These DIY Shower Soothers Will Clear Your Sinuses In No Time

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There’s nothing more soothing than a warm shower, especially when you’re feeling under the weather.

But sometimes you need a little help clearing out your sinuses and calming a pesky cough.

Enter these DIY shower squares, which are chock-full of menthol crystals and essential oils. They are simple to make, turn a shower at home into a spa-like experience and will give you relief in no time.

Make your own shower soothers at home today, before a cold hits, then pop one out and use it in your shower if you’re feeling congested.

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Katie Wells, the brains behind the blog Wellness Mama, shared her tried-and-true recipe, but you could make your own variation using different types of essential oils. Some of the best essential oils for treating pesky respiratory ailments like a runny nose, sinus pressure and headaches, and ear pain from infection include chamomile, lavender, tea tree oil, pine, eucalyptus and peppermint.

RELATED: Unclog Your Drains With This All-Natural DIY Drano

Wells suggests mixing 1 cup of baking soda with ½ cup of sea salt or Epsom salt for the base of your shower soothers.

Next, add a few drops of water until the mixture has the consistency of slightly damp sand. Wells says you should be able to squeeze the mixture without it crumbling — if not, add a bit more water.

Mix in 20 drops each of your favorite essential oils — Wells favors a combination of eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, rosemary and lemon. Add 1 teaspoon of powdered menthol crystals.

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Finally, squish the mixture into an ice tray, a greased muffin tin or a silicone mold. Leave in place for at least 24 hours, or until the squares become hard.

Wells suggests storing the shower squares in an airtight container, but you can also store these in the freezer, according to Better Homes and Gardens.

“Place one in the bottom of the shower when you get in,” Wells says. “As you shower, it will dissolve, releasing essential oils and menthol into the air.”

To maximize the effect, Today’s Creative Life recommends steaming up your bathroom for a few minutes before you hop in the shower.

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You can also make these using Vick’s VapoRub in place of the menthol crystals, according to the Household Hacker YouTube channel. Crystal Faulkner over at Mrs. Happy Homemaker bakes her shower soothers, then adds a few more drops of essential oils when they come out of the oven to make them smell even more amazing.

If you don’t want to make your own, you can also just buy them on Amazon. These shower steamers from Twisted Tomboy are scented with lemon, eucalyptus and peppermint to clear your sinuses.

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The holidays are around the corner, and these shower soothers would make an awesome and inexpensive DIY gift or a supportive gesture for a sick friend or co-worker. Just use a silicone mold in a cute shape to make the soothers look extra special, pop them in a pretty glass jar, tie a ribbon around it and voila!

Related: This little pup LOVES getting bathed, pampered and groomed — just watch!

Health, Wellness & Fitness
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About the Author
Sarah Kuta
Sarah Kuta is an award-winning writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She writes regularly about travel, saving money, health, food and more.

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