If you have the misfortune of suffering from hay fever and other seasonal allergies like we do, then you also know that spring time isn’t the only time of year when blooming plants and environmental changes can take their toll on your senses. Some years, we actually find that our allergies are worse in the autumn, when the flowers start to wilt and the leaves start to fall! After a whole summer of fending off itchy eyes and a runny nose, however, we don’t always want to keep taking prescription or pharmacy based medications. Beyond building up a tolerance to them, we don’t like the feeling of taking medications for many months at a time. That’s why we love finding natural alternative remedies that actually work!
Just in case you also suffer seasonal fall allergies and would prefer to make your own remedies at home, here are 15 safe, natural alternatives to drugstore brand allergy medications that actually work!
1. Lavender, lemon, and peppermint hay fever balm
Are you having the kind of allergy day where all you really need is immediate and temporary relief so you can breath freely for a few hours? Then a balm might be the most helpful thing for you right now! This natural homemade balm, applied just by rubbing it on your chest, is made with lemon, lavender, and peppermint essential oils. According to Jenni Raincloud, this combination will give off an aroma that clears your sinuses and pleasantly cools your skin in a calming way.
2. Relief sticks for itchy nose and eyes
Do you like the idea of a soothing balm that will clear your senses and ease your allergies but you’d rather have a version that you can take on the go rather than just making a large batch that sits at home? In that case, check out this travel version in the form of a cooling allergy relief stick from Maria’s Self. It’s the perfect size to fit in your purse!
3. DIY nasal congestion inhaler
Perhaps you’re very into the idea of an allergy relief stick but your specific problem is your sinuses and clearing those is your priority? In that case, try making this refreshing eucalyptus version of the above recipe! Heartful Habits shows you how to both mix and package it and also walks you through a list of effective places to apply it.
4. Homemade hives treatment rub
Many people experience mostly eye and nose based allergies when it comes to season changes, but there are all kinds of other allergies that pop up around this time of year that might need managing too. For example, certain fall plants wilting and others blooming cause us to get occasional hives that can be very itchy. Scratching never helps, so instead we make ourselves this all natural beeswax based soothing hive rub from DIY Natural.
5. Allergy sore throat tea
During our regular bouts with seasonal allergies, it’s pretty uncommon that we’ll get a sore throat. That particular symptom is usually reserved for cold and flu season in the winter. Every one in a while, however, the weather will get so dry in the fall and our allergies will be so severe that a sore throat does pop up. The moment we feel that tickle, we immediately reach for the ingredients to make ourselves this awesomely soothing allergy throat tea from Instructables!
6. DIY allergy relief roll-on
Are you still thinking about the convenient idea of a relief stick but you’re just not sure how you feel about the idea of applying a potentially greasy stick to your skin? Then perhaps you’d prefer a liquid oil roll on instead! The Wellness Pantry suggests combining lemon, lavender, peppermint, and copaiba oil in an empty roller tube to cool and soothe irritated skin and ease your sense.
7. DIY all natural allergy tonic
Temporary allergy treatments that help you in the moment are all well and good, but what if you’re suffering a little more from more consistent symptoms and you want something that will help you battle your allergies in the long term rather than just today? Then perhaps an all natural, nutrient filled, traditional tonic is more along the lines of what you should be trying as a remedy! Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth guides you through the process of boiling and brewing an old fashioned combination of leaves and herbs that you’ll take a spoonful of every morning to help building up a healthy defence in your body.
8. DIY essential oil eczema cream
If you’re an eczema sufferer, you already know that experiencing certain allergy symptoms can actually exacerbate your eczema and make it irritate you even more than usual. We always find that, although our eczema does flare up a little in the spring and summer when warm weather allergies start up, the fall can be a little worse because the environment also dries out, causing us to itch more. That’s why we always have a natural soothing cream or remedy like this natural DIY eczema lotion from Simply Today Life on hand. Adding essential oils is both cooling and pleasant for smell!
9. Calendula eye wash
Have you managed to either get a handle on or learn to tolerate most of your allergy symptoms, but the one that really still gets to you is the itchy eyes? Unfortunately, we are right there with you on that one! Luckily for all of us, The Nerdy Farm Wife has an awesome all-natural, all-encompassing concoction for soothing eye irritation of all kinds! This mixture of water and calendula does wonders for dry, itchy allergy eyes if you use it as a rinse on your worst symptom days.
10. Mild homemade eye mist
Are you very into the idea of a mild, soothing eye rinse for your worst allergy days, but you’re not sure you’ll have the time to fully rinse your face as you go about your day? Then perhaps this soothing eye mist would be more beneficial for you! Beautymunsta shows you how to make it out of warm water and honey. Spray it lightly on your face when the itch in your eyes starts to feel too overwhelming.
11. Coconut and lavender diaper rash remedy
Adults aren’t the only people who experience seasonal allergies! In fact, kids are actually more prone to allergies of all kinds, no matter the time of year. The good news is that there are awesome all natural allergy remedies to treat all different kinds of allergies, not just seasonal ones! Diaper rash is a common one for babies, but Crystal and Comp is here to save the day by showing you how to alleviate it using lavender and coconut oil. It’s a gentle, baby safe combination that will soothe your little one’s discomfort.
12. DIY decongestant shower tablets
Do you find that your allergy symptoms are the worst when you get up in the morning, before you’ve gotten moving for the day? Perhaps they’re actually worse right before you go to bed and you hate the feeling of being stuffed up when you lay down to sleep. Well, those are both times of day when we enjoy a good, steamy shower, but Pantry Spa is here to show you an even better way to clear out your system and relieve the allergy sniffles than just taking a hot shower and relying on the steam! These refreshingly minty DIY shower tablets are easy to make and throwing just one in the bottom of your shower when you start the water will release a decongesting aroma that will clear you right up for either an easier day or an easier night’s sleep than you might have had otherwise.
13. DIY green tea face cream
Are your allergy symptoms skin based but a little bit more mild? Well, that doesn’t mean they aren’t irritating or that you can’t find things to calm them down. When we’re feeling only slightly allergic and want to manage how our skin reacts to things, we mix ourselves some of this calming green tea facial moisturizer by Ela Gale. It’s easy to make and we find it gentle enough to keep up a health skin regimen with, without having our skin dried out or made worse by chemical based products.
14. DIY mosquito bite allergic reaction treatment
Are your allergies not so much seasonal but rather season dependent because you’re actually allergic to mosquito bites? Our kids are too! Each bite has them itching in discomfort more than the average person, with swollen patches and hives the size of dollar coins. We tried store bought creams and drugstore brand remedies for a number of years, but they weren’t effective enough to justify continuing to use them, so now we just make sure you have this natural bug bite treatment clay mask on hand at all times in bug season! Well Gal guides you through the process of making this soothing anti-itch remedy Indian healing clay, witch hazel, and lavender oil.
15. Homemade poison ivy remedy
Okay, so no one’s really allergic to poison ivy, since the painful bubbles it causes are simply a characteristic of the plant period, but it’s still a common irritation during high allergy seasons, so we figured this natural homemade treatment still has a place on our list! Deep Roots at Home suggests seeking surprisingly fast from poison ivy by mixing sea salt, peppermint oil, lavender oil, and flour.
Do you know another DIY enthusiast who struggles with spring, summer, and fall time allergies but loves spending time outdoors? Share this post with them to give them a hand and save them some hassle!
