Flu Season Comfort Kit

Sneezes greetings! We’ve reached the time of year where germs say hi before we do. No matter what healthy self-care habits we’ve adopted lately, there’s still a chance we’ll pick up a hitchhiking cold or flu this winter. And when sickness strikes, we know that immune-boosting supplements help, but they only go so far.

When we need cold and flu treatment this season, a little extra tender, loving self-care goes a long way. For all our fevers, chills, aches, and pains this flu season, let’s build ourselves a comfort kit to soothe that would make mom proud!

What are some of the most common cold and flu symptoms? We bring this up because when our daily dehydration headaches hit around 4 p.m., our first thought is that we’re coming down with something. But before we reach for the flu treatment or cold medicine, let’s review the flu season symptoms to be on the lookout for.

What to look for in the common cold:

• Sneezing several times daily, not explained by dust or allergies

• Intermittent stuffy nose

• Nasal drip into the throat

• Thicker, darker, or more vibrant mucus buildup in nose and throat

• Coughing with dry, itchy, or sore throat

• Sinus pressure or head discomfort

• Minor fever

• Symptoms lasting 2 or more days

While many symptoms of the common cold overlap with the flu, the flu virus tends to be significantly worse. So, symptoms will often gradually worsen rather than experiencing brief periods of wellness, like with a cold.

What to expect with the flu:

• Typically the first and most subtle sign is a general feeling of being exhausted, depleted, or drastically fatigued

• From there, experiences of mild to building alternating or persistent fever and/or chills set in

• Shortness of breath is to be expected

• Head and body aches will become apparent

• Stuffy or runny nose, nasal drip, coughing, and sore throat, similar to a cold, though sneezing isn’t quite as common

• Additionally, the flu usually brings with it loss of appetite, vomiting, upset stomach, and diarrhea

• Symptoms of the flu tend to set in slower than the common cold, but can last longer – on average, 4 to 7 days

While nothing is proven to cure the flu and get rid of a cold, there are a few common household plants and herbs that can help ease these symptoms. Along with a few cans of soup, pre-bagged or loose-leaf tea, and some kind of medicated balm, the following are great options to keep around the house during flu season.

• Lemon, especially tea

• Ginger

• Cinnamon

• Honey, best for sore throats

• Echinacea

• Peppermint, also helps to relieve sinus pressure

When flu treatment isn’t quite cutting it – or when we’re just tired of feeling yucky – that’s when having a self-care comfort kit feels the best. Even for those of us that live alone, or have no one to take care of us, this kit is just the bit of comfort we need to get back on track (flu season or otherwise).

#1: Intensive Nourishing Balm
Velvety and soothing, this calming balm is amazing for when we’ve hit the Kleenex a bit too hard. This deeply conditioning avocado oil and shea butter balm soothes chapped nose and lip skin, helping to heal with the added anti-inflammatory rosehip oil. This vegan skin salve is also made with lavender essential oil to nourish and protect even the most sensitive, delicate skin.

#2: Lysine & Herb Lip Balm
The refreshing feeling of gliding on a soothing lip balm and inhaling the cool, tingly sensation is one of our favorite things. Though flu season isn’t a pleasant reason, it does make for a worthy excuse for our secret obsession. Cruelty-free, safe for moms, and vegan, this coconut beeswax balm imparts a protective layer on the lips, sealing in the healing and anti-inflammatory benefits of lysine, lemon balm, and echinacea.

#3: Eucalyptus Sea Therapy Bath
Never underestimate the power of a hot bath when you’re stuffed up. Baths have long been touted to help ease chills, aches, and congestion this flu season. But adding sea mineral-enriched, rosemary, and eucalyptus bath salts into the mix? Practically legendary. This ginger and vitamin E-boosted bath delight is something we’ll be hitting repeat on well into spring.

PRO TIP: These bath salts are so concentrated that they’ll quickly fill your room with the aromatherapeutic scent of eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils. Even past bathtime, you can do a facial steam in a ceramic bowl for more direct decongesting effects.

#4: Eucalyptus Shower Gel
Nope, the eucalyptus obsession doesn’t stop there. In addition to our fresh silver dollar eucalyptus bundle joyfully dangling from our shower head, this creamy honey-aloe-coconut shower gel fusion turns shower time into a whole experience. A symphony of herbs enchants the skin while green tea and rose soothe for extra softness and a more even complexion. We might even exit our flu quarantine looking better than we came in!

#5: Tea Tree Hand Sanitizer
Probably one of the first essential oils we go to for any kind of problem, tea tree saves the day again with this natural and lightweight sanitizer. Rather than reaching for something harsh, synthetically scented, and sure to dry out our skin, this is a great option for targeting germs and leaving the skin soothed and refreshed.

#6: Hand & Surface Cleansing Spray
What’s the best way to not worry about the cold or flu season? Practicing safe hygiene, and ensuring our most-used surfaces (hands, computers, and phones) are clean. A quick spritz of our natural, vegan, aloe, and lemon anti-germ spray has the added benefit of keeping us smelling fresh. Plus, it helps with our environment staying a bit cleaner.

#7: Aromatherapy Oil
Fun fact – some essential oils (like the peppermint, spearmint, menthol, and eucalyptus in our oil roller blend), can help with headaches. A perfectly pressured rub of this stuff on the pulse points right at the first signs of a cold or the flu is our secret to not feeling so blah when a virus hits. We keep this with us at all times and plan to stuff all the stockings with our secret weapon for this flu season.