After a few cups of my trusty Throat Coat tea wouldn’t soothe the scratch, I remembered an all-natural throat spray someone had sent me over the summer—a warmer, healthier time when I had zero use for it. So I dug it out of my cupboard and got to spritzing. It was a bee propolis throat spray containing just three ingredients: bee propolis extract, vegetable glycerin, and water. Much to my surprise, there was a subtle but immediate numbing effect that quickly soothed my throat, accompanied by a pleasant sweet honey taste. Bees create propolis by gathering the sticky resin from tree buds and bark, which gets combined with enzymes in their mouths to yield a substance that’s antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and an antioxidant. This propolis is then applied as a varnish on the cells of the honeycomb to help seal up cracks and create doorways, all the while helping prevent disease. “It contains a whole variety of health benefits,” says Dr. Shah. “There are hundreds of natural antibacterial compounds, amino acids, and polyphenols. It’s most significantly known in history for its infection-healing abilities, and Egyptians even used it during mummification. It has a subtle numbing quality as well.” So it makes sense that a bee propolis throat spray can, in fact, ease pain and possibly even help fight the viral infection causing it. Even better, there are several high-quality options to choose from. Here, check out a few of our favorites, some of which contain additional anti-inflammatory herbs, and all of which are small enough to take on a plane with your carry-on luggage.
