9 Homemade Expectorants with Natural Ingredients

Natural Expectorants: 15 Herbs, Teas and Home Remedies to Loosen Mucus

Written and medically reviewed by Veronique Claes d’Erckenteel, D.C., chiropractor since 1991 · Last reviewed: 20 October 2026

A natural expectorant loosens and thins the mucus in your chest so your cough can bring it up and out. The best natural expectorants are thyme, ivy leaf, eucalyptus, licorice, mullein, honey with black pepper, ginger, steam and plenty of warm fluids. From my experience, the combination that works best is a herbal tea with a drop of thyme essential oil stirred in with honey, together with extra vitamin C. Unlike a cough suppressant, an expectorant doesn’t stop your cough: it makes each cough more productive, so your lungs clear faster.

When your chest feels heavy and every cough rattles without bringing much up, the mucus is too thick and sticky to move. That’s where an expectorant comes in. Nature has been providing them for centuries: thyme, ivy, mullein and horehound were the cough remedies in every herbal tradition long before cough syrups existed. This guide explains what an expectorant does and gives you the 15 natural expectorants I trust, with my favourite thyme tea recipe. It’s the partner page to our natural cough suppressants guide, which explains why you don’t want to stop a cough in the first place.

Table of Contents

• What Is an Expectorant?
• Expectorant vs Suppressant, Decongestant and Mucolytic
• 15 Best Natural Expectorants
• My Thyme Tea Recipe
• 3 More Expectorant Teas
• Foods That Break Up Mucus
• How to Break Up Mucus in Your Chest
• Which Cough Needs an Expectorant?
• Natural Expectorants for Children
• Side Effects and Safety
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Is an Expectorant?

Expectorant meaning: an expectorant is anything that helps you bring up mucus (phlegm) from your airways. The word comes from the Latin ex (out) and pectus (chest): literally “out of the chest”.

How does an expectorant work? When you’re ill, your airways make extra mucus to trap viruses and bacteria. If that mucus gets thick and sticky, the tiny hairs lining your airways can’t sweep it up and your cough can’t shift it. Expectorants work in three ways:

• Thinning: they add water to the mucus, so it flows more easily (warm fluids, steam, ivy, licorice).
• Stimulating: they gently irritate the stomach or airways, which triggers the body to make more watery mucus that loosens the sticky layer (ivy, horehound, black pepper, horseradish).
• Relaxing and clearing: they relax the airway muscles and help the tiny hairs move (thyme, eucalyptus).

Examples of natural expectorants: thyme, ivy leaf, eucalyptus, licorice, mullein, horehound, sage, ginger, garlic, black pepper, honey, pineapple and steam.

Expectorant vs Suppressant, Decongestant and Mucolytic

• Expectorant vs cough suppressant: an expectorant helps the cough work; a suppressant stops it. With a wet, chesty cough you want an expectorant, never a suppressant, because the phlegm full of germs needs to come out. More in natural cough suppressants.
• Expectorant vs decongestant: a decongestant shrinks the swollen lining of your nose and sinuses so you can breathe through your nose. An expectorant works on mucus in your chest. Blocked nose: steam, salt water rinses and eucalyptus. Rattly chest: an expectorant.
• Expectorant vs mucolytic: a mucolytic breaks down the structure of mucus so it’s less sticky; an expectorant helps move it out. In practice many natural remedies do a bit of both: warm fluids, steam, thyme and pineapple both thin and loosen.
• Expectorant vs antihistamine: antihistamines dry up allergy mucus, which can make chest mucus thicker. With allergies and post nasal drip, look for the source first.

15 Best Natural Expectorants

1. Thyme

Thyme is the herb I reach for first, and the one with the best research. It loosens mucus and relaxes the airways: in placebo-controlled trials in adults with acute bronchitis, thyme combined with ivy (Kemmerich et al., 2006) or with primrose root (Kemmerich, 2007) reduced coughing fits and helped people recover faster. Compounds in thyme oil also act against bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae (Pauli and Schilcher, 2004). From my experience, thyme essential oil in a herbal tea works best of all: see my thyme tea recipe below.

2. Extra vitamin C

The partner to my thyme tea. Vitamin C supports the immune cells that fight the infection behind the mucus, and taken regularly it slightly shortens colds (Douglas and Hemilä, Cochrane). I take liposomal vitamin C, which is better absorbed, at 2 to 3 times the label dose while ill, plus lemon, kiwi, oranges, peppers and broccoli. Too much can loosen your stools; cut back if it does, and skip high doses if you’ve had kidney stones.

3. Ivy leaf

Ivy leaf (Hedera helix) is the most widely used herbal expectorant in Europe. Its saponins thin mucus and relax the airways. A systematic review found ivy leaf preparations improved cough in upper airway infections, though the trials were small (Holzinger and Chenot, 2011; review, 2021). Use a ready-made syrup or extract and follow the label; don’t use the fresh plant, which irritates the skin and stomach.

4. Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is a classic expectorant and decongestant. Its main compound, cineole, thins mucus and calms inflamed airways, and it reduced coughing fits in adults with acute bronchitis (Fischer and Dethlefsen, 2013). Breathe it in: 3 to 5 drops in a bowl of steaming water with a towel over your head for 10 minutes, or 5 to 8 drops in the diffuser at night. Not for children under 2, and not to drink.

For steam and the diffuser

Eucalyptus to loosen a tight chest

Eucalyptus’s main compound, cineole, thins mucus and calms inflamed airways, and reduced coughing fits in adults with acute bronchitis. I use it in a steam bowl during the day and in the diffuser at night.

• Pure Eucalyptus globulus oil
• 3 to 5 drops in a bowl of steaming water
• 5 to 8 drops in the diffuser at night
• Not for children under 2; not to drink

Get the eucalyptus oil I use

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5. Honey with black pepper

Honey soothes the throat and calms the tickle (Oduwole et al., Cochrane), and black pepper gets mucus moving. Stir 2 tablespoons of honey and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper into a cup of hot water, steep for 10 minutes and sip. Honey from 12 months only. More in honey for cough.

6. Licorice root

Licorice root soothes the throat and thins mucus, and has been a cough remedy since ancient Egypt. Simmer a teaspoon of dried root for 10 minutes, one to two cups a day, for a week or two at most. Skip it with high blood pressure, heart or kidney problems, or in pregnancy.

7. Mullein

Mullein leaf is a traditional lung herb that soothes irritated airways and helps loosen mucus. Steep 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried leaves in boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes, and strain through a coffee filter to remove the tiny hairs, which irritate the throat.

8. Horehound

White horehound has been used as an expectorant since Roman times and is recognised in Europe as a traditional remedy for coughs. It’s very bitter, so most people take it as lozenges or mixed with honey. Not in pregnancy.

9. Sage

Sage tea, with a little thyme and honey, is an old European cough tea that also soothes a sore throat. Steep a teaspoon of dried sage for 10 minutes. Not in pregnancy, breastfeeding or with epilepsy.

10. Ginger

Ginger warms you, relaxes the airways and calms inflammation. Simmer an inch of sliced fresh ginger for 10 minutes and add honey, lemon and a pinch of black pepper.

11. Garlic and onion

Both are traditional expectorant foods. A daily garlic supplement meant fewer colds in a trial (Josling, 2001). Add raw crushed garlic to soups and dressings, or make an onion honey: cover sliced onion with honey overnight and take a teaspoon of the syrup four times a day.

12. Pineapple

Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme traditionally used to thin mucus and calm inflammation. Fresh pineapple or pineapple juice with a little honey and ginger is a tasty way to take it.

13. Horseradish, mustard and cayenne

Hot, pungent foods make your eyes water and your nose run for a reason: they trigger a rush of thin, watery mucus. A little grated horseradish on your food, or a pinch of cayenne in your tea, gets things moving. Skip them with reflux or a very sore throat.

14. Steam and moist air

Steam is the simplest expectorant there is: it adds moisture to the airways so mucus becomes thinner. Take a hot shower, breathe over a bowl of hot water or run a cool mist humidifier in the bedroom. Our nebulizer tip: sterile saline only, never oils.

15. Warm fluids

Mucus is mostly water. When you’re dehydrated, it gets thick and sticky; when you drink enough, it stays loose. Aim for a glass of water, herbal tea or broth every hour you’re awake. A hot drink also brings fast relief from cough and chest symptoms (Sanu and Eccles, 2008).

My Thyme Tea Recipe

This is the expectorant tea I make whenever someone in the family has a chesty cough. It combines the thyme herb, a single drop of thyme oil and extra vitamin C.

1. Make the tea. Steep 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried thyme (or a herbal blend with thyme, sage or mullein) in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes, covered, so the oils stay in the cup.
2. Mix the oil into honey. Put 1 teaspoon of honey on a spoon and add 1 drop of thyme essential oil. Oil doesn’t mix with water, so the honey carries it through your tea.
3. Stir it in. Once the tea has cooled to drinking temperature, stir in the honey with the oil, and squeeze in half a lemon.
4. Add your vitamin C. Take your vitamin C with the tea.
5. Drink it slowly, breathing in the steam. Up to 3 cups a day, for a week at most.

Important: only 1 drop per cup, always mixed into honey first, never neat. Use a pure thyme oil labelled for internal use, ideally the gentle linalool type. The thyme oil version is for adults only; not in pregnancy or breastfeeding. For children, make the tea with the herb alone.

My favourite natural expectorant

Thyme oil for your herbal tea

From my experience, nothing loosens a chesty cough like thyme oil in a herbal tea, together with extra vitamin C. I use this gentle linalool type thyme, which Revive labels for internal use with honey as the emulsifier.

• Thymus vulgaris, linalool chemotype
• 1 drop stirred into a teaspoon of honey, then into your tea
• Up to 3 cups a day, for a week at most (adults)
• Children: thyme tea or a drop in the diffuser, never the oil in a drink

Get the thyme oil I use

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3 More Expectorant Teas

• Ginger, lemon and pepper: simmer an inch of fresh ginger for 10 minutes, add the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of black pepper and a teaspoon of honey.
• Licorice and mullein: simmer ½ teaspoon of licorice root for 10 minutes, then add a teaspoon of mullein leaf and steep 10 minutes more. Strain through a coffee filter.
• Sage, thyme and honey: steep a teaspoon each of dried sage and thyme for 10 minutes, covered, and add honey.

