You’ve got a concert in two days, but your throat feels like it’s on fire! Whether it’s the sinus infection blues, not enough rest, or you’re simply exhausted from the crazy life of a singer, it’s incredibly frustrating when you need your voice to be there—and it’s not.

Sometimes a doctor’s appointment and a dose of antibiotics are necessary to really kick the crud, but in the meantime, take a look at our list of the 5 best vocal remedy products that can provide you some relief so you can get back on your feet and back on the stage!

1. Throat Coat Tea

Throat Coat Tea is a staple among singers, and rightfully so! Traditional Medicinals says this tea is like “taking your voice to the spa.” We should mention that if you are suffering from an infection or viral sickness, the tea will not cure you, but it will provide a layer of warmth and take away a massive amount of irritation and discomfort. Most people describe the taste as sweet and earthy, with obvious hints of licorice. But if that’s not your cup of tea (pun intended), you can try Throat Coat Tea with Lemon Echinacea, which is full of rich, lemony flavor!

Click here to buy Throat Coat Tea on Amazon.

Pro tip: We recommend adding a dash of honey for the perfect cup of tea.

2. Humidifiers

If a humidifier is missing from your life, we highly recommend making a change and purchasing one! Humidifiers tend to be overlooked when the reality is that they have plenty of benefits, including:

• Keeping your nasal passages and your throat moist, helping you heal faster
• Reducing symptoms like coughing and sneezing
• Reducing your chance to be reached by viruses and bacteria (since they don’t travel as well in moist air)
• Decreasing allergy symptoms
• Keeping your sinuses open and encouraging them to drain faster

Household Humidifier

For this type of humidifier, we recommend having it on while you sleep to ensure that your nose and throat don’t dry out overnight.

You can buy this household humidifier on Amazon.

Handheld Humidifier

A handheld (portable) humidifier is great for the on-the-go musician. These humidifier’s are specifically designed to be held up against your face so that the steam can be in direct contact with your throat and nasal passages. Many singers use these even when they’re in great health because of how great it makes their vocal chords feel!

You can buy this handheld humidifier here.

Pro tip: Use a handheld humidifier as a pre-singing ritual in order to feel maximum flexibility in your performances!

3. Zicam

Many singers know their body and vocal cords so well that they can feel a cold or sinus infection is about to happen before it actually hits. So, how do you stop it before it goes from bad to worse? Zicam! This brand offers a whole slew of products clinically proven to not only shorten colds but also prevent them from starting. If you’re feeling a tickle in the back of your throat, or dryness and discomfort, bust out the Zicam and get in front of the cold!

Get Zicam here!

Pro tip: Try the Zicam Medicated Fruit Drops for a better tasting, fruity snack!

4. Neti Pot

Okay, okay. We know that Neti Pot can be a little… unattractive. That’s because Neti Pots work by pouring a sinus rinse (a mixture of water and the sinus rinse packet) into one side of your nose and letting it drip back out of the other side. Like we said, it’s not glamorous.

But many have found the Neti Pot to be helpful when clearing out sinuses! This is important, because your sinuses are connected to your throat, and when there is a lot of mucus in your body, it’s common to experience “post nasal drip,” which basically means that your sinuses are dripping into your throat and causing a lot of discomfort and irritation. Yuck. So, the Neti Pot process helps open up your nasal cavity and quickly flushes away unwanted mucus that may be hindering your ability to sing!

Get your Neti Pot here.

Pro tip: Read the directions on your Neti Pot package! Only use the Neti Pot in the recommended dosages. You will see the effects of the sinus rinse throughout the day, and overuse could actually lead to too much dryness (because it really does work!).

5. Benzocaine Cough Drops

Cough drops can be a bit of a hit or miss remedy. Do they really help, or are we just addicted to the sugary goodness? The key to finding an effective cough drop lies within the ingredients.

Be Cautious About Menthol

Typically, cough drops contain menthol, which is an organic compound made from peppermint, eucalyptus, and other mint oils. Menthol helps cool the airway passages and soothe the throat. While this can relieve a bit of pain and possibly even clear up the sinuses for about 30 minutes, it’s not actually healing anything. It’s only providing pain relief for as long as the cough drop is in your mouth, and it’s very common for people to experience even drier throats after the fact.

We Recommend Benzocaine

Benzocaine is a local anesthetic (numbing medication) that works by blocking nerve signals in your body. If you are feeling irritation in your throat and need to squeak out a performance, cough drops with Benzocaine will provide a layer of numbness for a few hours to get you through.

For these reasons we recommend both Cepacol and Chloraseptic.

Get Cepacol here and Chloraseptic here.

Pro tip: Another great ingredient to look for in cough drops is Zinc!

Bonus Recommendations!

• Gargling warm salt water
• Drinking plenty of water
• Getting 8 hours of sleep a night
• Properly warming up your voice
• Making use of ingredients such as: garlic, ginger, lemon, and honey

We hope these 5 products and bonus remedies help make you and your vocal cords happy and healthy! Sometimes we have to go outside of our natural comforts in order to be ready for the next performance, but the bottom line is that you should always take care of your vocal cords so that you’re able to share your gift with the world for as long as possible!

Need help finding your vocal range? Check out our handy guide!