Throat Lozenges For Singers

Are you looking to soothe your voice for an upcoming performance? Are you experiencing some irritation or soreness that you think a lozenge can fix?

Before you head to buy your favorite brand, I want to make sure you are very aware of the downsides of consuming throat lozenges, especially right before a performance or a rehearsal. 

I don't want to scare you; these little candies or pills are not going to cause you any automatic damage or anything, but there are two things I want my fellow singers, speakers, and rappers to be aware of when it comes to sucking on these for an upcoming performance. 

Once you get past these two problems, then you'll find that you still have some options for your throat comfort that include more natural lozenges. 

Related Post: Why Does My Throat Hurt After Singing?

The Downside Of Menthol

Most of the popular menthol candies like Halls and Chloraseptic have the ingredient menthol, which is intended to soothe our throats.

Menthol works lovely and all, especially when you're getting over a cold or the flu, but it may not be your best choice before a singing performance.

Menthol is an ingredient known to cause dry mouth, which can be a big issue when it comes to singing and speaking performances. A dry mouth can cause you to have poor diction and a less confident performance. 

Many people who are nervous before singing already get a side effect of dry mouth, so the throat lozenges won't do you any extra favors in that regard. 

The Downside Of Anesthetics

Along with menthol, many throat lozenges and cough drops have a numbing ingredient in them which helps you to ease the pain and discomfort that can come with a sore or irritated throat. 

The popular numbing ingredient used in these candies is benzocaine, which you want to avoid as a performer for a reason that isn't known well enough in the singing community, so I want to spread the news!

The numbing isn't anything that is going to damage your voice automatically, but the connection we have with feeling our throats and voice box while we perform is critical for not overworking our body, which is referred to as vocal fatigue.

When we overuse our voice by speaking, singing, or shouting for too long a period of time, the muscles in our larynx can get tired and irritated to the point of causing dryness, irritation, and possibly pain.

Related Post: What To Eat Before Singing

Throat Lozenge Suggestions

While most of the products on the market have some form of menthol or benzocaine, there are several more natural options available out there that won't have any negative side effects when it comes to your singing voice. 

Here are three suggestions I have for you if you don't want to overuse or dry your throat out. Keep in mind that some of these brands have a wide different variety of options, so they may have a more natural pack and a menthol pack. Always look at the ingredients! 

Wedderspoon Organic Manuka Honey Drops, Honey & Echinacea, 20 Count (Pack of 1) | Genuine New Zealand Honey | Perfect Remedy For Dry Throats

• ORGANIC COUGH DROPS: Wedderspoon Manuka Honey Soothing Drops include Echinacea which promotes immune health; Honey is excellent for dry throats, and they taste great; 20 drops
• SOOTHE YOUR THROAT WITH MANUKA: Delicious Manuka Honey Drops treat your dry, irritated throat by coating it with this time-tested recipe, still crafted with care in small batches in New Zealand
• NATURAL, CLEAN INGREDIENTS: Organic cane sugar, organic manuka honey, organic brown rice syrup, echinacea; WARNING: Those allergic to bees, honey or bee products may experience allergic reactions
• NEW ZEALAND HONEY: When you purchase Wedderspoon Honey products, be assured you are buying high-quality Organic Manuka Honey; Wedderspoon bees forage free-range-style and feast on the nectar of wild Manuka blossoms
• MADE WITH MANUKA HONEY: Manuka Honey is nature's superfood and is know for its immunity and other health and wellness benefits. Organic Manuka Honey is rare and perfect for soothing a dry, scratchy throat.

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Beekeeper's Naturals Soothing Honey Ginger Lemon Cough Drops - Immune Support with Vitamin D, Zinc and Propolis Throat Soothing Lozenges, 14 Ct

• NATURAL COUGH DROPS: Not your average cough drops, these propolis lozenges are made with powerful ingredients, like raw honey, propolis, ginger, lemon extract, Vitamin D and zinc, that promote immune health while soothing dry, scratchy throats. (And they taste great, too.)
• CLEAN & NATURAL INGREDIENTS: Our propolis lozenges only contain 1 gram of sugar and have absolutely no refined sugars! Formulated with nature-sourced ingredients, these cough drops do not contain any unnecessary additives like maltodextrin, glucose syrup, soy lecithin, or artificial dyes and flavors.
• IMMUNE SUPPORT LOZENGES: Clean, effective remedies that are backed by science. Made with highly concentrated bee propolis, zinc and Vitamin D to support your immune system on the go.
• CLEAN COUGH DROPS POWERED BY NATURE: Our delicious natural cough drops are formulated with clean ingredients from the hive and nature! Ginger Lemon Lozenges are cough drops that help soothe a scratchy throat while supporting overall immune health.
• INGREDIENTS: Honey, Vitamin D3, Zinc, Bee Propolis Extract, Ginger Root Extract, Ginger Extract, Lemon Extract, Chicory Root Extract, Tapioca Syrup, Citric acid
• Product packaging may vary as we refreshed our packaging and are currently transitioning between old and new packaging. Our ingredients & formula that you know and love remain the same!

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Sore Throat Lozenges with Pectin by Smith Brothers (Warming Apple Pie, 90 Count): Vintage Candy Throat Drops - The Original American Cough Drop

• This classic combination of apple and cinnamon along with the active ingredient pectin (a soluble fiber found in most plants), provides soothing warm relief for your sore throat.
• Warm apple pie flavored soothing throat drops
• Pack of three 30-count bags (for a total of 90 throat drops)
• Contains Effective Active Ingredient Pectin (Fiber Extracted from Fruits)
• The Smith Brothers have been bringing their version of soothing comfort into American homes since 1847. Now the best of both worlds have merged into a new creation of the Smith Brothers, Warm Apple Pie Throat Drops!

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Alternatives To Throat Lozenges

Tea can be healthy and soothing for us singers with dry throats. The only downside to tea is that the caffeine found in common flavors can dry you out, just like menthol.

See my list below has six caffeine-free teas for you to choose from. Try one or try a few to have some variety in your life!

6 Of The Best Teas For Singing

Throat sprays can also work well as long as you know what to avoid. The good ingredients you want to look for in sprays may include water, glycerin, herbs, and other natural-based extracts.

Just like the other products, many throat sprays have the same ingredients you want to look for and some you want to avoid. You want to make sure your throat spray does not contain alcohol or menthol.

7 Of The Best Vocal Sprays For Your Singing Voice

And lastly, two of the best ways to fight back against a dry throat are to drink tons of water and rest your voice before your upcoming performance. 

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