More teas in our best tea for sore throat and cough guide.

Foods That Break Up Mucus

• Warm soups and broths, especially chicken soup (Rennard et al., 2000)
• Garlic, onion and leek
• Ginger, turmeric and black pepper
• Horseradish, mustard and chilli, in small amounts
• Pineapple and citrus fruit
• Thyme, sage and oregano as kitchen herbs

While you’re clearing mucus, go easy on sugar, alcohol and very processed food, and notice whether dairy makes your mucus feel thicker for you.

How to Break Up Mucus in Your Chest

1. Drink, drink, drink: a glass of warm fluid every hour.
2. Steam twice a day: a bowl of hot water with eucalyptus (adults), or a hot shower.
3. Drink an expectorant tea: my thyme tea, up to three cups a day.
4. Huff it out: sit up straight, take a deep breath and breathe out hard through an open mouth, as if fogging a mirror, two or three times, then cough. This moves mucus from the small airways up to where a cough can clear it.
5. Use gravity: lie on your side or tummy with your chest a little lower than your hips for a few minutes, and let someone gently pat your back with a cupped hand.
6. Move: a gentle walk gets you breathing deeper and loosens mucus.
7. Sleep propped up and run a humidifier at night.

For mucus that sits in your throat rather than your chest, see how to get rid of phlegm.

Which Cough Needs an Expectorant?

• Wet, productive cough: yes. This is exactly what expectorants are for.
• Chest congestion: yes. A heavy, rattly chest with mucus that won’t come up. See chest congestion relief.
• Bronchitis: yes. Thyme, ivy and eucalyptus are the classic bronchitis herbs. See home remedies for bronchitis.
• Dry, tickly cough: usually not. With little mucus, soothe the throat instead with honey, marshmallow root and moist air. See dry cough remedies.
• Sinus congestion: steam, eucalyptus and salt water rinses help more. See sinus infection remedies.

Natural Expectorants for Children

• Babies under 12 months: saline nose drops, steam in the bathroom, a humidifier, frequent feeds and sleeping propped up on a parent. No honey.
• From 12 months: a teaspoon of honey, weak thyme tea with honey, warm soups.
• Under 2: no eucalyptus or peppermint oil. Thyme (linalool type) and chamomile in a steam bowl across the room or a diffuser.
• From 2: eucalyptus in the diffuser, a very diluted chest rub.
• Ivy leaf syrups are made for children too: follow the age on the label.
• Thyme oil in a drink: adults only.

More in home remedies for cough in kids.

Side Effects and Safety

• Coughing more: an expectorant can make you cough more for a day or two, because mucus is moving. That’s the point.
• Licorice can raise blood pressure and lower potassium: skip it with high blood pressure, heart or kidney problems, or in pregnancy.
• Essential oils in a drink: 1 drop, always in honey, adults only, a week at most. Never neat.
• Ivy leaf can upset the stomach in large amounts: follow the label.
• Pregnancy: stick to warm fluids, steam, honey, ginger and lemon, and talk to your midwife before using herbs or oils.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best natural expectorant?

Thyme. It has the best research of the herbal expectorants, and from my experience a herbal tea with a drop of thyme oil mixed into honey, together with extra vitamin C, works best. Ivy leaf and eucalyptus steam are close behind.

What is the strongest natural expectorant?

Thyme, ivy leaf and eucalyptus are the strongest natural expectorants. Pungent foods like horseradish and black pepper also trigger a quick rush of thin mucus.

What does an expectorant do?

An expectorant thins and loosens the mucus in your airways so your cough can bring it up and out of your chest.

Does an expectorant make you cough more?

It can, for a day or two. As the mucus loosens, your body coughs it up. Those coughs are more productive, so your lungs clear faster.

Should I take an expectorant or a cough suppressant?

With a wet, chesty cough, an expectorant: the mucus needs to come out. A suppressant keeps it in your lungs. With a dry, tickly cough, soothe your throat with honey instead.

What is the difference between an expectorant and a decongestant?

A decongestant opens a blocked nose by shrinking swollen tissue; an expectorant loosens mucus in your chest so you can cough it up.

What is a good expectorant tea?

Thyme tea with honey is the classic. Ginger with lemon and black pepper, licorice with mullein, and sage with thyme are good too.

How do you break up mucus in your chest naturally?

Drink warm fluids every hour, breathe steam twice a day, drink thyme tea, huff out the mucus with deep breaths, lie with your chest slightly lower than your hips, and sleep propped up with a humidifier.

Recommended

• Natural Cough Suppressants
• How to Get Rid of Phlegm
• Chest Congestion Relief
• Home Remedies for Bronchitis
• How to Stop Coughing

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Veronique Cleas D'erckenteel

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