Interestingly enough, the main ingredients in Vicks Vapor Rub which many people use for congestion are Eucalyptus oil, Camphor oil, and menthol. It is definitely a less natural remedy though as it contains petrolatum and a synthetically extracted menthol product.
Most cough syrups have cough suppressants in them as well as a sedative, this doesn't really help with congestion. Some syrups contain medicines that loosen phlegm but they are far and few between. Also some people prefer natural remedies to store bought ones that often contain things that aren't great for our bodies while costing us much more money in the long run. I remember going to the store to buy some over the counter allergy medicine recently and was blown away by the insane prices. I turned around and bought nothing rather than spending that much.
For sinus/nasal congestion, you can make ginger root and turmeric into a tea.
For chest congestion, homemade chicken broth is best.
To clear the phlegm from the back of your throat from drainage, mix three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with some honey and lem, in a cup of hot water.
Eucalyptus and Lavender didn't work at all with me. Starting out be congested with the sinuses and then if not stop it travels down in the chest area where the phlegm causes more problems.
The things I did before itstarts traveling to the chest area is using wintergreen or peppermint essentialoils in a water diffuser that way the inflammation in the sinuseswill stop flaring up. Another method I use is high gauss magnets roughly around 3,000. The magnets increasethe oxygen flow and soothe the pain. Either buy a mask or make one yourself that would be not so expensive. Make sure it's on and around the sinuses cavity. Also, it's a good idea to blow all that stuff out and boost the immune system up.
With the chest congestion, I used raw natural honey from a local bee farm and lemon juice in warm or hot water. Breaks up themucus and phlegm in the chest area. Hope my experiences may help you with your problems. I've always had sinusitis where if not treated in early stage becomes a congested chest problem. Even though I don't get the commoncold but the sinus colds are the worst.
This may or may not work for you, and of course it's limited by whether you have essential oils/can access them or not, but one thing that nearly always works for me is a combination on eucalyptus, peppermint, and rosemary essential oils in a diffuser. It smells somewhat similar to Vick's, but somewhat more plant-y on account of the rosemary. It works with just a smudge of each on either the chest or the upper lip (by a smudge I mean wiping off a bit with your finger from the drop-regulator cap! Any more is way too much) too if you don't have a diffuser. A lot of the other comments here are good remedies too, I've heard of quite a few of those drink/food combinations, and the heat from warm ones (the hotter the better, just don't burn yourself; only the warmest limit you can stand to drink) can really help loosen up gunk, both in the sinuses and in the chest (just be prepared for lots of coughing and nasal drainage once the inflammation relaxes and the phlegm loosens enough to come out!)
While essential oils can be an amazing tool for healing, remember do not put essential oils directly onto your skin without a carrier oil (such as coconut oil or olive oil), such a highly concentrated product can irritate and even burn the skin. I've seen it happen before. Some people say that they use oils directly and nothing's happens to them but most people need to and should use carrier oils.
