Homesteader Depot

Tag: natural medicine

  • 8 Extremely Natural Ways to Treat a Rash

    8 Extremely Natural Ways to Treat a Rash

     

    Rashes can be at the least, inconvenient, and at the worst incredibly painful.  There is any number of reasons a rash may appear.  Allergies, toxic plants, and illnesses are the main categories, but within those, especially allergies, it can sometimes be impossible to figure out why the rash is happening.

    Please note, if a rash progresses rapidly, appear for no external reason, or it accompanied by other symptoms like sinus or chest congestion or trouble breathing this may be a sign of a severe allergy.  In these cases, you should seek medical treatment and work with your doctor to identify the catalyst.

    For temporary issues, like heat rash or mild poison ivy, natural remedies can be used to relieve symptoms and help the skin heal more quickly.

    Related Article:  Identifying and Understanding Poison Ivy

    Aloe Vera

    This plant in the succulent family contains anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory compounds that make it a great all-purpose skin ointment.  Use for rashes, burns and other skin irritations to relieve symptoms and accelerate the healing process.

     

    Apple Cider Vinegar

    Raw, organic apple cider vinegar like Braggs is a common home remedy for lots of ailments, including rashes.  Dap the diluted vinegar over the affected area with cotton or a soft, clean cloth.

     

    Baking Soda

    Add 1 Tablespoon baking soda to 3 tablespoons water or coconut oil to use as an ointment to help dry out a skin rash and relieve itching and inflammation.  To use, apply daily and let sit for a few minutes and then rinse off.  Avoid leaving the soda on the rash for an extended period.  This could lead to over-drying or other irritation.

     

    Chamomile

    Chamomile relieves the itching rashes cause and soothes the skin.  It also has anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antifungal compounds that help ward off complications during the healing process.

    Soak a paper towel or soft, clean cloth cooled, steeped chamomile tea and applied to the areas 2-3 times a day.

    Coriander aka Cilantro

    Also a good source of anti-inflammatory and antiseptic compounds, Coriander can be an effective treatment for rashes and other skin irritations.

    Make a paste from fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves.  Mix in a little olive or coconut oil to make it easier to apply.  Apply the mixture to the rash areas 1-2 times a day.

     

    Oatmeal

    Oatmeal is a great go-to for any type of skin irritation including rashes and burns.  If you only have “Old Fashioned Oats” put a cup of dry oatmeal through the blend cycle of your food processor or blender to get a finely ground consistency.  Add the ground oatmeal to a warm (not hot) bath and soak for 15-20 minutes.  Rinse with cool water in the shower and pat dry.  Apply a layer of coconut or olive oil to moisturize your skin without causing more irritation to the rash.

    For rashes in the facial area, mix equal amounts of the ground oatmeal with olive oil, coconut oil or honey and apply.

     

    Oil and Honey

    The vitamin E and antioxidants in olive oil and coconut oil assists in the healing process and aids in skin renewal.  Used by itself topically or combined with honey for extra soothing and anti-bacterial benefits, apply several times a day until the skin has healed.

    Suggest Article: 5 Wonderfully Natural Remedies to Treat Dry Skin

    Oil and Turmeric

    Out of honey?  Add a pinch of turmeric from your spice rack into oil or coconut oil.  Similar to honey, turmeric has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory compounds that will help soothe the rash and reduce itching as it heals.

     

    Keep Your Pantry Stocked, and You’re Good to Go

    Try each method to see which ones work best for you, then make sure you have the preferred items in stock for easy and natural relief treatment of your next rash.

     

    Would you like to learn more alternative medicines?  Click here>>>

     

  • 5 Wonderfully Natural Remedies to Fight Dry Skin

    5 Wonderfully Natural Remedies to Fight Dry Skin

    Dry skin can be extremely uncomfortable to those who suffer from it chronically.  From cold weather to medications that bring about this most inconvenient side effect, it can sometimes feel daunting while trying to find a solution and get relief.

    Fortunately, there are some natural remedies that may be the answer you’ve been looking for.

     

    Avocados

    This wonderful fruit (yep, it’s in the pear family) is packed with Vitamin E plus Omega-3 fatty acids.  It’s a very popular ingredient for people who suffer from chronic dry skin.

     

    How to Use Avocados

    Cut the avocado in half and scoop out the pulp. Using a fork, mash the pulp into a paste.  Mix in 2 Tbsp of raw honey. Apply to all the areas you want to treat and let it sit for 20 minutes.

    Wipe the paste off with a clean and damp cloth and then rinse with lukewarm water.

     

    Coconut Oil

    This substance is amazing.  You can cook with it, use it as a make-up remover and nighttime face cream.  You can also use it as a dry skin treatment.

     

    How to Use Coconut Oil

    Just before you shower, rub a small amount of oil between your hands to warm and soften it. Massage the coconut oil into your skin, applying more as needed.

    Let it sit for at least 10 minutes, then shower as normal.

