Sore throats are no fun, really. I know I didn’t need to tell you that, you already knew that having a sore throat is one of the worst, yucky feelings there are.
Of course, you could spray your throat with an OTC throat spray and that does help quite a bit. You could suck on sore throat drops, and that can also help with a cough. But, what about something that is just as effective but more gentle?
In our family, the transition between summer and fall is when allergies, sore throats and coughs hit hard.
I haven’t been able to pinpoint WHAT the allergies are, but it happens every year between mid August and mid September. When Mr. Hippy came down with is sore throat and cough that almost happens every year at this time, he needed something fast. So, here’s the sore throat spray and gargle we make:
- 15 g elderberry (immune support)
- 3 g lavender (calming, anti-bacterial)
- 3 g lemon balm (anti-inflammatory, sedative)
- 1 cup (8 oz) water
- infuse the herbs by mixing together in a cup, adding the boiling water and allowing to steep for 20 minutes. Strain, and then add
- 2 T. apple cider vinegar (soothing to the throat)
- 1 T. raw honey (soothing to the throat)
Stir to mix.
We gargle with 1-2 T. every hour or so, as long as the sore throat persists.
You could also place this in a spray bottle and spray the back of the throat with 2-3 sprays as needed. This would be safe for children and adults, over the age of 2 (due to the possibility of choking when sprayed at the back of the throat)


Heather’s homesteading journey started in 2006, with baby steps: first, she got a few raised beds, some chickens, and rabbits. Over the years, she amassed a wealth of homesteading knowledge, knowledge that you can find in the articles of this blog.
I made a recipe like this last year for my grandson and it really did soothe his throat.
This is going to come in handy for many this season.
This is a good idea. I love using essential oils to help restore health.
Great idea! I will definitely be trying this recipe out this year I am sure!
Thank you for this recipe. Pinned for later! Hoping I won’t be needing it though:)
I’m going to mix this up for my son and hope it helps with his allergies! Thanks!
This is very handy especially now that winter is just around the corner!
What a fabulous option that doesn’t require a trip to the store! Thank you!
I love that I’ll know exactly what goes into this- I’ll have to try it!
I for one can attest to herbal remedies effectiveness. What a wonder spray to have around the house!
Thanks for the recipe! I’m sure I’ll be suing it soon with the cold weather coming!
I just wanted to stop by and thank you for linking up with Green Thumb Thursday last week….sorry I’m late though, I’ve been working 11 hour days! Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Lisa
This sounds like a great recipe! Every year I make a few different sore throat sprays, mixing up the herbs a bit depending on what’s going on. Elderberry is always a winner! I’ll be giving yours a try! 🙂
let me know what you think!