Herbal Respiratory Treatments & Natural Lung Support
Why Herbal Respiratory Treatments Take a Whole-Lung View
Your respiratory system does extraordinary work every single day — filtering the air you breathe, moving oxygen into the bloodstream, and protecting the delicate tissue of the lungs from the constant stream of pollutants, pathogens, and irritants in the environment. When that system is under strain, the effects reach well beyond breathing: fatigue sets in, sleep suffers, and the body's overall resilience drops. Our botanical respiratory treatments have been developed to support that whole system — not just to suppress a symptom, but to genuinely nourish and strengthen the tissues and processes that keep your lungs functioning well.
Formulated by qualified medical herbalists, our collection draws on some of the most time-honoured plants in the Western and Ayurvedic traditions: mullein leaf for its extraordinary affinity with the lungs, elecampane for deep respiratory tone, thyme for its antimicrobial and expectorant action, and eucalyptus for its ability to open the airways and ease congestion. These botanicals form the backbone of our herbal remedy for chest congestion range — available as teas, tinctures, inhalation oils, and topical balms.
If you're also managing an acute cough or throat irritation alongside your lung health, our cough and throat support range is the natural companion to this collection — addressing the upper respiratory tract while this range supports the lungs and lower airways.
Why Herbal Respiratory Treatments Take a Whole-Lung View
From Bronchitis to Everyday Lung Maintenance
Soothing, moistening herbs that relieve inflammation and irritation, like marshmallow root and liquorice, are particularly helpful to ease any discomfort in dry tickly coughs. When you have a cough, it is also helpful to take expectorant and decongestant herbs that will help the body to remove any excess catarrh from the lungs – thyme is a great example of such herbs. Our Cough Syrup contains all three of these herbs in a sugar syrup to effectively ease a cough.
A traditional herbal tea usually given at the first signs of a cold or flu is a blend of elderflower, peppermint and yarrow – the recipe of our Recovery Tea. Sipping this tea every hour or two helps relieve aches and pains, reduces fever and clears catarrh. If you are experiencing a cough, a soothing and anti-infective syrup can be helpful, such as our Cough Syrup, made with marshmallow root, liquorice and thyme. Our Recovery Tincture can also be another ally to help you get better, as it supports the body in combating the infection and alleviates fevers, aches and pains.
Herbs can support respiratory health in many different ways. Elecampane and thyme for example are powerfully antiseptic and decongestant, meaning that they help the body to fight any respiratory infections and to expel excess mucus from the lungs, helping you to breathe more deeply. Herbs like marshmallow root, elderflower and plantain are moistening and anti-inflammatory, and help heal and soothe the lining of the respiratory tract, which can often become irritated in any respiratory infections. Immune-stimulatory herbs like echinacea support the body in combating infection. All of these herbs are included in our Breathe tincture , which was crafted to holistically support the respiratory system, helping your body to address respiratory conditions (including seasonal allergies) while providing extra protection and enhancing your immune system during the winter months.
To help open your airways when you are feeling congested, you can drink warm herbal teas containing decongestant, expectorant herbs, which help thin and expel any excess mucus from your respiratory tract. Elecampane, thyme, plantain and rosemary are particularly helpful to remove excess catarrh. They are all included in our Breathe Tea, a herbal blend that supports your respiratory system and its resilience to colds and flu. The blend also contains herbs like marshmallow root, which is soothing and anti-inflammatory, and helps relieve any irritation in the respiratory tract; as well as echinacea, which boosts natural immunity and helps the body to fight pathogens. If you continue to experience trouble breathing, please seek immediate medical attention.
When you are feeling congested, you can drink warm herbal teas containing decongestant, expectorant herbs, which help thin and expel any excess mucus from your respiratory tract. Such herbs include elecampane, thyme, plantain and rosemary – all of which help remove excess catarrh from the lungs. They are all included in our Breathe Tea, a herbal blend that supports your respiratory system and its resilience to colds and flu. You can also take some of our Breathe Tincture – a concentrated liquid extract of some of the same herbs, macerated into a blend of water and alcohol for maximum extraction.
In addition to taking in herbs as a tea to support decongestion, you can also apply a herbal balm to your chest. Our Breathe Easy Balm was designed to support decongestion: it is made with menthol crystals that have been naturally derived from mint oils, along with a blend of eucalyptus, pine, thyme and Ho Wood essential oils. These ingredients all help loosen and eliminate excessive mucus and phlegm. Please note that our Breathe Easy Balm isn't suitable for children. For little ones we have a more gentle Children’s Chest Balm.
Our Breathe Easy Balm can also be used for a steam inhalation – put a bit of the balm in hot water, put a towel over your head and breathe deeply.
For even further decongestion support, you can also soak in a hot bath with our Breathe Bath Salts, which contain a blend of herbs, essential oils and Epsom salts that can help open up the airways, ease inflamed sinuses and combat infections or inflammation affecting the respiratory system.
You can also diffuse our Breathe Essential Oil blend, which contains essential oils of eucalyptus, black spruce, thyme, and tea tree – diffuse it in your living spaces and it can also help clear your airways and combat infections, inflammation or allergies affecting the respiratory system.
You can get rid of congestion naturally by avoiding dairy, gluten, sugar and junk food, and by using certain herbs and essential oils.
You can for example drink warm herbal teas containing decongestant, expectorant herbs, which help thin and expel any excess mucus from your respiratory tract. Such herbs include elecampane, thyme, plantain and rosemary – all of which help remove excess catarrh from the lungs. They are all included in our Breathe Tea , a herbal blend that supports your respiratory system and its resilience to colds and flu. You can also take some of our Breathe Tincture – a concentrated liquid extract of some of the same herbs, macerated into a blend of water and alcohol for maximum extraction.