     

    Honey

    Honey isn’t just a great tasting ingredient to add to food, its antioxidant, humectant, and antimicrobial features also make it a very effective moisturizer.  Not only will it help you rehydrate your skin, those same antimicrobial agents will help soothe skin that has become irritated from scratching.

     

    How to Use Honey

    Immediately before you shower, massage raw honey over your body using circular motions.  Let it sit on your skin for at least ten minutes then shower as usual.

    Do this every time you shower, and you should experience relief quickly.

    Olive Oil

    This main staple of many a chef’s kitchen is packed with antioxidant properties.  These properties make it an excellent choice to fight off dry skin.

     

    How to Use It Olive Oil

    Rub a few tablespoons of oil between your hands to warm it up.  Apply it to the areas you want to treat, massaging it in circular motions. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Shower as usual then pat dry and apply a light moisturizer.

    Suggested Article: 8 Amazing Uses for Tea Tree Oil

    Yogurt

    Yogurt not only hydrates your skin, it soothes the itchiness often accompanying it.  Additionally, the lactic acid helps remove dead skin cells to improve your skin’s tone and texture.

     

    How to Use Yogurt

    Just before you shower, apply plain yogurt directly to the area you want to treat.

    Massage it into your skin and let it sit for at least 10 minutes.

    Shower as usual.

     

    One More Technique for the Road

    If you like the idea of doing a “deep conditioning” treatment on your body once a week and don’t mind being really oily for the night, consider this. Using one of the oils listed above, I prefer coconut, right before bed take a shower or bath.

    Then, WITHOUT DRYING OFF, apply a generous layer of oil to your entire body.  Let it soak in for 20-30 minutes as you air dry slightly, then “wrap” yourself up in a pair of full coverage pajamas or long-sleeved nightgown.  Add socks to keep the oil on your feet then head to bed.

    As you sleep the oil will not only hold in more of the water that soaked in as you showered, it will soak in itself leaving you super soft to the touch the next day.

    Now go raid your pantry and fridge!

    The Medicine Chest — how to deal with a disaster using alternative medicine. Check it out here>>>

  • Home Remedies Only Mother Nature Could Come Up With

    Home Remedies Only Mother Nature Could Come Up With

    Even with modern science, many home remedies are even more effective than their commercial alternatives. If you prefer to save the commercial remedies for more severe symptoms, learning some simple home remedies will make you feel better while they make your family feel better.

    Whether you choose to cultivate them in your garden or forage for them, medicinal plants and oils have been successfully used for millennia.  In fact, some of them have been used as far back as ancient Egyptian times.

    Marsh Mallow

    Treats inflammations and irritations of the respiratory mucous membranes and urinary membranes. On the outside, you can apply it to bruises, aching muscles, insect bites, splinters, and sprains.

    Aloe Vera

    Well known for its ability to relieve skin irritations like burns and sunburns as well as cuts and other inflammation, Aloe Vera sap can also be ingested to help with digestive problems, chronic constipation, and ulcerative colitis.

    Pot Marigold

    On the outside, you can use pot marigold for bites, stings, sore eyes, and sprains. On the inside, it can treat chronic infection and fevers.

    Chamomile

    In addition to being great for stress relief and helping you sleep, it can also be used for toothaches, earaches, and neuralgia.

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    Chinese Yam

    This sweet tasting option is great for calming your stomach, as well as counteracts tiredness, helps with weight loss, poor digestion, asthma, and even emotional issues. Used as a balm, it can treat skin ulcers, abscesses and boils.

    Echinacea

    We could have a home remedy list without including this immune booster.  In addition to helping you fight off whatever bug is making its way around the office, it can also be used topically for stings and bites.

    Siberian Ginseng

    Use this herb as a preventative measure for, well, almost everything.  Its properties can be used to help:

    • Angina
    • Anti-Inflammatory
    • Geriatric Debility
    • High Cholesterol
    • Improves Memory
    • Increases Endurance
    • Insomnia
    • Menopausal Problems
    • Mental Stress
    • Physical Stress
    • Bone Marrow Suppression (due to radiation and chemotherapy)

    Related Article: 5 Natural Medicines You Are Unaware of

    Tea Tree Essential Oil

    Look at any label for a natural remedy; there is a good chance one of the ingredients listed will be tea tree oil.  Nicknamed the “medicine cabinet in a bottle,” it can be used dozens of ways.  We’ve narrowed the list down to just over sixty, but there are many more. If you can only keep one thing handy in your first aid kit, this would be your one. So, without further ado, away we go, you can use tea tree oil for:

