Top 15 Folk Remedies for Colds

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Herbal Formula 1: Honeysuckle 15g, Forsythia 15g, Light Fermented Black Bean 9g, Mint 3g, Green Onion Bulb 15g.
Preparation: Decoct in water.
Note: Do not boil for extended periods.
Folk Remedy 2: Herbs: Mustard Spike 10g, Notopterygium 10g, White Peony 10g, Isatis Root 35g,15g Peucedanum root, 10g Apricot kernel, 15g Scutellaria root, 35g Raw gypsum, 30g Light fermented black beans.
Method: Soak herbs in warm water for 15 minutes. Simmer gently for 20 minutes. Repeat twice, collecting 150-200ml decoction each time. Take 2-4 times daily.

Results: Treated 71 cases, with 56 showing marked improvement and 15 showing improvement.
Folk Remedy Three
Ingredients: 30g Water Ant (Cyperus rotundus), 30g Herba Eupatorium, 30g Shashi Luorongcao (Cynanchum wilfordii), 15g Brown Sugar.
Usage: Decoct in water. Take in 2 divided doses, once daily.
Note:This is a time-tested ancestral formula. Water centipede (水蜈蚣) refers to the whole plant of Cyperus rotundus (水娱蚁), also known as malaria grass or three-pod grass, which has effects of relieving exterior symptoms, stopping malaria, and suppressing cough. It is effective for treating colds and coughs.
External Treatment Formula
Folk Remedy One
Ingredients: 30g alum.
Method: Grind into fine powder, mix with appropriate amount of flour, and blend with vinegar into a paste. Apply to Yongquan acupoints on both feet. Replace when dry; or periodically sprinkle with vinegar to keep the paste moist.
Note: Treated over 100 cases. Fever typically begins to subside 6 hours after application, with normal body temperature restored within 12–36 hours. An effective remedy for fever reduction in colds.
Folk Remedy Two
Ingredients: 7 fresh Artemisia annua (yellow wormwood) tips, 3 slices ginger, a pinch of salt.
Usage: Rub the wormwood tips in your palms, then pound them with salt and ginger slices into a paste. Wrap the paste in cloth and rub it onto the patient's palms, soles, Yintang point (between eyebrows), temples, and back of the head. Cover with blankets to induce sweating for effectiveness.
Note: Artemisia annua, also known as sweet wormwood, is the whole plant of Artemisia annua (Asteraceae family). It clears heat, relieves malaria symptoms, dispels wind, and alleviates itching.
Folk Remedy Three
Ingredients: 15g each of scallion and ginger, 3g salt.
Method: Dry ginger thoroughly and grind into a fine powder. Pound together with scallions and salt, then mix with an appropriate amount of wine to form a paste. Wrap in gauze and apply to the following areas: front chest from the Tian Tu acupoint to the xiphoid process; back from the Da Zhui acupoint to the coccyx; palms and soles; elbow and knee creases. Apply every 2 hours, several times daily.
Notes: Treated 107 cases, all recovered within 1-2 days with fever subsiding.
Dietary Remedies
Folk Remedy One
Ingredients: 3–6g perilla leaves, 3g ginger, 15g brown sugar.
Usage: Slice ginger thinly after washing. Rinse perilla leaves to remove dust. Place both in a teacup. Pour 200–300ml boiling water over them, cover, and steep for 5–10 minutes. Stir in brown sugar. Drink while hot.
Note: This formula may also be decocted, then mixed with brown sugar. Avoid prolonged boiling to preserve efficacy.
Folk Remedy 2
Ingredients: 3g tea leaves, 10g brown sugar, 2 slices ginger.
Usage: Place ingredients in a teacup and pour boiling water over them. Drink internally, 3 times daily.
Note: This formula is suitable for wind-cold colds presenting with fever, chills, and clear nasal discharge. For wind-heat colds with fever, sore throat, and yellow nasal discharge, substitute brown sugar with rock sugar. Avoid exposure to wind and cold after taking.
Folk Remedy Three
Ingredients: Perilla leaves 30g, white radish juice 50ml.
Usage: Decoct perilla leaves in water. After boiling, add radish juice and bring to a boil again. Take orally twice daily.
Notes: This formula treats common colds presenting with fever, aversion to cold, fear of wind, cough, and nasal congestion.
Folk Remedy Four
Ingredients: 3 scallion whites, 15g light fermented black beans, 0.3g schizonepeta, 3g mint, 4.5g gardenia, 30g raw gypsum, 10g purple bamboo shoot tea powder.
Method: Remove roots from scallion whites. Crush gypsum. Add water and decoct to extract liquid. Strain out residue. Add tea powder and decoct for another 5 minutes. Take one dose daily, divided into two warm servings.
Note: This formula is suitable for wind-heat colds presenting with fever, sore throat, dry mouth, and yellow nasal discharge.
Aromatherapy Formula
Folk Remedy One
Ingredients: 12g each of Elsholtzia ciliata, Perilla frutescens leaf, Agastache rugosa, and Magnolia officinalis; 10g each of light fermented black beans and Notopterygium incisum.Pour the near-boiling liquid into a glass or porcelain basin. Cover your entire head and the basin with a large towel. Close your eyes and take deep breaths alternately through your mouth and nose for 5–10 minutes to inhale the aromatic medicinal essence released through the hot steam. Perform twice daily for a 3-day treatment course.
Note: This formula treats summer-heat dampness colds (symptoms include restlessness, thirst, head feeling wrapped in cloth, heavy limb soreness, chest tightness).
Folk Remedy Two
Ingredients: 30g tangerine leaves, 12g old ginger, 10g onion bulbs, 20g mint leaves.
Method: Boil ingredients in water. Pour the herbal solution into a glass or porcelain basin. Cover your entire head and the basin with a large towel. Close your eyes and take deep breaths alternately through your mouth and nose for 5–10 minutes to inhale the aromatic medicinal essence released through the hot steam. This aromatic steam treatment alleviates cold symptoms.
Note: Adapted from Chinese Folk Medicinal Compress Therapy
Foot Therapy Formula
Folk Remedy One
Ingredients: 60g each of Fangfeng (Saposhnikovia root), Perilla leaf, Mugwort leaf, and Atractylodes; 3 sections of green onion stem.
Usage: Add 2000ml water to the herbs, boil for 10 minutes. Pour the decoction into a basin at a tolerable temperature. Soak feet for 25–30 minutes until a light sweat appears. Dry feet with a towel, keep warm. Perform once nightly before bedtime. Maintain quiet in the room after washing.
Remedy Two
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons mustard powder.
Usage: Fill a basin halfway with hot water. Add 3 tablespoons mustard powder. Soak feet for 15 minutes to induce sweating, which may alleviate symptoms.
Folk Remedy Three
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of salt.
Usage: Dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt in hot water (approximately 43°C/113°F). Soak feet for 10 minutes. Once perspiration appears on the forehead, ensure warmth is maintained.

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