A Natural Medicine Cabinet for Sensitive People & Families

I first wrote this article in October 2019 as My Family's Natural "Medicine Cabinet." It has been updated to include my newest favorite remedy.

In this article:

• Why sensitive people and sensitive children often need gentler, more natural remedies — and why conventional drug store medicines can add to an already-burdened sensitive immune system.
• Sharon's go-to essential oils for common ailments: Thieves, Eucalyptus, and Peppermint — and exactly how to use them.
• The best antimicrobial herbs to have on hand: thyme, echinacea, olive leaf, oregano, and garlic — and what each one does.
• Why a fever is actually your friend — and natural ways to support the body through one rather than suppressing it.
• How to choose quality supplements that don't contain fillers, binders, or synthetic additives that can further burden a sensitive system.
• Additional immune-supporting nutrients and warm foods especially helpful in the colder months.

For sensitive people, and sensitive children, conventional drug store medicines can be too harsh for a system that is already working harder than average. A sensitive immune system often responds better to gentler, more natural interventions that support the body rather than override it.

This is what our family's "natural medicine cabinet" is built around — and after years of refining it, I am happy to share what works best for us.

It differs greatly from a typical medicine cabinet, filled with conventional medicines. Instead, it includes herbs, essential oils, homeopathics, and even food and beverages.

Because the colder months bring shorter days with less sunlight and therefore less time to be outdoors for fresh air and exercise, we also make sure to put extra beneficial things into our bodies. Warm foods and beverages are key – things like drinking heated bone broth and vital veggie broth, drinking a variety of organic herbal teas*, and eating nourishing soups. (I included several nourishing soups in my Gluten-free the Right Way! COOKBOOK.)

For sensitive people especially, these natural options matter more than most people realize. Conventional cold and flu remedies, including many over-the-counter medications, contain dyes, synthetic compounds, and fillers that can burden a sensitive immune system and add to the overall toxic load. The gentler approach is almost always the better one for a sensitive body.

Below is a list of my favorite things to have on hand. It is always best to preplan so you have the items in-house when you need them.

• Thieves Essential Oil – This essential oil is our go-to remedy at the first sign of not feeling well. We put a few drops on the bottom of our feet before going to bed with some white socks and often feel much better in the morning.
• Eucalyptus Essential Oil – We use this when there is congestion in the lungs. Put two to three drops in the palm of your hand with a small amount of organic olive oil and rub on the chest, back, and sides in the lung area. (Use this instead of Vicks VapoRub, which has petroleum as its base.) Great for helping you fall asleep.
• Peppermint Essential Oil – When a tummy ache occurs, you can put a drop in the palm of your hand and use it one of two ways: (1) put a bit in the belly button with your finger or (2) touch it with the tip of your tongue and hold your tongue to the roof of your mouth for relief. (Use a carrier oil like olive oil if this is too strong.)
• Thyme Tea* – A wonderful overall antimicrobial herb. Drink it a few times a week to boost your immune system. If one person is sick, have everyone in the house drink thyme tea to stay well.
• Echinacea – This herb is great for viral-related illnesses like the flu. You can typically find it in both capsule and liquid form. Echinacea and golden seal is another good combination.
• Olive Leaf – More broadly anti-microbial, olive leaf works on viruses, bacteria and fungi. It is best to find capsules with extra outer coating to help it get deeper into the digestive track so you do not feel a burning sensation in your stomach after taking it.
• Oregano Oil or Tea* – Oregano oil’s active ingredient, carvacrol, is also antimicrobial. The oil itself is quite strong but is really good to put on a sore tooth when you have a tooth ache. We find the tea most comforting when feeling under the weather. (Clove oil is another tooth pain remedy.)
• Garlic – You can take a natural remedy like Allicidin which incorporates garlic’s active ingredient, allicin, or use actual raw garlic. If your digestive system can handle it, mincing and swallowing minced raw garlic is nature’s version of an antibiotic. Hold it in your mouth first, as it coats your throat, does wonders for a sore throat. It actually works on all microbes.
• Ginger – Ginger is another food to keep on hand. Thinly cut to make tea or put it in a green juice. Ginger tea can help stomach aches and when used with quality honey, helps soothe the throat.
• Colloidal Silver – We often use this when all else fails. We do not use it often so that our bodies do not build up a resistance to it. It is also really good for topical infections like red eye and an infected cut.
• DMSO (Diluted Dimethyl Sulfoxide) - My newest addition. It is good to use topically when there is pain, inflammation, sprains, and other musculoskeletal injuries. Can also be used for skin irritations. (There are many books available to learn how to use it.)