    1. Abrasions
    2. Acne
    3. Allergies
    4. Arthritis
    5. Asthma
    6. Athletes Foot
    7. Bacterial Infections
    8. Bad Breath
    9. Bladder Infection
    10. Blisters
    11. Boils
    12. Bronchitis
    13. Bruises
    14. Bunions
    15. Burns
    16. Calluses/Corns
    17. Canker Sores
    18. Carbuncles
    19. Chapped Lips
    20. Chicken Pox
    21. Insect Bites
    22. Cold Sores
    23. Coughs
    24. Dandruff
    25. Dermatitis
    26. Dry Skin
    27. Eczema
    28. Emphysema
    29. Fungus
    30. Gout
    31. Gum Disease
    32. Hives
    33. Homemade Mouthwash
    34. Immune System Booting
    35. Inflammation
    36. Insect Repellant
    37. Jock Itch
    38. Laryngitis
    39. Muscle Aches/Pains
    40. Nail Fungus
    41. Psoriasis
    42. Rashes
    43. Rheumatism
    44. Ringworm
    45. Rubella
    46. Scabies
    47. Sciatica
    48. Seborrhea
    49. Shingles
    50. Shock
    51. Sinusitis
    52. Sore Muscles
    53. Sore Throat
    54. Staph Infection
    55. Sunburn
    56. Thrush
    57. Tonsillitis
    58. Vaginal Infection
    59. Viral Infections
    60. Warts

    Final Words…

    Keep in mind that the information above should not take the place of advice from a doctor, especially for serious illnesses or infection.  Additionally, some natural remedies can have adverse reactions if mixed with prescription or over the counter meds.  If you are thinking of starting a supplement or are taking a prescription, check with your doctor to see what you should avoid preventing any harmful side effects.

    How to make the Lost Samurai Superfood>>>

  • 5 Natural Medicines You Need to Know

    5 Natural Medicines You Need to Know

    More and more people are turning to natural remedies, especially for day-to-day injuries and ailments.  The concept of antibiotics goes back well before the discovery of penicillin.  In fact, some of the natural medications used most have good antibiotic properties.

    Whether you are suffering from a cut or scrape, or a classic cold, flu, earache, or UTI there are remedies that can assist your body in getting rid of it and getting you back on your feet.

    Natural Aspirin

    The most commonly talked about Salicylic Acid, or natural aspirin, is Willow Bark.  Used for thousands of years, modern-day aspirin was originally produced using the herbs Meadowsweet and Willow Bark, then synthesized later. The problem is, when natural ingredients are copied and created in a lab then sold as a drug, they often create side-effects that natural sources won’t.

    But, before you start a collection of Willow Bark or Meadowsweet to use during your next headache, check out this surprising list of foods and other sources that naturally contain this amazing compound:

    Apples

    Avocados

    Blueberries

    Broccoli

    Cauliflower

    Cherries

    Chili peppers

    Cucumbers

    Eggplant

    Grapefruit

    Grapes

    Kiwi

    Licorice, the herb (Not the Twizzler)

    Paprika

    Peaches

    Plums

    Radishes

    Raspberries

    Spinach

    Strawberries

    Turmeric

    Zucchini

    Can I just say, WOW!

    Honey

    Every version of pure honey has natural antibiotics as well as a number of other healing benefits. Honey has also been used for several millennia worldwide to fight infections. We now know it is effective against over 200 strains of bacteria. You can use it internally to fight off many of these or use it topically in the place of store-bought antiseptic for small wounds and skin infections.

    Also, Read This:  “Honey Vinegar Cough Medicine”

    The best source of honey is raw, local honey, like the kind sold at your local farmer’s market.  Local honey will also aid in building up a resistance to local hay fever allergens as well.

    Ginger

    Fresh ginger has antibiotic properties.  It’s especially good against foodborne pathogens like Salmonella and Listeria, used as a tea with lemon and honey, it’s great for fighting again a cold or even the flu. Ginger is also an excellent anti-inflammatory that can aid in the relief of inflammation issues like arthritis and asthma.

    Raw Garlic

    Also a good defender and fighter against colds and the flu, garlic has been used for ages to remedy fungal infections, UTI’s, and intestinal parasites. The Allicin in garlic even has the ability to kill viruses that are prone to becoming immune to prescription antibiotics.

    Unfortunately, cooking garlic will kill Allicin, negating these healing properties, so you’ll have to use it raw.  Whether you choose to peel it and cut it into small pieces to swallow pill style or mash it up with some honey, raw garlic is a great way to stay healthy during cold and flu season.  Just keep some breath mints, or fresh mint, on hand.

    Related Article: Home Remedies Only Mother Nature Could Come Up With

    Turmeric

    Turmeric is not only tasty but it is good medicine. It will strengthen your immune system and destroys bacteria that leads to disease.  This spice is also great for the stomach in a number of ways that will cleanse and balance our systems. Turmeric is another multi-talented herb that is a good antibiotic as well as an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent.

    Buy it or Grow it

    Thanks to the rise of urban and suburban organic farms, these items are becoming more and more easily obtained.  If you’re into DIY, try growing some of these options your own in a garden or on your kitchen window sill in decorative pots.  You can even start your own Bee Colony for the “most local” honey possible.  This will almost guarantee you’ll have what you need when you need it.