Looking For Natural Allergy Relief? Here are 14 Ideas for Effective Relief + Prevention
It’s that time of year. Noses start running, eyes start itching and sneezes only come ten times in a row. Allergies abound.
Ugh.
But conventional allergy remedies don’t always get to the root cause and can feel like a drag…
→ Going in for routine allergy shots
→ Taking an over-the-counter antihistamine every morning
→ Keeping your nasal spray and eye drops on hand constantly
Alternatively, boycotting these less-than-natural options and simply suffering through allergy season also isn’t ideal. Plus, if seasonal allergies aren’t enough, you may also experience dryness, flaking, and sensitivity in your skin. Weather changes can do a number on your skin.
If you’re hoping to find natural allergy relief this year, we’ve got good news.
There are many effective, safe, and holistic ways to support your immune system and allergic reactions – including those on your skin!
Natural allergy relief is more than just a myth or naive notion.
We stand firm in our belief that:
- It’s possible to heal your body’s immune response simply by optimizing your biology. Your body is self-healing!
- The earth has equipped us with plenty of medicinal herbs and resources to stimulate + support the body’s innate healing powers.
This season’s allergies are no match for you when paired with a holistic lifestyle + diet. ;) In tune with the theme of detox + rejuvenation this spring, let’s talk natural allergy remedies. Do you struggle with seasonal blooms, bug bites, or other unknown environmental factors? Regardless, here are our best natural allergy remedies, revealed.
1. Local Bee Pollen or Honey
Natural allergy relief can be extremely affordable. It can be as simple as adding a new nutrient to your diet. Pollen and/or raw, unpasteurized honey from local bees is one of the easiest forms of natural allergy relief.
They both contain pollen from local plants. Often, local blooms are the cause of your seasonal irritation and immune flare-ups. The concept is to build immunity against these allergens over time by adding these superfoods into your diet.
Understandably, some people are skeptical of such a simple solution. We get it! So if you’re looking for some reassurance, we found a pretty interesting fact. The German Federal Board of Health officially recognizes bee pollen as a medicine because of its dense nutrient content.1 (How’s that for legit?!)
Local, raw bee pollen + honey serve as natural allergy relief to boost your immune system over time with:
- Anti-inflammatory properties
- Antioxidant content
- Potent nutrients2,3
- Prebiotic content2
Here are a few tips for Using Bee Pollen + Honey as Natural Allergy Relief:
- Choose raw, unfiltered honey for full benefits. (Conventional honey can be highly processed and won’t be the same.)
- Buy as local/close to your area as possible to build immunity against the allergens you’re exposed to.
- Use honey for natural allergy relief with a sore throat. Studies show it’s highly effective (with zero side effects).2
- Grind bee pollen into your morning smoothie or drink of your choice. (Some brands of pollen suggest soaking it in liquid first if you have digestive problems. It will help to dissolve the protective outer layer.)
What’s not to love with bee pollen and honey for natural allergy relief? Simple, a sweet treat, and even sweeter results. ;)
2. Natural Histamine Supplements
Histamine is the main chemical being produced when an allergic reaction is triggered. In short, it’s what causes the allergy symptoms you experience. Antihistamine medicines are a popular allergy remedy because they completely block histamine production. But they can pose serious negative effects on your health long-term.4
It's important to note that histamine is a natural reaction in your body. So supporting your body's regulation instead of blocking histamine makes more sense. It supports a bigger picture of health and regulation in your body.
Histamine supplements (aka natural allergy medicine) provide effective and safe allergy relief. They do this through gentle support for your body's histamine assimilation.
Here are a few of our favorite natural allergy relief supplements to support histamine levels:
Quercetin is known to generally balance your immune response + support respiratory health.5
This blend of natural ingredients supports immune health balance + sinus/respiratory health. It's helpful for those who are highly reactive to allergens. It also effectively balances mucous production.
*Our founder, Bethany, says this has been one of the most beneficial forms of natural allergy relief for her.
A supportive natural allergy relief supplement like these helps your body eliminate a histamine overload as it’s designed to. That's why histamine supplements are such an effective natural allergy remedy. They work with your body’s immune system instead of blocking the response.
