Your Top 5 Home Remedies....

Ramona

A penny - or Plantain?

Hi Canid ~

I have never heard of using a penny - if you do, make sure it's thoroughly washed, as coins are notorious for carrying lots of germs. :)
Maybe it's the copper that in the old days did have some healing power?.. but pennies are not made of copper anymore, are they?

For a bee or wasp sting, if you don't carry a "Benadryl" pen stick with you (I do), and you are outside, then grab a Plantain leaf (Plantago major), crush it to release the juice and apply it to the stung area. This will lessen the pain and swelling right away.
If you know that the person is allergic to insect stings/bites, bring him or her to the Emergency ward right away without delay. Better be safe than sorry.

I also use other herbs for allergies: Evening Primrose leaves contain a huge quantity of Quercitin, a potent anti-allergy chemical, among other things. Then there's Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla) French Tarragon and Stinging Nettle, which all contain the anti-allergy property. I take the above because I can't take the other herbs that are REALLY anti-allergy powerful, due to my hypo-thyroidism. These are:
Wild Oregano, Basil, Rosemary, and Thyme.
There you go - herbal lesson of the day!

:)
Cheers
Ramona

canid said:
Here's an odd one - for bee or wasp stings, tape a penny over it. Not really a 'natural', I know, but it really does work.
 

beginner

Ramona said:
I don't know about you, but I would never put salt on a burn! OUCH! Introducing a foreign irritant to an open wound, and one that hurts already, would only make things much worse.
A burn requires that you cool off the area immediately, so lukewarm water is the way to go. I use an Aloe vera leaf, cut length wise to release the inner healing juice and I apply it gently to the burned area. For severe burns, see a medical practitioner. For mild burns, use Aloe. The pain and heat sensation will lessen immediately after the application. If the burn is serious enough, apply an antibiotic cream to prevent infection. To me, the scarring issue is less of a priority than relieving the pain in a natural and non-intrusive way.

The above also applies to cuts, abrasions, sunburn, chafing and other skin irritations. Use Aloe, Mother Nature's skin-healing medicine.

Ramona

lol i know it would burn more ! but isn't a little more of burn better than have a permanent scar !
 

willoe

beginner said:
lol i know it would burn more ! but isn't a little more of burn better than have a permanent scar !

Not at all!

Not to mention, if you give the burn proper care and aftercare, you're less likely to develop serious scar tissue. (This of course, will vary from person to person. Some people develop scars very easily and some do not. I've been badly burnt on multiple occasions in the same place, and looking now, you'd never be able to tell. And even serious scar tissue will fade with time and care.)
 

celticnoodle

I just recently found out that green tea is great for burns. it's great for a lot of things. acne, weight loss, burns (as just mentioned) and sheesh---more too.

i have rosacea and occasionally have bad outbreaks, not to mention having red blotchy skin just about all the time. :rolleyes: so, i was looking up a natural remedy for it in addition to the aloe and chamomile i use.

now, i don't really like the taste of green tea, but i found a site that says you could brew the tea and submerge a washcloth into it, to soak up all the liquid and place that on the affected area. so, now, cannot wait to get to the store where i can get fresh green tea!!! could kick myself, as i had green tea and because i didn't like the taste gave it to my sister (who loves it!) a month ago! :rolleyes:
 

Caedryn

Elastoplast has some excellent stuff for burns and to prevent scarring...which is very important for bad burns which can later give a lot of pain due to the scar tissue.

My wife uses Oil of Olay Intense Hydrating cream for rosacea, and it works very well to give the skin an even normal tone of skin, and to take away irritations.

~ C
 

autumn star

crushed Asprin - mixed with a tiny amount of water or honey is great for breakouts or pimples - it reduces inflammation & redness :) Use it as a face mask for 20 mins or so.
 

The crowned one

A mixture, or separate of fresh squeezed lemons ( 2 or 3) wash it down with as much water as you need. a whole garlic head, baked in olive oil, eat them all ( they just squuze out and taste wonderful when baked, and 2 two 3 oz of Good single mail...will stop a cold in its tracks by morning.

Tryptophan or its precurseer 5-HTP( thou I do not feel as effective), leading to both Serotonin and Melatonin for sleep and more importantly: clear thought without emotional pain. Absolutly natural and effective. ( I last needed it at 21 years of age and the angst of love lost LOL , but boy did it give me peace and clarilty)

So I have 3 more to add...but not tonight.
 

linnie

similar ideas...

willoe said:
Y'all this is a great thread!

Here are some of the things I use:

- aloe vera gel. everywhere. I use it to style my (curly) hair, shave my legs (no cuts!), put on my skin. it's fantastic. I use the fruit of the earth brand, and it's pure aloe very gel.

- I make a hair gel out of whole flax seeds. great for moisturizing and adding shine. I can put up the recipe if anyone is interested.

- honey goes everywhere! on my face, in my hair (shine! but watch out- it's a humectant!) and in almost all of my food.

- if you use local honey, it will help with allergies

- tea tree oil is a natural antimicrobial, and is excellent for skin massage. Don't use on broken skin!

- jojoba oil and vitamin E oil are fantastic makeup removers, and they leave your skin and eyelashes soft and lush.

- I use a spray of purified water, two drops of honey, a few drops of sweet orange essential oil, and few drops of vitamin e along with a good few pumps of aloe vera. It's an all-over energizer spray.

