Winter has arrived, so stuffy noses and sore throats are never far behind. Be prepared with these four natural cold remedies that actually work!

When it comes to fighting the uncomfortable symptoms of a cold that just won’t budge, there’s a range of natural cold remedies that are very effective! If you start to feel your head getting heavy, or your kids have been snotty for days, try these four easy tricks to keep the whole family healthy throughout the winter months.

Warm Steam

It’s well known that steam is a powerful decongestant, but so many of us tend to opt for humidifiers or diffusers that use cold steam, often in combination with essential oil aromatherapy, without realising that we are missing out on some important cold-fighting benefits. While cool humidifiers do raise room humidity, they don’t normally do so to therapeutic levels to ease congestion, like warm steam vaporisers do. The multi-functional  Vicks WarmSteam Vaporiser helps to ease congestion and irritation by thinning mucous, reducing dryness, and easing throat pain, and was this year was voted Australia’s Most Trusted Vaporizer 3 years in a row, as voted by the people of Australia in the Readers’ Digest Most Trusted Brand Awards.

The best part is you don’t have to miss out on the comfort of a beautiful scent as with the addition of the Vicks VapoSteam Inhalant, you can enjoy the refreshing fragrance of eucalyptus and peppermint as well as the proven benefits of warm steam.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

A cold can make you feel like you would rather do anything to avoid eating and drinking, particularly if your throat is scratchy or all that congestion has left you feeling a bit nauseous, but staying hydrated is so important in ensuring a quick recovery. Hot teas, clear soups, and warm lemon water are just some of the easy ways to up your fluid intake and prevent dehydration while soothing dryness and shifting stuffiness.

For little ones, choosing hydrating fruits and veggies like watermelon, oranges, cucumber, and zucchini as easy-to-digest snacks is best, as they only have a high water content but are also supercharged with natural vitamins and minerals that their body needs to fight infection.

Supercharge Your Diet

It’s not just hydrating foods that should feature heavily on your cold-fighting menu. Garlic is an easy and delicious addition to most recipes that the whole family will enjoy, but it may also have anti-microbial properties that could reduce the severity of a cold or prevent you from becoming unwell in the first place! Ginger is also a food with extra superpowers – just add a couple of pieces to some warm water to alleviate nausea, soothe a sore throat, and ease a cough.

Chicken soup is the perfect recipe for combining the flavours of garlic and ginger with the vitamins and minerals of a range of veggies, along with the protein and energy of chicken, and it’s backed by science! Research shows that it can slow the movement of neutrophils in your body, allowing them to stay longer in the areas where they are needed to fight infection. It’s just an added bonus that it’s delicious!

Sleep Right

It goes without saying that rest, in particular quality sleep, is essential for all ages in fighting the symptoms of a cold. There’s no denying, however, that this can be easier said than done! Simple changes like adding an extra pillow when lying down can make all the difference, reducing congestion and associated pressure by elevating the head. Turning on your Vicks WarmSteam Vaporiser before bed will also ensure that there is plenty of moisture in the air, with the lock-on cap and nightlight making it the perfect addition to your little one’s bedrooms too.

Preparing for sleep is also incredibly important when you are struggling to get comfortable. Take a warm bath, dim the lights, turn all screens off at least an hour before bed, and forget the alarm – you need all the hours you can get!

The team at Mouths of Mums is working with Vicks to bring you this article. We love that the Vicks Vaporizer has been named Trusted Brands Most Trusted Vaporiser / Humidifier Award 3 years in a row as voted by the Australian public and we can endorse this product to relieve cold and cough symptoms for the whole family. Check out the full range at vicks.fgb.com.au.

Always read the label.  Follow the directions for use.  If symptoms persist, speak to your healthcare professional.  Certain trademarks used under license from The Procter & Gamble Company or its affiliates.