We always see a big surge in purchases of vocal health products during the winter as singers struggle with colds and other ailments which affect the voice. With so many possible sprays and lozenges on the market it can be difficult to decide which to use. We currently have all the remedies below in stock available for delivery this week. Have a read through and see which will work best for you.
Which is the best throat spray for you?
Some vocal coaches would tell you that if you are singing properly “you don’t need that stuff at all.” We agree, so long as you are completely healthy, fully warmed up, hydrated, have no bad singing habits and do not sing in an air conditioned environment. When professional performers such as Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty), Joss Stone, Sting and Paul Carrick (Mike & the Mechanics) use vocal sprays, you can see that getting a little extra help makes a lot of sense.
These guidelines explain the timing and primary characteristic of the products we carry at Sweeter Singing. They are designed to help you work out which product is best suited for your needs as well as show how they work together. We’ve put this together from the experience of students in studios, live events, countless testimonials from customers and personal testing/experience with each product. Of course, everyone is unique and results may vary. A singer, performer, teacher or speaker can use all or part of this regimen depending on the symptoms.
BEFORE SINGING - About an hour before dissolve a sugar free Slippery Elm Lozenge in your mouth. This coats and helps protect your throat from performance abuse. FDA approved as an over-the-counter, Thayers Slippery Elm Lozenges are also great for indigestion and acid reflux sufferers and help maintain a healthy instrument and throat.
We would also recommend that you warm your voice up thoroughly using a series of warm-up and vocalisation exercises.
About 10 minutes before singing, 2-3 squirts of ClearVoice or Singer’s Saving Grace® throat sprays will help clear your throat of excess mucus that could adversely affect tonality. You want to give enough time to get the loosened mucus clear. These sprays have ingredients that encourage the opening if the air passageway and have others such as aloe that help protect your instrument during performance by providing pliability. We have found great tasting Thayer’s Peppermint Spray to have a similar yet milder vapour effect.
DURING AND IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SINGING – Entertainer’s Secret or Vocal Eze are great all round throat sprays for use before and during your performance. They provide optimum hydration to your throat as well as help prevent vocal blowout due to dryness. While the others work for specific symptoms, these are good overall hydration sprays. They should be used about 3-4 times more than the others since hydration is so important. If you stay hydrated many problems may be alleviated.
Thayers Dry Mouth Spray is another great citrus or peppermint-flavored spray when used before singing. It supplements hydration by encouraging salivation during dry mouth incidences caused by stage fright or from the side effects of medications. Excellent for keeping your mouth lubricated if you suffer from stage fright dry mouth. Sufferers of sjogren’s syndrome (extreme dry mouth) also find this an excellent spray.
AFTER SINGING – Slippery Elm Lozenges also aid in the reduction of swelling and rawness in your throat and work well combating postnasal drip effects and acid reflux. We found one secret is to dissolve one in your mouth before bed. The ingredients, including Echinacea, also found in Vocaleze, Singers Saving Grace and ClearVoice can also help encourage healing the damage the performance may have done. Make sure you read label and follow manufacturer directions.
If you feel that you have overused your voice, then VocalZones are a great remedy. They are used by musicians such as Madonna, Robbie Williams, David Bowie, Tom Jones and even opera singers such as Placido Domingo and Katherine Jenkins.
Dryness, improper technique and abuse are commonly the cause of most vocal damage symptoms. Drink water. Avoid using products with alcohol or menthol; there are many products out there advertising the cure-all for the voice. Study the ingredients in all products or remedy you use and know their effects. Feel free to ask us questions. A few sprays, especially the licorice root based sprays, are very similar and preference is personal, try for yourself.
And of course, don’t forget to do a proper warm-up. The Musicademy Vocals Warm-Up download includes 26 vocals warm-up exercises. If you are looking to work your voice a little harder, try the Musicademy Advanced Vocals Work-out downloads. Over at Musicademy we’ve also got over an hour of video based warm-ups where you can see as well as hear the tutor.
Still confused?
We’d recommend VocalEze as a great all-round spray. It’s the only artist-endorsed throat spray on the market and is our best selling vocal health product.
Thanks to Scott at Just Gotta Sing for his help in putting these guidelines together.
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