- zinc taken once a day will help keep your immune system in top shape

- putting a piece of potato on your forehead relieves minor headaches

- taking iron or eating iron-filled veggies helps reduce restless leg syndrome (but be careful- too much iron is VERY BAD for you)


Aloe vera for sunburn... I know a family who get burnt every year... Doh!!! and they have now planted a 'pup' of our aloe plant where they holiday. Just pick a leaf off the living plant and squeeze the juice out... I would prefer, of course, that they didn't get sunburnt at all! Aloe is a tough plant and lots of people could have one near their back door. Some people drink the juice, but I tried it, and decided it wasn't for me. :)

I use tea tree oil for lots of things... and I do use it on open skin... it stings, but it stops bacteria in it's tracks! Whenever someone has the hint of a blind pimple or a cold sore, dap on the tea tree oil! :)

I agree with earlier comment re needing to cool burns down quickly... that's essentail first aid... but lavender oil is great for minor burns.

Mouthfuls of fresh parsley and celery eaten regularly are good for helping to reduce hypertension... if I remember to eat it often enough, it really helps!

For really savage biting ants (up this way, called "jumping ants" and they are mean), kitchen detergent, straight from your sink, slapped on generously, helps more than many expensive specialty creams and potions. Or... vinegar tipped all over your head etc if stung by a wasp also helps.

And... a small amount of Clove Bud oil in a bucket of water keeps mould down, and is so much easier to live with than bleach, by whatever name it is marketed! :)
 

linnie

ooops...

oh, the whole reason I quoted Willoe was about honey... honey is great in the way described by Willoe... Also, if you dip the ends of plant cuttings (you know, when you want to make a new plant from another one) in honey, it prevents infection, so the plant grows healthily. You can also dip the plant cuttings in water that has had Weeping Willow stems soaking in it for a while... and that will stimulate the plant's new root system. :)
 

willoe

I forgot about asprin masks! I love those, they leave my face nice and even and toned.

I've read about oil-cleansing.. it's a natural way of cleaning your face with, you guessed it, oil. Sounds counter-intuitive, but here's the basic idea:

Oil dissolves oil and things trapped in oils without stripping your face.

Most people like to use castor oil (which draws impurities and "plugs" out of the skin) and another, moisturizing oil mixed with it to give your skin a healthy glow. I've seen olive, safflower, sunflower and almond oils recommended. It seems that the most popular combination was 75/25 of sunflower and castor. Some people find that castor oil's drawing properties are too much for thier skin and just use a gentle oil (almond, safflower) to cleanse. (There are others you can use, and a scale on which they're graded as to how likely they are to give you breakouts/acne. One of those scales can be found here: http://www.zerozits.com/Articles/acnedetect.htm#inglist )

Be aware that you will go through a purge phase. It's your skin getting rid of stuff that's been under there for a while. It will be uncomfortable, but if you are really serious about clearing up your skin, this is one to try.

The procedure is this:

(Procedure taken from http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com )

- You'll need a soft washcloth, your oil blend, and hot, running water.

- Pour a generous puddle of oil into the palm of your hand. Roughly, the size of a quarter, but more is acceptable. Rub your hands together to warm the oil and smooth over your face.

- Begin massaging the oil into your face. This will remove makeup, dirt, and other impurities, so there is no need to use a makeup remover or wash your face prior to the massage. I've found that this removes even my stubborn waterproof mascara and concealor.

- Using slow, firm motions across the skin, massage the oil deeply into your pores. Take your time and focus on your problem areas. You want the oil to work into your pores so that blackheads and the like can be dissolved and steamed away.

- As you're massaging, let your mind drift off to something calming and breathe deeply. Take this time to relax and release some of the stress that your body is harboring. Sit down, breathe deeply, and take your time. Give the oil enough time to work on dissolving the impurities in your pores and give yourself enough time to unwind. Picture what your face would look like if it were completely clear and free from blemishes. Focus on that image and know that it is attainable. Trust that it is attainable. Accept that it is attainable. You can have clear skin, free of blemishes and you will have clear skin, free of blemishes. Focus on perfect skin and breathe deeply.

- Once you're satisfied that your pores are saturated and you're feeling calm, pick up your washcloth and soak it in clean, steamy water. We want the water to be warm enough to open your pores and remove the oil. Cool water will not open your pores, nor will it remove the oil efficiently. We're not scalding our skin, we're steaming to coax our pores to release the oil carrying the impurities. We're essentially steaming our skin as an esthetician would, but without the luxury of a steam machine.

- Hold the washcloth to cover your face. Allow it to stay until it cools. You will feel your pores releasing the impurities. Wipe the oil gently away and rinse the washcloth well in hot, running water. Hold the washcloth to your face again, allowing it to cool. Wipe gently, rinse well, and repeat two or three more times. Avoid any temptation to scrub, as you'll find it's completely unnecessary and your skin will be soft, smooth, and free of flakes without the additional manual exfoliation and irritation that will result. Impurities, dead skin cells, and bacteria will be gently swept away.

- Have no fear of the oil, as the steamy washcloth will remove it. The Castor Oil, though it is an oil, will help with the removal of the other oils, as well. It is our main cleansing oil and is easily removed with warm water.

- If your skin feels tight, take a tiny drop of your oil blend, rub it between your clean, damp palms and pat it onto your damp skin. Gently massage any oil residue into your skin so there is no film of oil left sitting on the surface. Your skin should now glow!

It doesn't work for everyone, because everyone's skin is different, but if you want a new skincare routine, and you're tired of using harsh chemicals on your face, this is definitely one to try. :)