3. Adaptogens
Adaptogens are full of anti-inflammatory properties. They can also provide natural allergy relief + a load of other health benefits! They help regulate an “overactive” immune system response and provide stress/anxiety support. And we know both of these things affect gut health.
Adaptogens like reishi, astragalus, and chaga provide natural allergy relief through:
- Supporting adrenal health (which also plays a role in allergic responses)
- Reducing nasal blockage + sensitivity (in those affected by pollen allergies)6
- Stabilizing mast cell activity (which decreases the amount of histamine produced)6
- Minimizing common allergic reactions (like a runny rose)7
Adaptogens may seem strange as natural allergy relief. But try it yourself – you might be pleasantly surprised. ;)
4. Lymphatic Drainage
Your lymphatic system is an integral part of your immune response. Boosting lymphatic drainage is a great form of natural allergy relief to move out toxins and stagnant waste. Proper lymph flow can proactively create natural allergy prevention + lessen allergic responses in your body.
Here are the best ways to use lymphatic drainage for natural allergy relief:
- Dry brushing – a bristled brush rubbed across your skin with gentle pressure. It naturally stimulates your lymphatic system.
- Rebounding – the simple practice of jumping on a mini trampoline is a fun + easy way to stimulate your lymphatic system. It can strengthen your immune response.
- Movement – any form of movement helps keep your lymphatic fluids moving and doing their job. Try a brisk walk or gentle yoga – it doesn’t have to be intense!
- Massage – manually stimulating the lymphatic system with your hands or holistic massage tools. Both will kickstart lymph flow throughout your body.
*Tip: A healthy lymphatic system contributes to clear, glowing skin. Proper drainage can also help resolve skin reactions linked to seasonal allergies.
5. Acupuncture
Many studies have shown promising results for allergy sufferers who receive acupuncture treatment.8
Acupuncture inserts tiny (painless) needles in specific areas to target your condition. Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles, acupuncture naturally improves qi. (Qi, also known as “chi” is the healing energy source within our bodies.)
But the real star in the show for natural allergy relief through acupuncture? Hands down, Soliman Auricular Allergy Treatment (Commonly referred to as SAAT acupuncture).
This is an even more specific form of natural allergy relief (via acupuncture). It can eliminate allergens permanently in many individuals. SAAT is usually known for its ability to heal Alpha-gal Syndrome, a tick-borne allergy to red meat. However many TCM practices now use SAAT acupuncture to heal patients from many kinds of toxic exposures + allergies. They are seeing incredible results with environmental, medicinal, and even food allergies!
SAAT therapy uses muscle testing to identify allergies + imbalances within your body. Next, they secure tiny acupuncture in specific portions of your ear based on the results. The needles are covered and left intact for 3-4 weeks. Sometimes, you may require a bit of additional treatment. But generally, most people only need one treatment.
If you’re curious about SAAT acupuncture, the official website has more info on this form of natural allergy relief + a directory of certified practitioners.
6. Primally Pure Nature Spray
Did you know that hives, itching, and swelling around a sting (or bite) are signs of an allergic reaction? It’s fairly common to have allergic reactions to stings and bites.
Our Nature Spray isn’t meant to “relieve” an allergic response, but it can help you get ahead and prevent a bite in the first place. It’s a great natural allergy prevention if you’re allergic (or just sensitive) to bites and stings. (Who wants to deal with irritated and painful bug bites and stings, anyway?)
So we had to include this in our round-up of natural allergy relief.
Our deet-free bug repellent is designed to keep away pesky insects with safe and effective ingredients. It repels insects with natural ingredients like citronella, geranium, peppermint, rosemary, and cedarwood.
*Tip: Use our Everything Spray on inflamed skin conditions and minor irritations from a bug bite or sting.
7. Low-Histamine Diet
If you’re able to partake in a low histamine diet, it can be really beneficial. It doubles as a natural allergy remedy + natural allergy prevention. Many foods contain high levels of histamine, the main trigger for allergic reactions.
Reducing histamine-heavy foods can help you handle environmental histamines better. Why? Your body doesn’t have to work as hard to eliminate excess histamines because there are fewer in total!
