By skyforbes 
When it comes to battling infections and preventing illness, antimicrobial herbs are your go-to allies. These potent remedies contain compounds that target harmful bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. In other words, antimicrobial herbs encompass a wide range of actions, including antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiprotozoal properties. Many herbs are multitaskers, offering more than one benefit—like being both antibacterial and antifungal.
Antimicrobial herbs are essential remedies for common colds, the flu, and mild to moderate infections. Depending on the infection, they can be applied topically, taken internally, or both for maximum benefit. I always keep a supply of these herbs in my apothecary year-round, but I make an even bigger effort to stock up ahead of cold and flu season. Antibacterial and antifungal herbs are best stored as dried herbs for topical use, ready to be used in soaks, compresses, or poultices. While herbalists often turn antimicrobial herbs into infused oils or salves, water-based preparations are more effective for topical use. Oil-based remedies can trap moisture, potentially worsening infections by creating an environment where microbes thrive. If you want to learn more about preparing potent and effective herbal medicines, check out our Online Herbal Medicine Making Course.
It’s typically helpful to combine herbal antimicrobials with herbal immunostimulants, which are used on a short-term basis to boost immunity during the initial stages of an infection, as well as throughout the duration of an infectious illness. Classic immunostimulating herbs include echinacea (Echinacea purpurea), garlic (Allium sativum), and spilanthes (Acmella oleracea). You can read more about when to use immune-stimulating herbs in our article, Herbs for the Immune System.
Antimicrobial herbs are beneficial for colds, flu, and other viral, bacterial, and fungal infections.
It’s important to realize that herbs aren’t always the only support you might need to combat infections. Antibiotics and conventional medical care have their place, especially with young children and serious infections. It might surprise you to hear an herbalist say this, but, in most cases, pharmaceutical antibiotics outperform antibacterial herbs. However, it’s also crucial to use antibiotics appropriately and avoid overusing them due to their negative impact on beneficial flora and the risk of promoting antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Plus, when it comes to viral infections, antibiotics offer no benefit and can still cause harm—making it even more important to reserve them for the right situations. For a list of warning signs that indicate the need for medical care, please visit When To Seek Help.
Please note that this article is introductory in scope and doesn’t fully cover each medicinal. If you plan to forage any of these herbs (with the exception of goldenseal and white sage, which are threatened and should not be gathered from the wild), you’ll need to seek out identification tips. You’ll also need to learn foraging ethics and receive guidance before you harvest any plant from the wild! There are deadly poisonous plants out there, so proper identification is paramount.
See our articles on Foraging and Wildcrafting on the blog for more guidance. This is just the tip of the antimicrobial iceberg—for a longer list of antimicrobials, please visit our article on Herbs for the Immune System.