Essential oils are particularly well suited for sensitive people and sensitive children because they work with the body's own systems rather than suppressing symptoms — and when used correctly, they are gentle enough for even the most reactive sensitive systems.

If you know you have a virus, bacteria, or fungal infection, there are also homeopathic remedies you can use. One of my favorites is Aconitum Napellus, especially when used in the early stages of an illness can help your body resolve it quickly.

Other nutrients we like to add more of in the colder months is vitamins D3 and K2 (taken together) and a good quality fish or cod liver oil. (Make sure you have a good brand as many fish and cod liver oils are produced in the same handful of factories where synthetic vitamins A and D are added.)

I also want to remind you that a fever is your friend. We have been trained to be afraid of fevers and taught to reduce a fever as soon as it shows up. In reality, a fever is a good thing. It is your body’s way of healing and burning off whatever is going on. Unless the fever is extremely high, you should let it run its course whenever you can. If you feel you need to reduce the fever, you can take a cooling bath or put apple cider vinegar on the bottom of the feet. (More about fevers here.)

For sensitive people and sensitive children, this is especially important to understand. Suppressing a fever with conventional fever reducers adds pharmaceutical compounds to a sensitive system that is already working hard — and interrupts a natural healing process that the body is designed to complete on its own. Trusting the body is one of the most important shifts a sensitive person can make.

When stocking your natural medicine cabinet, read your labels and be sure to get the best quality supplements you can. As explained in more detail here, natural supplements can still contain fillers, binders, preservatives, etc. If you need help obtaining quality products, you can use my Favorite Products page to signup for free to purchase a wide variety of immune building supplements at 10% off. (When you sign in to my Fullscript Store, it will list many of my favorite products.)

For sensitive people, supplement quality is not a minor detail — it is essential. Fillers, binders, synthetic vitamins, and artificial coatings that many people tolerate without issue can trigger reactions in a sensitive immune system and add unnecessarily to the toxic load. My Favorite Products page lists brands I have personally vetted for quality and suitability for sensitive people and families.

If you are a sensitive person or a parent of a sensitive child, building a natural medicine cabinet is one of the most empowering steps you can take — because it means you are no longer relying on remedies that may be harder on your system than the illness itself. For parents of sensitive children, my Calming Tools for Sensitive Kids course also covers reducing everyday toxic exposures and supporting a sensitive immune system at home.

And if you would like personalized guidance on supporting your specific sensitive system, schedule a free discovery call with me.

For additional immune system building ideas, see additional articles linked below.

* Make sure you are drinking organic herbal teas since non-organic brands are often sprayed with pesticides and irradiated to kill bacteria. Also look for brands that indicate they are using non-bleached, plastic-free tea bags. (Most tea bags are made from polypropylene which leaves microplastic residue in your tea.) Loose organic teas are often the best option. Learn more about the detrimental affects of plastic here.

Related articles on natural immune support for sensitive people:

• Boost Your Immune System Naturally  
• Conquering a Cold or Stomach Bug Naturally
• Benefits of Raw Garlic
• Health Triggers for Sensitive People
• Is Your Food Making You Sick
• Natural Lyme Protocol
• Also see: Sensitive Kids course