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Natural Cough Syrups & Remedies

Published: Dec 27, 2024 · Modified: Feb 14, 2025 by Alice · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

Best Quick Homemade Cough Remedy For Kids And Adults
Quick DIY Cough Remedy
Quick Effective Natural Cough Remedy
DIY Cough Remedy
Homemade Cough Mixture Remedy
Quick DIY Cough Remedy For Kids & Adults
Homemade Cough Remedy For Kids And Adults
Quick Natural Cough Remedy
Easy Homemade Cough Remedy For Kids & Adults
Quick DIY Cough Remedy
DIY Cough Remedies For Kids & Adults
Homemade Cough Remedies For Kids
Quick Homemade Cough Remedies For Kids And Adults
Homemade Cough Remedies For Kids And Adults
Quick Cough Remedies
Young boy coughing against black background
Cut lemons
Homemade Cough Remedies For Kids And Adults

Simple homemade cough syrups and other easy home cough remedies can quickly help both adults and kids stop coughing.

They can also ease sore throats and chest inflammation that prolong painful coughs.

So at first signs of a cough use the recipes here to whip up from your cupboards :

  1. Gentle cough syrup for kids
  2. Or a stronger cough syrup for adults.

PLUS these other quick and easy natural :

  • Cough remedies for kids
  • And cough remedies for adults.

This is NOT qualified medical advice. See a doctor with these cough symptoms.

Cough Syrup For Kids

This homemade cough mixture is suitable for kids over 1 who are old enough to eat honey. Do not give honey to babies.

The recipe is especially useful for kids as even fussy eaters usually find it palatable.

Cough Syrup Ingredients

Homemade Cough Mixture For Kids With Lemon And Honey
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Real runny honey
  • Optional : pure glycerine

Lemon and honey are natural antibiotics that soothe throats to suppress coughs whilst glycerine is a natural humectant which stops our throat from drying out.

If you don't have the ingredients check out these other instant cough remedies for kids.

How To Make Cough Syrup

Kids Cough Syrup For Dry And Chesty Coughs
  1. Cut lemon in half
  2. Squeeze juice into a glass jar
  3. Add as much glycerine as lemon juice
  4. Slightly warm lemon juice & glycerine in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds
  5. Add as much honey as lemon juice, roughly 50 ml, to mixture and stir gently.

How To Take Cough Syrup

DIY Cough Syrup For Kids

Give children :

  1. 1 teaspoon of cough syrup
  2. Every 4 hours
  3. For 3 days.

Teenagers and adults can take 2 teaspoons but may prefer the cough syrup for adults which is lower in natural sugars.

Storing Cough Syrup

Store cough syrup in fridge for up to 4 days.

1 lemon typically gives 30 child portions of syrup, i.e. enough for 2 kids for 3 days. If you don't need all that, use half a lemon and freeze remaining juice in an ice cube tray.

Don't freeze the cough syrup as it reduces the healing benefits of the honey.

More Cough Remedies For Kids

Easy Home Cough Remedies For Kids

These quick home cough remedies for kids will also suppress coughs and help children get the sleep they need to heal properly :

  1. Natural yoghurt
  2. Coconut oil
  3. Honey water
  4. Warm apple juice
  5. Warm berry juice
  6. Pineapple juice
  7. Homemade humidifier
  8. Popsicles & slushies

Use them instead of cough syrup if you don't have all the ingredients to hand or in between cough syrup doses.

Natural Yoghurt

Home Cough Remedies For Kids - Yoghurt

1 or 2 dessert spoons of natural yoghurt can ease inflammation, soreness, dryness and infection to suppress coughs. Give every 4 hours between cough syrup doses.

The yoghurt must be pure natural yoghurt without sugar, flavourings or preservatives.

Coconut Oil

Natural Cough Remedies For Kids With Coconut Oil

1 or 2 teaspoons of coconut oil acts as natural demulcent to suppress coughs moisturising and relaxing kids throats. Give every 4 hours in between other remedies.

Honey Water

Homemade Cough Remedies For Kids - Honey

For instant cough relief simply stir ½ teaspoon of honey into slightly warm water and encourage child to slip slowly.

Warm Apple Juice

Homemade Cough Remedies For Kids - Warm Apple Juice

This natural cough remedy for kids can helpful with chesty coughs. Gently warm in a pan ½ cup of pure apple juice with ½ cup of water and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon. Pour warmed juice - NOT hot - into a mug over ½ teaspoon of honey and stir.

Warm Berry Juice

Homemade Cough Remedies For Kids - Berry Juice

If you have any berry juice - sugar and additive free - you can make berry tea as above. It also helps relax the chest and gives a big boost of vitamin C and antioxidants.

Pineapple Juice

Cough Remedies For Kids - Pineapple Juice

Pineapple juice can be a helpful cough remedy for kids with chesty coughs. Pineapple contains anti-inflammatory bromelain which can break up mucus.

You can even make a simple cough syrup with pineapple for chesty coughs ...

Pineapple juice in glass with slices of pineapple

Homemade Humidifier

Keeping bedroom air moist can help suppress kids dry coughs at night but you do NOT need a fancy humidifier! Simply pop a clean, damp dish cloth or even a little cotton vest on the bedroom radiator in the evening.

Popsicles & Slushies

Cough Remedies For Kids - Popsicles Slushies

Popsicles and slushies can be useful cough remedies for kids with very dry coughs and painful sore throats. The cold can numb pain and keep kids hydrated when these coughs come, as they often do, with a temperature.

