It’s cold and flu season. Your body aches. You feel miserable.

But you might feel better after a nice hot shower.

A shower may help clear your head and open up your airways. (I know it always works for me.)

Here’s something else you can do.

You can add a DIY sinus steamer to the shower, so you can inhale an invigorating mix of aromatic oils often used for upper respiratory infections.

Eucalyptus, peppermint and other types of essential oils seem to have an affinity for the nasal passages. That’s why they’re often found in store bought cold and flu balms.

But you can easily make your own shower melts or steamers with water and just one other ingredient you may already have in the house. Plus, the essential oils of your choice.

Sinus Shower Steamers Recipe

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My sinus steamer recipe doesn’t call for citric acid. So it means the steamers are going to melt, instead of fizz.

Citric acid is something a lot of people don’t tend to have hanging around the house. I’m a big fan of using what’s already on hand.

Even without the fizz, these shower steamers will still release aromatic components when the warm water hits.

Some people use corn starch to make shower melts. But I suggest arrowroot flower instead. Here’s why.

It’s hard to find corn in the United States that isn’t grown from genetically modified seed. This means corn starch is very likely to contain GMO’s, now known to cause cancer in lab animals.

I don’t know about you. But I don’t want to inhale (or eat) potentially cancer causing ingredients.

Plus, pure arrowroot flour works really well for DIY shower steamers.

DIY Shower Steamers With Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Eucalyptus essential oil is a popular remedy for colds. It’s also a good hay fever remedy. During hay fever season, it’s often used with peppermint essential oil.

Somehow, the combination of these two aromatics seems to work. It’s possible that using them together creates a more powerful synergy.

However, these particular oils shouldn’t be used with children under the age of 10. So you may want to instead use a child safe blend, such as Plant Therapy Sniffle Stopper.

Some of the ingredients in this formula are fir needle, cypress and spearmint essential oil. All of these are considered safe for children aged 2 through 10. (Essential oils are too strong for babies and toddlers.)

DIY Shower Melts for Colds

Here’s a recipe for cold and flu shower melts, with arrowroot flour, water and whatever essential oils you like.

2 c of arrowroot flour.

10 drops of eucalpytus essential oil (You can find it here)

10 drops of peppermint essential oil (You can find it here)

Or, if you’re making these for a child, you can use Sniffle Stopper blend instead.

6+ tablespoons of spring water

Put the arrowroot flour in a bowl and add enough water to make a paste. You want to add just enough water so that it will spread in a silicone mold or a plastic ice cube tray. (Silicone molds are great for DIY projects. You can get them in a number of interesting shapes and sizes if you plan to make enough melts to give away as gifts.)

Start with 6 tablespoons of water and add more as needed. When the paste reaches the desired consistency, as you can see in the photo below, add the essential oils. Then it’s ready to press into the mold.

Fill the individual molds with this arrowroot flour paste. Press each mold with your thumb so the mixture is even. Arrowroot flour is fun to work with. It will sort of bounce into the right shape when you remove your thumb.

Put the mold tray in your freezer for about an hour. Then, pop out and enjoy. (If the paste consistency is still too liquid, leave the mold out on the counter until it dries.)

Menthol Shower Steamers Recipe

You can also increase the above ingredients and double or triple your batch of shower steamers. Then you can give leftover steamers to your family and friends. I’ve found that people absolutely love DIY gifts made with essential oils.

Shower melts should be stored in a glass jar with a lid, away from light and heat. Exposure to the elements could result in a breakdown of the essential oils. You can find a large selection of decorative gift jars online.

Disclaimer

These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use essential oils unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional.