on a cotton ball and inhale it gently.
- Finally, if you would rather apply it topically, you can add 10 drops to coconut oil, apply the mixture to a cloth and rub your throat with it.
Final Thoughts
Essential oils have various uses and contain properties that can ease the discomfort of a sore throat.
There is no need to suffer through it when these helpful oils are readily available, not to mention, they have the added bonus of smelling amazing.
If you’re still wondering what the best essential oil for your sore throat is, it’s best to try a couple and see what works for you. But, it seems that thyme essential oil shows the most promising benefits.
If you’re looking for another way to fight your sickness, check out our article about spirulina benefits. One of them is a stronger immune system!