NB a fever and painful sore throat or cough can be signs of serious illness in children. Always seek medical advice.

Cough Syrup For Adults

Homemade Cough Syrup For Adults

Adults can take the cough syrup for kids above but may prefer this potent natural version that most kids won't find palatable.

To make this cough syrup for adults simply whisk up these ingredients in a glass jar :

  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons real honey
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ cup of slightly warm water

Take a few teaspoons every 3 or 4 hours. Store with a lid on for a week in the fridge.

Don't make perfect the enemy of good - use what you have! If watching sugar levels swap coconut oil for honey or omit honey.

If you're super short on these ingredients or want other cough remedies for adults to take in between the cough syrup, check out the extra cough relief tips below.

Extra Cough Relief For Adults

Home Cough Remedies For Adults

Adults can of course use any of the cough remedies for kids above but have also got extra - less kid friendly - options :

  1. Salt gargle
  2. Turmeric gargle
  3. Cinnamon water
  4. Apple cider vinegar
  5. DIY sore throat teas
  6. Cold relief tea

Salt Gargle

Simply gargle ½ teaspoon of salt dissolved in warm water for 30 seconds.

Turmeric Gargle

Gargle for 20 seconds ¼ teaspoon of turmeric mixed in warm water.

Cinnamon Water

Stir ½ teaspoon of cinnamon into cup of warm water. Leave for a few minutes, then drink slowly. The cinnamon won't dissolve but soothing benefits will seep into water.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Add 1 teaspoon of ACV to small glass of warm water and gargle for 20-30 seconds.

DIY Sore Throat Teas

A quick cup of DIY sore throat tea can relax both throat and chest. You can make these sore throat teas from basic kitchen supplies.

Cough Remedies For Adults - DIY Sore Throat Tea

Cold Relief Tea

If you are suffering with a full on cold and a mucus heavy chesty cough this homemade cold relief tea can really help ...

Cold Relief Tea

I do hope these quick homemade cough syrups and cough remedies help the whole family to stop coughing fast.

For more help in cold & flu season check out these cough & cold remedies and follow me on Pinterest.

All images attributable to sloely.com under Creative Commons except lemon slices attributable to: rawpixel and Bee honey in glass jars and a bowl with a wooden honey dipper by Marco Verch under Creative Commons 2.0

More Natural Remedies For Coughs & Colds

  • Close up picture of a child's ear
    Earache Remedies For Kids & Adults
  • Natural Cold Remedies
  • Home Remedies For Sore Throats
  • Natural Antihistamines For Allergy Relief

Comments

  1. Aisulu says

    January 19, 2021 at 1:19 am

    Hi! I’m trying to make this remedy, but I have a few questions: 1) how do you use it? Orally?
    2) I bought Glycerin USP from Walmart - would it work?
    3) would you suggest to use it right away? As I see that you wrote it only lasts for couple of days.

    Hope to hear from you soon!

    Thank you in advance

    Aisulu

    Reply
    • Alice says

      January 19, 2021 at 10:27 am

      Hi there - Glycerin USP should be fine as the USP shows it meets the standard for food and medicinal use. I just make up small batches of enough doses for a couple of days and keep that in a jar in the fridge so whoever needs it can easily take a spoonful. Hope that helps best wishes Alice

      Reply
  2. Lea says

    December 14, 2023 at 10:26 am

    You mention to freeze lemon juice for later usage. Is there any reason not to freeze the batch of sore throat remedy? Then just take out and let thaw what you will need on a daily basis??

    Reply
    • Alice says

      December 15, 2023 at 6:23 pm

      Hi Lea - great question. There's a bit of a debate about whether it is a good idea to freeze honey or not. It can certainly change the texture and taste and some people claim it changes the nutritional / healing value of the honey. The glycerin may also be thicker when it defrosts. So I just stick to freezing ice cubes of lemon juice I can use in all sorts of things. Hope that helps. Best wishes Alice

      Reply

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Recipe Rating




Best Quick Homemade Cough Remedy For Kids And Adults
Quick DIY Cough Remedy
Quick Effective Natural Cough Remedy
DIY Cough Remedy
Homemade Cough Mixture Remedy
Quick DIY Cough Remedy For Kids & Adults
Homemade Cough Remedy For Kids And Adults
Quick Natural Cough Remedy
Easy Homemade Cough Remedy For Kids & Adults
Quick DIY Cough Remedy
DIY Cough Remedies For Kids & Adults
Homemade Cough Remedies For Kids
Quick Homemade Cough Remedies For Kids And Adults
Homemade Cough Remedies For Kids And Adults
Quick Cough Remedies
Young boy coughing against black background
Cut lemons
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Best Quick Homemade Cough Remedy For Kids And Adults
Quick DIY Cough Remedy
Quick Effective Natural Cough Remedy
DIY Cough Remedy
Homemade Cough Mixture Remedy
Quick DIY Cough Remedy For Kids & Adults
Homemade Cough Remedy For Kids And Adults
Quick Natural Cough Remedy
Easy Homemade Cough Remedy For Kids & Adults
Quick DIY Cough Remedy
DIY Cough Remedies For Kids & Adults
Homemade Cough Remedies For Kids
Quick Homemade Cough Remedies For Kids And Adults
Homemade Cough Remedies For Kids And Adults
Quick Cough Remedies
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