Truthfully, a low-histamine diet can feel complicated. But it just takes some intention and extra time because you’ll need to cook almost all of your food fresh. (Plus, eating super fresh + whole foods comes with a load of other feel-good health benefits.)
You’ll want to eliminate foods known to be high in histamine, like:
- Fermented or aged products (yogurt, sour cream, aged cheese, drinks like kombucha, alcohol, and cured or fermented meat)
- Leftovers
- Canned or prepackaged products
- Chocolate
- Tomatoes
- Spinach
- Pickled foods
- Avocado
- Black, green, and white tea
Your diet should mainly consist of fresh fruits, cooked veggies, and animal protein. You’ll also want to eat leftovers within 24 hours.
Our founder, Bethany, has gotten natural allergy relief following a similar diet at certain times of the year. It helps your body process histamine more efficiently by reducing the overall “histamine load” in your body.
8. Sweating
Sweat can be an excellent form of natural allergy relief because of its ability to detox your body. If you struggle with allergy flare-ups, a detox boost can be significant in equipping your body. Detox can help your body better manage + relieve allergy symptoms and reactions.
A few of our favorite ways to work up a sweat as natural allergy relief:
- Exercise – a challenging workout detoxes your body through sweat, calming stress and anxiety, and bringing a fresh glow to your skin.
- Sauna – sweating doesn’t have to be from a workout. Saunas come with a long list of benefits on top of just the detox.
- Hot baths – similar to saunas, hot baths are an easy, relaxing way to get your sweat on.
With various options, detoxing with a little sweat can be done easily. ;)
9. Prioritize Gut Health
Your gut health is undeniably linked to your immune system. In fact, we know that 70-80% of your immune system resides in your gut.9 So, it only makes sense that taking care of your gut health positively affects your immune response to allergens. Plus, it also serves as a natural allergy prevention (while improving your skin ;)).
There are endless ways to support your gut health. But if you’re looking for somewhere to start as natural allergy prevention, here are a few of the biggest ways to start healing your gut:
- Increase probiotics – through food and supplements
- Decrease your stress levels
- Cut out processed foods and seed oils
- Check out this guide on gut health
Truth be told, healing your gut can take time. So this isn’t a shortcut natural allergy remedy. But it’s worth the investment since it’s effective support for long-term health. With a bit of time and patience, your healed gut will be able to handle allergen triggers much better.
10. Liver Support
This form of natural allergy prevention/relief comes through supporting one of your body’s best detox pathways – your liver!
When you provide extra support for your liver function, you’re prompting it to push out toxins. Less toxins = less strain on your body’s immune system. This makes your liver better equipped to ward off allergens.
As with most health-related things, your lifestyle choices go a long way.
Start to support your liver’s detox abilities by:
- Limiting or avoiding alcohol
- Prioritizing exercise and hydration
- Consuming a balanced, whole-food diet
But beyond lifestyle, there are a few other tangible ways to provide liver support at home as a natural allergy prevention:
- Castor oil packs – known in functional medicine for their wide range of healing abilities, especially your liver. This “pack” is usually made from wool drenched in castor oil and tied around your abdomen. It stimulates the lymphatic system and circulation, bringing fresh blood flow directly to your liver. The castor oil also reduces inflammation and helps your body eliminate toxins.
- Coffee enemas – known to stimulate glutathione (the body’s master antioxidant) and boost liver function.
Liver support is a foundational way to equip your body against allergens.
11. Primally Pure Shower Steamers
Clear your sinuses with our Bergamot + Eucalyptus Shower Steamers for natural allergy relief.
The combo of menthol, bergamot, and eucalyptus helps reduce congestion in the head and sinuses. It also acts beautifully to clear your airway.
Our shower steamers are alkalizing, detoxifying, and decongesting. They’re bolstered with anti-inflammatory properties to soothe inflammation often accompanied by allergies.
12. Increase Anti-Inflammatory Foods
This diet is a little less involved than a low-histamine diet as it focuses on adding more healthy (anti-inflammatory) foods instead of inflammatory options.
Prioritizing anti-inflammatory foods can provide natural allergy relief via a strengthened immune system. You’ll also be doing your entire body a favor by reducing inflammation – even your skin. ;) It checks out since we know inflammation causes skin concerns like acne and premature aging.
