Now we move onto beauty and health. You might be surprised to discover some inexpensive and environmentally-friendly ways to care for yourself. Included in this list are the old favourites bicarbonate soda (baking soda) and vinegar as well as a list of others including honey, olive oil, sea salt, ginger, cucumber, tea tree oil, aloe vera and more.
Antacid - Use about a teaspoon of baking soda in a small cup of water and drink to help reduce acid.
- Or if you don’t mind the taste try 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
Arthritis - Mix a one-inch piece of grated raw ginger with a sweetener of your choice and pour 1 cup of boiling water over the mixture. Refrigerate overnight and the next morning sift the juice and drink.
- Also for arthritis pain relief, mix 2 cups of oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for about 1 minute. When slightly cooled, apply mixture to your hands.
Burns - Apply a thick liquid paste of bicarb soda and water and pour over burn. If possible wrap up with a gauze or equivalent to protect it.
Colds & Flu - Try mixing two tablespoons of honey and one tablespoon of vinegar in a glass of warm water. Drink it 3 times a day. My mum swears by this one for helping with sore throats.
- An alternative is mixing two tablespoons of honey with lemon & 1 tablespoon vinegar mix & drink. Some may find these a little hard to drink because of the vinegar so have some sugar or chocolate handy.
Cold Sores - Make a thick paste of baking soda and water and apply to cold sores at least two times a day.
- Another option, when you feel a cold sore coming on, is holding an ice cube wrapped in fabric on it until the area is numb. The ice should kill the virus.
Constipation
- Two prunes a day keeps the laxative pills away…and keeps you regular.
Also, try licorice as a remedy for constipation.
Deodorant
- Spray or squirt (I use an eye dropper bottle) some vinegar under your arms before you shower. Vinegar gets rid of bacteria which is what causes the smell when you sweat. You’ll find you can go from shower to shower without the use of deodorant.
- Or for added protection, sprinkle or pat on pure baking soda on your armpits for a natural deodorant.
Face & Body
- Mix some bicarb soda and water in your hands to create a paste you can use as a gentle facial scrub.
- Alternatively, you can mix ordinary sugar with your normal face cleanser in the palm of your hand and apply to your face and gently scrub. Your skin will feel soft and silky.
- For a natural and inexpensive face mask, wash a cucumber and blend it in the blender. Remove the juice and add some boiling water to the remaining pulp. When the pulp has cooled apply the mask and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water and voila! No more expensive facial masks and scrubs.
- Here’s another face mask solution: whisk three egg whites until light and fluffy and apply as a mask. Leave for 10 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
- For eczema try washing your face or the affected part in the morning with vinegar.
- For a natural toner mix one-part organic apple cider vinegar with water and add two-parts green tea for its antioxidant properties.
- For a wonderful body exfoliate mix honey, almond oil or other equivalent, raw sugar (or sea salt or plain sugar or oats) and some lavender oil. Massage it on and then wash off.
- Another good body exfoliate mix is olive oil, sea salt, and an essential oil of your choice. Simply mix a cup of olive oil with just under a cup of sea salt and add some drops of essential oil. This should last about 4 or 5 weeks if you exfoliate once a week.
Feet - For eczema sufferers try soothing the skin by applying cold-pressed sesame oil.
- For tired feet try stirring 1 tablespoon of malt vinegar into a tub of plain yoghurt then rub over the feet and leave for 5 minutes, rinsing off in warm water.
- For tinea sufferers simply soak in white vinegar. As the problem is mostly fungus related the vinegar should fix the problem.
- Tea tree oil is also a proven remedy for tinea.
Fever - Cut several thin potato slices and soak them in vinegar. Wrap in a thin cotton cloth (like a handkerchief) and place on forehead. The potatoes will eventually get quite warm so turn them over and repeat the process before replacing them with new potatoes.
- This one is good for a nighttime fever remedy. Cover head and body with a sheet and sprinkle vinegar from the neck down. Then cover with blankets and this should draw out the fever. This one was a regular in my house growing up.
Hair - Use bicarb to wash you hair for really surprising results. You hair will be soft and clean and any chemical residue from shampoos will also be removed.
- Then, as a conditioner, simply use vinegar to leave your hair shiny, soft and tangle-free.
- Another conditioning treatment which some hairdressers swear by is putting cooking salt into wet hair, leaving in for about 5 seconds and washing off. Give it a go, what have you got to lose?
- For oily hair try apple cider vinegar. Mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 2 litres of water and apply to hair as the final rinse. The acid in the vinegar helps absorb excess oils in the hair.
- For problem dandruff and itchy dry scalp try vinegar. Just dampen your scalp with white vinegar and let sit for 10-15 minutes before you wash off. You’ll never go back to expensive dandruff products again.
