Eucalyptus in the shower

There's been a nasty cold bug that has been spreading and many friends we know have been bitten by it. We were looking through the latest issue of Body+Soul magazine and came across this natural aromatherapy tip that could provide some relief: putting eucalyptus in the shower...

The tip says: "Try hanging a bundle of eucalyptus (sold at craft stores and flower shops) fro your shower curtain rod. 'The heat and steam help to activate the herb's essential oils which can ease congestion...' Hang a bundle with natural garden twine (more moisture-resistant than cotton twine) on the shower rod, away from the spray of the water. Enjoy the scent for a few weeks as you take a hot shower." Has anyone tried this at home? Does it help?

[ image by Buff Strickland for Body + Soul magazine April 2008 ]

Comments (11)

It does help, and it smells fantastic, too. It's the same idea as those vicks disks you put in the bottom of your shower.

Just the other day I shook down a few drops of eucalyptus oil (purchased from Whole Foods) on the shower floor to ease my poor husband's nasty cold.

We added Eucalypytus Essential Oil from Whole Foods into our humidifier. Works like a charm!

I find it's more effective to use the essential oil itself. I bought a little bottle at Whole Foods and sprinkle a drop or two drops around the shower drain (it can be irritating to skin, so I try not to put it anywhere I'd come in direct contact with). Even though "pouring it down the drain" seems like a waste, the steam spreads the scent throughout the bathroom regardless.

Plus, if you're in the throes of a bad cold, the oil is better for more concentrated doses, like putting some in a bowl of hot water and inhaling the steam.

The full plant in the shower looks prettier, though. ;)

Weird - we all posted almost the same thing at the same time!

I had alot of eucalyptus that had dried so I just crushed it up and made soap with it. I would think it would be good for stuffy noses, I haven't had one yet, but I love for post workout.

Be careful where you purchase your eucalyptus. Many craft stores will paint/soak the plants in dye, even if it's the correct color.

The eucalyptus bits fall off the plant and make a nasty mess in the shower; use the oil instead.

"Enjoy the sCent for" ... am assuming it's a typo...

I prefer the smell of the oil. It has more of an antiseptic quality to it and seems to open up and soothe my nasal passages/throat/etc. more.

I purchase this plant at least once per month at a Brooklyn day market for $7 per bunch Placed in the bathroom near heat source gives bath area nice fragrance. In addition my family likes to steam up bathroom that also awakens the eucalyptus. Yes, it can drop on the floor but just get your kid to pick it up LOL.