In addition to taking in herbs as a tea to support decongestion, you can also apply a herbal balm to your chest. Our Breathe Easy Balm was designed to support decongestion: it is made with menthol crystals that have been naturally derived from mint oils, along with a blend of eucalyptus, pine, thyme and Ho Wood essential oils. These ingredients all help loosen and eliminate excessive mucus and phlegm. Please note that our Breathe Easy Balm isn't suitable for children. For little ones we have a more gentle Children’s Chest Balm.
For even further decongestion support, you can also soak in a hot bath with our Breathe Bath Salts, which contain a blend of herbs, essential oils and Epsom salts that can help open up the airways, ease inflamed sinuses and combat infections or inflammation affecting the respiratory system.
You can also diffuse our Breathe Essential Oil blend, which contains essential oils of eucalyptus, black spruce, thyme, and tea tree – diffuse it in your living spaces and it can also help clear your airways and combat infections, inflammation or allergies affecting the respiratory system.
Many herbs act as natural decongestants – including thyme, elecampane and plantain, which help loosen and expel excess mucus from your respiratory tract. They can be taken in teas or tinctures (liquid extracts made by macerating herbs into a blend of water and alcohol). Essential oils of eucalyptus and thyme – infused into a chest balm or into a warm bath – can also be very effective as natural decongestants.
You can for example drink warm herbal teas containing decongestant, expectorant herbs, which help thin and expel any excess mucus from your respiratory tract. Such herbs include elecampane, thyme, plantain and rosemary – all of which help remove excess catarrh from the lungs. They are all included in our Breathe Tea, a herbal blend that supports your respiratory system and its resilience to colds and flu. You can also take some of our Breathe Tincture – a concentrated liquid extract of some of the same herbs, macerated into a blend of water and alcohol for maximum extraction.
In addition to taking in herbs as a tea to support decongestion, you can also apply a herbal balm to your chest. Our Breathe Easy Balm was designed to support decongestion: it is made with menthol crystals that have been naturally derived from mint oils, along with a blend of eucalyptus, pine, thyme and Ho Wood essential oils. These ingredients all help loosen and eliminate excessive mucus and phlegm. Please note that our Breathe Easy Balm isn't suitable for children. For little ones we have a more gentle Children’s Chest Balm.
For even further decongestion support, you can also soak in a hot bath with our Breathe Bath Salts, which contain a blend of herbs, essential oils and Epsom salts that can help open up the airways, ease inflamed sinuses and combat infections or inflammation affecting the respiratory system.
You can also diffuse our Breathe Essential Oil blend, which contains essential oils of eucalyptus, black spruce, thyme, and tea tree – diffuse it in your living spaces and it can also help clear your airways and combat infections, inflammation or allergies affecting the respiratory system.
Sore throats are usually a prelude to a bacterial or viral infection, although they can also be caused by irritation of the throat lining by tobacco smoke, allergies, acid reflux, dry heat and shouting. A cough is a reflex response, designed to remove irritants such as dust, toxins, pathogenic microorganisms or mucus blocking the throat or bronchial tubes.
Drinking teas containing soothing, moistening and protective herbs like marshmallow root, plantain and elderflower can help nourish and heal the lining of the respiratory tract, which gets easily irritated when you have a cough or a sore throat. It is also a good idea to drink teas containing anti-infective herbs like thyme and elecampane, which help fight any pathogens causing respiratory infections. These herbs are all included in our Breathe Tea – a great tea for sore throat and coughs, as well as for general respiratory support.
In addition to this tea, a soothing and anti-infective syrup can be helpful to ease any irritation and inflammation linked with sore throats and coughs, and help the body to combat any pathogens – such as our Cough Syrup, made with marshmallow root, liquorice and thyme. Our Vocal Ease tincture is also specifically helpful for sore throats and voice loss. It helps soothe pain, irritation and inflammation in the throat and oesophagus, gently toning the tissues of the area. It cleanses and relaxes the area and boosts natural defences. Key herbal ingredients that are responsible for the actions of this tincture include raspberry leaf, agrimony, wild indigo, sage, marshmallow root, mullein, icelandic moss and sweet flag.
Mullein leaf is one of the most widely used lung herbs in Western herbalism — it has a specific affinity for bronchial tissue and has been used for centuries to support lung function and ease respiratory discomfort. Elecampane is a close second, particularly for chesty conditions with mucus involvement. Thyme offers antimicrobial and antispasmodic benefits, while licorice root soothes inflamed airways. Used together, these herbs address lung health from several different angles at once.
Mullein leaf is classified as both a demulcent and a gentle expectorant. Its fine hairs and mucilage content soothe the bronchial membranes while its saponins help loosen and move mucus from the respiratory passages. It's particularly useful for dry, irritating coughs and for the kind of tight-chested congestion that makes deep breathing uncomfortable. It is also traditionally used to support lung tissue recovery after infection.
Some herbs have been studied for their ability to reduce bronchial inflammation and support easier breathing — and several may be useful as complementary support alongside conventional asthma management. However, asthma is a serious condition and herbal medicine should never be used to replace prescribed inhalers or other medical treatment. If you have asthma and are interested in botanical support, we strongly recommend booking a consultation with one of our clinical herbalists, who can advise safely within the context of your current treatment plan.
A good respiratory herbal tea for chest congestion should combine an expectorant (thyme, elecampane) to help loosen and clear mucus, a demulcent (licorice, marshmallow) to soothe the airway lining, and ideally a warming circulatory herb like ginger to encourage healing blood flow to the chest. Our formulated respiratory tea brings these elements together in a balanced, great-tasting blend.