About the Herbal Tea Recipes

Searching “how to get rid of a cold or flu” (AKA a virus) will get you a million suggestions, but as we all know, Dr. Google hasn’t put these ideas to the test — so we decided to do a little research about what makes some of the most popular natural remedies actually work. As we began taking a closer look at the most common suggestions out there such as lemon or ginger teas and Echinacea supplements, we realized that these plants all had something in common: they had terpenes with antiviral properties.  

As we learned from our Introducing: Terpenes article, terpenes have therapeutic properties ranging all the way from anti-bacterial to anti-inflammatory and more. Turns out, there are also many terpenes with virus-fighting properties, including three of the four we focus on here at Hempsley: limonene, pinene, and linalool. Learn more about virus fighting terpenes here.

Opportunities for Cannabinoid Infusion

If you'd like to enhance this recipe with cannabinoids, consider one of the suggestions below. When substituting or adding cannabis-infused products, be aware of how many mg of CBD (or, if you're in a legal state, THC) are in each portion of the recipe you are making. The standard dose of CBD is 15-30mg, but varies based on tolerance, reason for use, severity of condition, etc. We recommend starting low and going slow; click here to learn more about dosing) and be sure to read our CBD Safety article and talk to your doctor before incorporating new cannabinoids into your routine.

How to add cannabinoids to your tea 

Honey, lemon juice, ginger, and turmeric are all great additions to any herbal tea you make. Below we've given basic instructions to four of our favorite herbal teas.

Don't have a tea bag or ball? Click here to learn how to make your own teabag.

Elderberry and echinacea tea recipe with lemon and spoon with honey

Elderberry & Echinacea Tea

  1. Place 1 tsp dried echinacea and 1 tsp dried elderberries in tea bag or ball

  2. Pour 1 cup boiling water over herbs and allow to steep 3-5 minutes

  3. Add honey (approximately 1 tsp) and lemon juice (from approximately 1/4 lemon) to taste 

Ginger, thyme and elderberry tea

Ginger, Thyme & Elderberry Tea

  1. Place 1 tsp dried or fresh ginger, 1 tsp thyme, and 1 tsp dried elderberries in tea bag or ball

  2. Pour 1 cup boiling water over herbs and allow to steep 5-7 minutes

  3. Add honey (approximately 1 tsp.) and lemon juice (from approximately 1/4 lemon) to taste

Fresh mint and dried mullein tea with measuring spoons

Mint & Mullein Tea

  1. Place 1 tsp dried or fresh mint and 1 tsp dried mullein in tea bag or ball

  2. Pour 1 cup boiling water over herbs and allow to steep 5-10 minutes

  3. Add honey (approximately 1 tsp) to taste

Elderberry and lemon tea styled with cloth

Limonene (Elderberry & Lemon) Tea

  1. Place 1 tsp dried elderberries in tea bag or ball

  2. Pour 1 cup boiling water over herbs and allow to steep 3-5 minutes

  3. Add honey (approximately 1 tsp) and lemon juice (from approximately 1/4 lemon) to taste