- For another dandruff remedy take one cup of rosemary leaves (fresh or dried). Place in a glass container and fill with 1 litre of boiling water. Leave for a few hours and when it has cooled strain into a glass bottle and add around 6 drops of lavender oil, shake well and seal. You can now use this instead of your regular conditioner.
- Still another remedy for dandruff is tea-tree oil. Place some drops of oil where there is dandruff and simply let it soak in. After a few hours wash out. Dandruff should disappear in about a week of repeat use.
Headache
- As headaches are usually due to dehydration try half a teaspoon of sea salt with two litres of water in a day. The salt will encourage cells to take up water quickly. If the salt makes you nauseas you can substitute the salt for lemon with similar results.
Makeup Remover - Remove makeup easily and keep your skin moisturised at the same time by using baby oil. Place a small amount on a piece of cotton wool and just wipe off. You’ll be surprised at how easy eye makeup is removed without rubbing.
You can also substitute sunflower oil or olive oil as they both work a treat.
Insect Bites
- For itchy mosquito bites mix a thick paste of baking soda and water and apply to the bites.
- For stings and bites try the antiseptic healing properties of aloe vera (preferably straight from the plant) and honey.
- For jellyfish, stingrays and even bull ants use vinegar.
- For ant bites you can also use a plain old onion.
- Also try lavender essential oil or tea tree oil for bites.
- For bee stings try applying a paste of bicarb soda and water and cover with a bandage. This should relieve the pain.
- For itching due to insect bites try rubbing a thin slice of salted raw potato over the area.
- Witch hazel is also affective in relieving itching due to insect bites.
Insect Repellent - To keep insect away simply apply a thin coat of olive oil on the skin. It’s good for your skin and won’t come off in the water.
Mouthwash - For a natural and effective mouthwash place 2 heaped tablespoons of salt in glass of water and gargle. As well as helping breath problems this should also cure mouth infections.
Nails - Rub olive oil into dry cuticles and leave overnight.
Nasal Spray - For a natural and inexpensive nasal spray use 1 litre of tap water, preferably boiled then cooled, 3 flat teaspoons of cooking salt (do not use table salt as it has additives) and 1 flat teaspoon of bicarb soda. Store the contents in a sterilised container or an empty saline solution bottle you can get from the chemist. You can then use this to fill your nasal spray bottle. Make sure all containers are thoroughly clean and sterilised.
Pimple Lotion
- First cut a lemon in half and use one half to scrub your face. Lemon works as an antibacterial cleanser.
- Then use bicarb soda and water to make a thick paste that you can apply to pimples directly and leave overnight. In the morning simply wash it off.
Shaving - Dip razor blades in olive oil after use to prevent rusting. Your blades will last you up to 5 times longer!
Sunburn
- To relieve sunburn, apply apple cider vinegar directly on the affected area as soon as possible after burning.
- Witch hazel will also relieve itching from sunburn as well as insect bites.
Toothache - Simply rub clove oil over the tooth and gum. The clove oil should bring immediate relief.
Toothpaste - Make a thick paste of bicarb and water, apply to your toothbrush and use just like regular toothpaste.
- You can also use a bicarb soda scrub to remove plaque from your teeth.
Forget teeth whitening toothpastes or expensive trips to the dentist. For a natural teeth whitening remedy simply rinse each night with warm water and salt. My grandmother also mentioned that placing sugar or salt on a wet cloth and rubbing against the enamel of the teeth will also whiten them. This will also work using good old baking soda on your toothbrush and brushing as usual.
Warts
- Vinegar seems to be a wonder cure for everything! Apply vinegar on the warts (especially newly formed) and they should disappear within a few days.
- Also, try soaking warts in Pinetarsol Solution each night. After a week or so the warts will disappear.
- Here’s an interesting remedy for warts; wet a match and rub the match head on the wart. When the red stain left behind by the match head begins to wear off repeat the process. This should cause the wart to shrink and disappear.
- Another wart remedy. Simply crush an aspirin to a powder and mix to a paste with Vaseline, then apply a small amount to the wart and cover for at least 24 hours with tape that will stay on even when showering eg. Leukoplast tape. Use a pumice to wear down the wart. Repeat the process until the wart is gone.
- You can also simply suffocate the wart by placing Elasterplast band aid over the area until it naturally comes off. It should take about three weeks for the warts to disappear completely.
Weightloss - Drinking some vinegar in a glass of water (adding honey for taste) a few times a day, especially apple cider vinegar, reduces your appetite and helps remove fat from the body naturally.
Worms - For a cheap, natural and effective way to keep worms under control in children, adults and pets try eating a handful of pumpkin seeds (pepitas) an hour before food everyday for 3 days, then once a week from then on. For larger animals you could prescribe about 30 pepitas before meals. You’ll find that besides worming use they are actually a great snack
As this list is certain to be endless, come back regularly for new beauty & health money saving tips. Click here to save money on Cleaning Products
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