My LO woke up with a sore throat this morning, and you know what she said?
She DIDN’T want our usual sore throat remedy!
Ha! Kids always keeping us on our toes! Luckily for us, I’ve got lots of little tricks up my sleeve, so wanted to pass them on the best natural sore throat remedies.
As always, home herbalism is best when it’s SIMPLE. You don’t NEED all these options, nor are any ‘the BEST’. They’re all effective, and you might find each person in your home prefers a different method.
I know for me, I’ll never choose to gargle, cause honestly, I just sound like a dying whale before I accidently spit it out on everything around me 🤣
So, find what works for you (and just keep the other ideas tucked in your back pocket if you ever need them).
Sage (Salvia Officinalis)
Sage is one of the best natural remedies for sore throats (not the only herb tho!) because it’s an antimicrobial, astringent herb with a particular affinity for the throat. It’s widely available and grows easily (in a pot if you’re in the subtropics) making it easy to have on hand when a sore throat strikes.
Think sage in any form – tea, gargle, infused honey, electuary, spray.
I love to make a sage and echinacea throat spray, because in a research study, this combo was found to be as effective as pharmaceuticals.
Get recipes for sage tea, sage-infused honey and sage throat spray in our DIY Immunity Kit if you want those recipes, herbs, spray bottle etc – we’ve got you covered!
Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris)
A close friend of sage, thyme works a treat for sore throats. I personally only really think of thyme tea or gargle for sore throats, but that’s cause I usually have sage on hand. Thyme’s a great warming antibacterial herb though, so it’s gonna pack a punch.
Salt water gargle
I feel like this is the ultimate winner for simplicity, good ol’ salt water gargle. Super effective and perfect for people who want natural home remedies without any fuss and fanfare (and those who can gargle without spitting it everywhere!). Dissolve 1 teaspoon salt in 1 cup of warm water. Gargle 10 – 30 seconds. Repeat as needed.
You could also combine this is a soothing remedy, like marshmallow tea or a spoon of honey to help coat the throat.
Marshmallow tea (Althaea Officinalis)
If you’ve got a sore throats where it feels excruciating to swallow, marshmallow root tea is going to feel just so darn soothing.
It’s slimy, mucilaginous properties will coat your throat to create a protective barrier.
I think of marhsmallow primarily for its soothing properties and would personally opt to combine with another stronger antimicrobial remedy, like a sage gargle or throat spray.
To extract the slimy polysaccharides from marshmallow root, make a cold infusion.
Marshmallow Root Cold Infusion Recipe
Put 1 tablespoon marshmallow root in 1 cup room temperature water. Let sit for 4 hours (you can drink earlier, but the longer you leave it, the more slimy polysaccharides will be extracted into the water). Strain then sip as needed. Can store in fridge for up to 1 day.
Learn more about how to make cold infusions in my self-paced Mastering Herbal Teas course – we look at the 3 ways herbalists make tea, there’s heaps of recipes in there and you learn to create your own perfect tea blends.. and heaps more. Gosh, all that for $37 – bargain!
You might be able to use marshmallow leaf too, but I haven’t personally done that, so can’t say from experience.
There are more herbs you might use as well, these are just the ones I’ve worked with the most often for sore throats.
Remember also – a sore throat is often the first sign we’ve coming down with something. If we work with these natural sore throat remedies and other immune stimulant remedies at the earliest sign, we’re more likely to not get sick.
However, it’s also an invitation for us to rest and care for our body, regardless of whether we do get sick or not. Let’s not just use natural remedies as bandaids but as a way to deeply and intentionally care for ourselves (and yes, I know there’s lots of situations that make this difficult).
Hopefully you’ll find one, or all, of these natural remedies for sore throats helpful!
Take care and stay well.
Head to the Articles section for more winter wellness recipes – like how to use elderberry syrup effectively, make your own fire cider, best herbs for winter wellness etc.
