Magic stuff!
When our kids complain about earaches and coughs, we reach for the garlic oil. Garlic has great immune boosting properties but it’s also touted as anti-bacterial and even useful for easing coughs.
Fresh garlic is best because you get more of it’s healing benefits. Plus, it’s already in your pantry!
Here’s what you need to make the oil.
- knife
- cutting board
- 4 garlic cloves
- Carrier oil like olive or coconut
1. Chop the garlic.
2. Add to 1/4 c oil.
3. Swirl to mix & let it infuse for at least 10 minutes. (Some people heat it, we don’t).
I don’t remove the garlic from the oil & it keeps a few weeks in cooler temps & probably longer in the fridge.
We used this recently when our infant had a cough.
We also use this for earaches. I just dip a q-tip in the oil to saturate it (no garlic chunks on the cotton!) and place 3- 4 drops in the affected ear.
What natural uses do you have for garlic besides cooking? Share!
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Thx for the recipe. Can I ask of you mash or press’s the garlic? How fine do you chop it? How much and where do you rub for a baby cough? (I’m Amy’s friend! So glad I found you)
Hi Michelle! We mince the garlic (so, fairly small pieces). I usually smash it into the oil a little with the fork and then swirl the whole mixture around until I can tell the oil is infused with the garlic. Translation: pretty stinky. 😉 For my little guy’s cough, I just wet my fingers a little in the oil and gave him a foot rub while I talked to him and told him what I was doing. To me, that connection is just as much a part of the healing process as the “remedies”. I only use the garlic oil on the feet.
Thanks for writing!
Hi, may i know once you rub baby feet with the garlic oil, you need to wear sock on her? Thank You
I usually put an old pair of socks on them – that I don’t mind ruining.
Is this 1/4 cup of oil? Both of my kids have a cough. My 6 month old son has already had antibiotics for perceived pertussis, and we don’t use western medicine if we don’t have to! Thank you so much for this information!
Hope it helps, Haley.
Hi there wondering If this is 1/4 C of oil? the recipe just says 1/4….thanks!
Yes, Annette. Thanks for letting me know! Updated.
can cooking oil be used instead of olive oil or coconut oil?
Good question Jane. I use coconut for its healing properties and both coconut and olive are easily absorbed by the body because they’re in their natural state. I wouldn’t cook with “cooking oil” (usually corn) because it’s highly processed so I probably would not use it in my kids’ ears either.
Why don't you heat it? Will heating it destroy the healing properties?
I don’t heat it because the fresh garlic’s properties are more effective, at least in my experience.
Hi do you rub babies feet at night or morning???
Both if needed.
What about dry cough?
When coughs are dry, I encourage my littles to hydrating and cooling drinks. Lots of fluids but not just water and add honey to the teas. Peppermint tea, watermelon, honeydew, fresh pineapple. It helps to ease the tickling to be hydrated. Also, slippery elm and marshmallow root tea are a bit help in soothing that tickle, as well as mullein with lemon and honey.
Buckwheat honey either in the tea or on a spoon during a cough has been shown to be more effective than cough syrups.
Hi there, do you just rub on the bottom of the feet or over the entire foot/feet?
Bottom of the feet.
Pure olive oil or extra virgin olive oil?
I think either would be fine. We have also used coconut oil for this.
Do you warm the coconut oil first? I prefer coconut oil, but all mine is solid this time of year.
I mean to make it in the first place…or do you just mash it into the solid oil? As a rub, I’d use it as just that…a rub with the “solid” oil, but does it have to be liquid state to infuse? Thanks and sorry if that’s confusing!
Hi Carisa, I’d probably warm the oil a little, sometimes just with my hands. And I’d make sure it’s cool by the time I used it.
What about infants? 4months old?
Hi April, hmmm… When my babies were really small, I’d usually tend toward using breastmilk for earaches rather than garlic oil, which can create some heat for a little person like this. I’d probably focus on making sure there’s enough moisture in my house, and in my little person (lots of nursing) if they were coughing.
Hi April, hmmm… When my babies were really small, I’d usually tend toward using breastmilk for earaches rather than garlic oil, which can create some heat for a little person like this. I’d probably focus on making sure there’s enough moisture in my house, and in my little person -lots of nursing- if they were coughing.
You can also use mustard oil it’s great ! A natural remedy from ancient India n then
Massage on the babies chest back neck feet and palms ( same recipe as above)
Ok to use mustard oil on 7 month old?
Honestly couldn’t say. I’ve never used mustard oil. If you try it, let me know if it worked.
Can I use garlic mince from a bottle if I don’t have garlic cloves?
My experience is with fresh garlic and I suspect it will be more effective. But feel free to experiment and share your results.