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Chest & Lungs

A cough is the body clearing the airway, so the aim is to make it productive rather than to silence it. Most chest congestion after a cold settles within a fortnight.

What actually helps
  • Fluids and steam, which thin mucus better than most syrups.
  • Matching the product to the cough: something to loosen a chesty one, something to calm a dry one. The wrong one does nothing.
  • Avoiding smoke, including other people's.
  • Time. Two to three weeks of a lingering cough after a virus is ordinary.

Products for this

31 products
Benylin Wet Cough ASC-Free 50ml Syrup
Benylin
Benylin Wet Cough ASC-Free 50ml Syrup
Guaifenesin (alcohol-, sugar-, colourant-free)

Trial-size expectorant free of alcohol, sugar and colourants for diabetic households.

R53.99
Borstol Cough Remedy Emulsion 50ml
Borstol
Borstol Cough Remedy Emulsion 50ml
Ammonium chloride with senega, buchu, camphor, cinchona, sulphur balsam and gum turpentine (traditional; contains alcohol)

Creamy small-format emulsion of the century-old traditional chest remedy.

R51.99
Borstol Cough Remedy Regular 100ml
Borstol
Borstol Cough Remedy Regular 100ml
Ammonium chloride 29mg/10ml with senega, buchu, camphor, cinchona, sulphur balsam and gum turpentine; ethyl alcohol 15.7% v/v

The standard bottle of the century-old ammonium chloride and herb chest remedy.

R77.99
Expigen Cough Syrup 200ml Original
Expigen
Expigen Cough Syrup 200ml Original
Sorbimacrogol laurate 36.3 mg with ammonium chloride 34 mg per 10ml

Budget surfactant expectorant syrup, alcohol- and tartrazine-free, for phlegmy coughs.

R136.99
Himalaya Septilin Syrup 200ml
Himalaya
Himalaya Septilin Syrup 200ml
Ayurvedic polyherbal complex (guggul, guduchi, licorice, amla)

Ayurvedic immune syrup for children and adults who get recurrent throat and chest infections.

R171.47
Lennon Balsem Sulphuris 20ml
Lennon
Lennon Balsem Sulphuris 20ml
Sulphurated balsam (traditional)

Traditional sulphur balsam of the Dutch shelf for chest rubs and drop doses, adults.

R41.99
Linctagon C Adult Cold & Flu Syrup 100ml
Linctagon
Linctagon C Adult Cold & Flu Syrup 100ml
Pelargonium sidoides extract with vitamin C

Pelargonium cold and flu syrup with trial evidence of shortening colds when started early.

R112.99
LungShield Immune Plus Effervescent Tabs 10
LungShield
LungShield Immune Plus Effervescent Tabs 10
Vitamin C 1000mg, black elderberry 200mg, echinacea, vitamin D3 1000IU, alpha-lipoic acid 100mg, green tea extract, ginger, zinc, vitamins A, B1, B6 and B12

Effervescent with 1000mg vitamin C, elderberry, echinacea and D3 for immune and chest support.

R117.4
Prospan Cough Effervescent 10
Prospan
Prospan Cough Effervescent 10
Ivy leaf extract EA 575

The trial-backed ivy extract as a fizzy drink for cough relief while travelling.

R114.99
Prospan Cough Liquid Menthol 100ml
Prospan
Prospan Cough Liquid Menthol 100ml
Ivy leaf extract EA 575 (Hedera helix)

Trial-backed ivy leaf cough syrup, alcohol- and sugar-free, in the standard 100ml.

R115.99
Prospan Cough Liquid Menthol 200ml
Prospan
Prospan Cough Liquid Menthol 200ml
Ivy leaf extract EA 575 (Hedera helix)

The world's best-selling ivy cough syrup with real trial evidence, family 200ml bottle.

R202.99
Prospan Lozenges 20
Prospan
Prospan Lozenges 20
Ivy leaf extract EA 575

The trialled ivy extract in pocket lozenge form for daytime cough control.

R195.99
Q-Tuss Cough Syrup 100ml
Q-Tuss
Q-Tuss Cough Syrup 100ml
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and ivy leaf (Hedera helix) liquid extracts

Thyme and ivy cough syrup, the herbal pairing with real bronchitis trials behind it.

R169.99
Relief Coff Natural 200ml
Relief
Relief Coff Natural 200ml
Ivy leaf extract (Hedera helix) 7 mg/ml

Natural ivy leaf cough syrup, the trial-backed botanical for wet and irritated coughs.

R200.99
Revite Eucalyptus Oil 100% 20ml
Revite
Revite Eucalyptus Oil 100% 20ml
Eucalyptus oil 100% (cineole)

Pure eucalyptus oil for steam bowls and diluted chest rubs; store away from children.

R34.99
Sinupret Plus 20 Tablets
Sinupret
Sinupret Plus 20 Tablets
Gentian, primula, sorrel, elder and verbena (BNO extract)

Five-herb sinusitis tablets with trial evidence of helping blocked sinuses drain.

R231.99
Sinupret Syrup 100ml
Sinupret
Sinupret Syrup 100ml
Gentian, primula, sorrel, elder and verbena (BNO extract)

The five-herb sinus-drainage formula in child-friendly syrup form.

R151.99
Vicks Actaplus Wet + Dry 200ml
Vicks
Vicks Actaplus Wet + Dry 200ml
Holy basil, liquorice, turmeric, ginger, tailed pepper, aloe vera and levomenthol (ayurvedic extracts)

Ayurvedic herbal soothing syrup for wet and dry coughs, family-size non-drowsy bottle.

R122.99
Vicks Actaplus Wet + Dry 50ml
Vicks
Vicks Actaplus Wet + Dry 50ml
Holy basil, liquorice, turmeric, ginger, tailed pepper, aloe vera and levomenthol (ayurvedic extracts)

Trial-size ayurvedic herbal syrup that soothes wet and dry coughs without drowsiness.

R46.99
Vicks Vaporub 100g
Vicks
Vicks Vaporub 100g
Camphor 52.5mg, menthol 28.2mg and eucalyptus oil 13.5mg per gram

The century-old camphor-menthol night rub that helps sick households sleep, full jar.

R117.99
Vicks Xtra Strong Syrup 100ml
Vicks
Vicks Xtra Strong Syrup 100ml
Holy basil, liquorice, turmeric, ginger, tailed pepper, aloe and levomenthol (ayurvedic extracts)

Starter bottle of the icier high-menthol herbal cough syrup.

R105.99
Vicks Xtra Strong Syrup 200ml
Vicks
Vicks Xtra Strong Syrup 200ml
Holy basil, liquorice, turmeric, ginger, tailed pepper, aloe and levomenthol (ayurvedic extracts)

High-menthol tier of the ayurvedic herbal syrup in the family bottle.

R162.99
Woods Great Peppermint Cure 100ml
Woods
Woods Great Peppermint Cure 100ml
Peppermint-based cough formulation — VERIFY LABEL

The century-old sharp peppermint cough liquid Southern Africa asks for by name.

R74.99