Avoid inflammatory foods like:
- Unstable processed oils (like seed oils), especially used for cooking, contribute to oxidation and inflammation in your body.
- Sugar, especially refined sugar, increases harmful gut bacteria.
- Gluten is known to cause inflammation in the gut.
- Conventional dairy products that are hard for your body to digest.
(Raw dairy, on the other hand, contains the needed enzymes to break down lactase, which is a source of irritation for many with dairy intolerances.)
- Processed foods high in refined sugar, additives, and synthetic ingredients.
Focus on consuming lots of healthy omegas and anti-inflammatory, whole, nutrient-dense foods like:
- Pasture-raised meats and organ meats
- Fatty fish like mackerel or salmon
- Chia and flax seed
- Fish oil supplement (we love this one)
- Berries
- Broccoli
- Peppers
- Mushrooms
- Turmeric
- Dark chocolate
- Grapes
- Nuts and seeds (in moderation)
- Raw dairy (provides beneficial nutrients, protein, and probiotics for gut + skin health)
Inflammatory foods abound in today’s culture, so it’s essential to get back to our ancestral roots. We need to nourish our bodies with seasonal produce and organic, whole, unprocessed foods whenever possible.
13. Sinus Rinse
A sinus rinse (like a neti pot) is perfect for natural allergy relief if you struggle with chronic nasal congestion or a runny nose. You can manually rinse your sinuses and eliminate excess mucus as needed. It’s a safer alternative to allergy med nasal sprays (which almost always contain steroids) and can contain harmful/harsh ingredients.
A quick sinus rinse is more effective than blowing your nose + more gentle on your nasal cavities. You’ll breathe better and avoid ingesting mucus!
Our founder Bethany recommends this one (+ replacing it routinely to minimize any plastic leaching chemicals from the warm water).
14. Primally Pure Everything Balm
Our Everything Balm is a serious life-saver when it comes to skin during allergy season. We love it for when you’re in the thick of allergic skin reactions, like eczema or dermatitis. It’s also great for sensitive chapped skin from blowing your nose constantly (ouch!).
So, while this balm isn’t exactly preventative against seasonal allergies, it’s a supportive product you’ll want to have ready for any skin concerns related to seasonal allergies. ;) It’ll help keep your skin microbiome healthy to reduce environmental irritants.
Its nutrient-dense and nourishing content includes:
- Organic cold-pressed olive oil
- Tallow from grass-fed and finished cows
- Emu oil from ethically farmed + processed sources
- Calendula from local California farms
- Organic tea tree oil with anti-inflammatory power
- Organic lavender oil for soothing irritations
*Tip: Try slugging overnight for even more transformative results and an insanely nourished skin barrier prepped for allergy season.
Toss the Allergy Meds + Embrace Natural Allergy Relief
Sometimes, the most healing, long-term relief comes by supporting your body on basic levels through a healthy immune system, detoxing abilities, and its innate ability to heal.
So, regardless of your past experiences with allergies (and potentially failed remedies), we’d encourage you to try one of these ideas for natural allergy relief. You might be pleasantly surprised.
These natural allergy remedies + prevention will help you feel your best this spring.
Allergens are everywhere – but you don’t have to suffer!
We hope this list heals all your frustrations + ailments related to allergies.
XO
Sources:
- Dr. Axe | Top 8 Bee Pollen Benefits (No. 7 Is Remarkable)
- Healthline | 8 Raw Honey Benefits for Health
- National Journal of Physiology, Pharmacy and Pharmacology | Role of Honey as Adjuvant Therapy in Patients With Sore Throat
- National Library of Medicine | Long-Term Anti-inflammatory and Antihistamine Medication Use and Adult Glioma Risk
- Natural Healthy Concepts | Quercetin for Allergies – How and When to Take It?
- Teelixir | 6 Best Adaptogens to Fight Allergies Naturally
- National Library of Medicine | Efficacy and Safety of Astragalus Membranaceus in the Treatment of Patients With Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis
- Sage Journals | Acupuncture for the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- National Library of Medicine | The Interplay Between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System in the Context of Infectious Diseases Throughout Life and the Role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies
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