Natural Ways To Cleanse The Lungs of Smoke and Pollutants (2024)

Depending on where you are located you may be directly or indirectly affected by fire season. It is no shock that fire season has reached a new level here on the west coast leaving many families and people homeless and uprooted, our heart goes out to everyone directly affected by the fires. Potentially your city and neighbourhood may be filled with a dense grey smoke causing harmful pollutants to fill the air and our lungs. We have gathered together a few natural ways to cleanse your lungs of pollutants and smoke with things you likely have in your home or wellness collection.

As you may know our lungs are self-cleaning and will begin to heal themselves of any damage once they are no long exposed to toxins. However, if you are sitting in your home or somewhere else and can't see past your driveway with uncertainty when it will change there are a few things you can do to help support and cleanse the lungs; steam inhalation, chest rubs and sipping specific herbs with anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties.

Natural Remedies and Practices To Cleanse The Lungs

1. Steam Inhalation To Naturally Cleanse The Lungs

Steam therapy is known to open the airways and relieve mucus inside the lungs. By inhaling steam water vapour it is putting warmth and moisture inside your lungs which helps to cleanse pollutants stuck in mucus. This is also a great therapy if you have trouble in dryer, cold climates. Steam inhalation can relieve current symptoms and is easy to do at home.

To practice steam therapy all you need is a large glass bowl (or a bowl that can with stand heat), boiling water and a bath towel.

How To Practice Steam Therapy

• Boil enough filtered water to fill your large glass bowl 3/4 of the way
• Pour hot water inside bowl at table height (please use caution when pouring hot water or moving it around)
• Sit next to your bowl so you are able to hold your head a safe distance above the bowl of hot water
• Drape a bath towel over your head in order to cover your head and bowl so the steam is more concentrated (if this begins to become too hot or uncomfortable remove the towel half or all the way and inhale the steam in and open space)

Caution: Please use extreme caution when practicing steam therapy to not burn yourself.

2. Chest Rub To Naturally Cleanse The Lungs

An easy and therapeutic way to clear the lungs and relieve irritation and discomfort from inhaling smoke or toxins. Think Vix Vapour rub but natural and much more relaxing. By applying a mix of oil and essential oils to your chest this allows the cleansing properties of the essential oil to detoxify the lungs topically and orally by inhaling the powerful aromatic scent.

To make a natural chest rub all your need is a small glass dropper bottle or dish to mix either olive oil or avocado oil and an essential oil together to then apply directly massage into your chest.

How To Make A Lung Cleansing Chest Rub

• In a small bowl or glass dropper bottle pour 2 tablespoons of oil - you can use either avocado oil or olive oil (any oil you have)
• Add 20 - 30 drops of organic essential oil to the oil - you can use one of the following essential oils:
  • Fir
  • Eucalyptus
  • Spruce

3. Purifying Bath Soak To Naturally Cleanse The Lungs

If one of your favourite practices is turning your bathroom into a mini spa then this simple remedy will help to cleanse and detoxify pollutants in the air from our lungs and skin. Similar to above, you can infuse your bath water or epson salt bath with essential oils to allow your largest organ, skin to soak up all of the cleansing properties and relieve the lungs of congestion.

Simply, draw yourself a bath at your desired temperature, once the bath is fully drawn add 10 - 15 drops of your chosen essential oil to the bath and step in to soak and inhale the aromatic scent to naturally cleanse the lungs

Natural Lung Cleansing Essential Oils:

• Fir
• Eucalyptus
• Spruce

4. Herbs That Naturally Cleanse The Lungs

Another way to cleanse the lungs of smoke and toxins is to sip specific herbs that have detoxifying, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Herbs can be a powerful remedy to help support and soothe irritation in the lungs on an ongoing basis. Not only are the properties of herbs beneficial, sipping warm or hot tea helps to release stagnation in the lungs and open the pores.

Cleansing Herbs:

• Eucalyptus has been long used to help cleanse the lungs topically from harmful microbes caused by pollutants and smoke. It's potent aromatic properties help to cleanse the lungs when inhaled or used topically and reduce inflammation. You can often find eucalyptus steam rooms at your favourite spa.
  Green teais packed with antioxidants to fight of free radicals and clear the lungs of toxins - you can find crisp green tea in our organic Pick Me Up and Revive tea blends.
• Cinnamon has antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties to help reduce inflammation in the lungs causing irritation and harm - you can find cinnamon perfectly warming our our Pick Me Up tea blend.
• Oregano is a powerful herb often overlook that has calming and clearing properties to it, full of antioxidant, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties great for upper respiratory infections.
• Peppermint with its strong aromatic qualities and volatile oils is great for congestion and stagnation. - you can find peppermint as our main ingredient in our organic Digest tea blend.
• Ginger is high in antioxidants and is significantly warming to the body to help relieve stagnation of mucus and release toxins from the lungs. - You can find Ginger in our organic Immunity and Revive tea blends

Herbs contain many powerful properties to help support us and heal us from everyday ailments and symptoms, utilizing them on a regular basis will help you to enhance your overall health and be proactive against future ailments. Natural remedies are meant to be explored (with caution) to see what your body responds well to and in that specific moment, tune into your body to discover what it is needing and try implementing one of the above practices to help support you during this season.