Remedies

From Antivist

Revision as of 17:13, 20 August 2007

Insect Bites

• Use a cotton ball to dab mosquito and other bug bites with white vinegar straight from the bottle.
• Rub some onion juice on the bite. Smells, but works!

Bee Stings

• Combine a little baking soda and water to form a paste...dab on bite.

Insect Repellents

• Tie a sheet of dryer sheets through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.
• Make a solution of mint oil and rubbing alcohol, place in a spray bottle and spray yourself before any outings, the mint acts as a natural deterrent for most insects.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Dilute one part to five parts and use an effective antiseptic wash to heal sores. For bad wounds, soak a gauze bandage in the solution and leave overnight.

Burnt Toast

Burnt toast contains charcoal, which is useful to relieving intestinal wind pain.

Fresh Ginger Root

For very tired and aching muscles and joints, grate some fresh Ginger root, then place in a clean handkerchief or muslin cloth and squeeze out the juice. Add the same amount of vegetable oil and massage into the sore areas until the skin is warm and pink. Applying before bed will help prevent disturbed sleep.

Gingernut Biscuits

Because these contain ginger, they are ideal to munch on before or during a long car or boat trip to help prevent nausea. Also good for dogs that get carsick. If you make your own, add extra Ginger.

Grated Apple

This is said to be great for relieving constipation, nausea and diarrhea.

Potatoes

Grate up a raw potato and apply the juice to soothe sunburn, cysts, inflammation, and swellings.

Cabbage Leaves

To treat sprains and bruises, crush dry cabbage leaves with a rolling pin or bottle. Put them in position over affected area and secure with a bandage. Replace with fresh crushed leaves every two hours and watch the swelling and redness disappear.

Aloe Vera Plants

Snap off a piece of an Aloe Vera plant, open up and use the gel inside as an effective cooler and healer of nappy rash. It's also good for helping to heal wounds, cuts, scraps, dry skin, sunburn and acne in teenagers. The older outer leaves are the most potent.

Baking Soda

Throw a handful into your a bath regularly to help prevent thrush. Baking Soda in the bath is also helpful to help ease itchy or hot sunburn, insect bites or hives, as well as chicken pox and measles.

A teaspoon full can be added to a glass of lemonade or warm water and drunk as a quick anti-acid.

Add a small amount to your shampoo and it will help strip your hair of build-up leaving you with shiny hair.

For smelly shoes, place a teaspoon full inside their shoes and leave overnight. Next morning, shake it out, and the smell should leave with the baking soda.

Peppermint Essence

This is good for reliving itchy bites in children as it smells better than commercial products, doesn't sting and really works.

Cornflour

This is useful for more than just making your own gravies. It is a great cure for diaper rash. Just sprinkle some on and you should notice an improvement by the next diaper change.

Honey

Spread a small amount of honey on a little piece of bread and put 'honey side down' onto an infected wound, ulcer or a boil. The honey acts as a drawing ointment helping to clean it out.

Honey is good for your skin (especially your neck area) when it becomes dry. Apply, leave for half an hour, and then rinse off in the shower.

Tea Tree Oil

Add a small amount to your bottle of family conditioner, and this is said to prevent head lice being contacted, as the lice are repelled by it.

White Vinegar

White Vinegar is another one of those products that has many different uses. One use is helping to heal the pain of a burn. Put some white vinegar liberally on a piece of cotton wool and dab the burnt area. The same can be done for sunburn.

Some vinegar added to a bath with no other oils or bubble bath added, can be valuable in providing relief from eczema, psoriasis or dermatitis. To make your hair soft and shiny, add a glass of vinegar to your final hair rinse.

Remedies for Cold and Flu

Lemons:Mixed with a little honey and hot water, lemons help soothe sore throats. For fevers, my grandmother used to squeeze a little lemon juice in a dish of cold water and apply it to my forehead with a washcloth. It is also gives you some added vitamin C to help your immune system.

Honey: Excellent for sore throats and coughs. You can take it plain, one teaspoonful at a time or mix it with some hot water and lemon.

Garlic:One of my favorite cough and cold remedies involves garlic. Chop and peel five garlic cloves. Cover with a half a cup of honey. Mix in a little cayenne pepper or ginger. Let sit for at least an hour. Take one teaspoonful as needed.

Cayenne pepper: Used in small amounts, cayenne pepper helps your immune system. Add it to food or make the garlic/honey recipe. It also helps keep you warm if you have a chill.

Chamomile tea: Chamomile is commonly used to help you relax and sleep. It is also good for stomach problems and fevers. Don't use if you are allergic to ragweed. Also don't use in large amounts if you are pregnant (more than two cups a day). image Peppermint tea: This is one of my favorite herbs to use, especially when my sinuses are all blocked up. You can either drink it, or put a few tea bags in your bath water. Don't use in large amounts if pregnant.

Ginger: One of my favorite teas to drink when I feel chilled and tired from a cold or the flu is ginger tea. Cut off a one-inch piece of the fresh root and peel it. Grate it into a mug and pour one cup of boiling water. Let it stand for five minutes. You can season it with honey if you want. This is also a good tea for stomach problems.

Thyme: This is one of my favorite herbs to use when I have a cough. To use, prepare a tea with one cup of the dried herb and one cup hot water. Let it steep for fifteen minutes. Strain out the herb and sweeten with honey if needed. Store it in the refrigerator and take one teaspoon every hour as needed. Only use this remedy for a day or two.

Oregano:This is also used for coughs and colds. Prepare it the same way as thyme.

Sage: Sage is a classic sore throat remedy. Prepare the same as thyme and oregano. You can either drink it or gargle with it depending on your preference. Sage is also good for fevers. Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a remedy that may help your immune system. Add small amounts of the powder to food. You can also add the powder or a cinnamon stick to an herbal tea.