Home remedies

beltainebabe

I thought it might be a good idea to share with each other some homemade remedies that are suitable as alternatives for over the counter medicines. Obviously there are some things which you will need prescribed medicines for, but the pharmaceutical industry must be celebrating our ignorance of remedies that can be found cheaply around us. The ABPI (Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry) states that the average spend per person in the UK (in 2007) on medicines was £195.

So here's a few from me....
Nettles (yes, stinging nettles!) can be used to treat allergies, including allergic skin rashes and the everso common hayfever. The tops of the young nettle plant should be picked (with gloves on), boiled down and the resulting juice used for treatment of rashes.
To treat hayfever, you need to ingest it, either eat it in a soup say, or drink it as a tea. There are loads of recipes for soup available online (I like this one http://www.nettles.org.uk/nettles/activities/nettlesoup.asp ). For tea you can chop, dry then infuse your own, or for an easier option, pick up a bag of nettle teabags at the supermarket, they're pretty cheap and probably won't cost you a quid. Still loads cheaper than most commercial hayfever medications. And more natural.

Another effective and cheap treatment I know is using vinegar to treat thrush. A solution of distilled (white) vinegar and water around the infected area is a great cure, as it takes away the alkaline condition that thrush thrives in and gives your body the chance to fight back against it. Again the costs are miniscule, you can get a big bottle for 47p in Tescos which you will not need all of, save it in the cupboard it has loads of other moneysaving uses! Compared to some thrush treatments which can cost a tenner, definately a bargain!

Me brain can't think of any more right now, but hopefully that gets the ball rolling! :j

GonzoAston

Ive found, through Iranian relatives, something that gets rid of a cold.

They use concentrated Lime Juice in some dishes. They have a shot of it with some sugar when they have a cold. I used to suffer terribly with Man Flu but when I feel it coming on I have one of these, and its gone.

I also have it as a drink. Quarter glass of lime juice, bit of sugar and honey and fill with water. Job's a Gud'un.

Saves taking tablets and the likes, and works a treat. I introduced my family to it, and now they tell everyone else about it too.

A_Phoenix_of_Tangerine

What a brilliant idea for a thread! Thanks for this!

A small amount of apple cider vinegar can be used as an after-final-rinse hair tonic, making it shiny and dandruff free. I think I remember reading that a few drops of lavender essential oil applied with your shampoo each time you wash your hair is supposed to do the same thing, and since lavender has natural healing and antiseptic properties it is also very good for the condition of the scalp (and leaves hair smelling gorgeous!)

The active ingredient in aspirin (which actually is obtained from a tree species, willow perhaps?) is often used in anti-acne products; crush up an aspirin, mix with a little water into a paste, and smooth onto acne prone areas before rinsing off, for a super-cheap and just as effective spot treatment!

Use crystallised ginger as a remedy for nausea - just eat a piece or two, it has really helped me on long journeys where I would otherwise have been incredibly travel-sick!!

beltainebabe wrote: »

I thought it might be a good idea to share with each other some homemade remedies that are suitable as alternatives for over the counter medicines. Obviously there are some things which you will need prescribed medicines for, but the pharmaceutical industry must be celebrating our ignorance of remedies that can be found cheaply around us. The ABPI (Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry) states that the average spend per person in the UK (in 2007) on medicines was £195.

So here's a few from me....
Nettles (yes, stinging nettles!) can be used to treat allergies, including allergic skin rashes and the everso common hayfever. The tops of the young nettle plant should be picked (with gloves on), boiled down and the resulting juice used for treatment of rashes.
To treat hayfever, you need to ingest it, either eat it in a soup say, or drink it as a tea. There are loads of recipes for soup available online (I like this one http://www.nettles.org.uk/nettles/activities/nettlesoup.asp ). For tea you can chop, dry then infuse your own, or for an easier option, pick up a bag of nettle teabags at the supermarket, they're pretty cheap and probably won't cost you a quid. Still loads cheaper than most commercial hayfever medications. And more natural.

Another effective and cheap treatment I know is using vinegar to treat thrush. A solution of distilled (white) vinegar and water around the infected area is a great cure, as it takes away the alkaline condition that thrush thrives in and gives your body the chance to fight back against it. Again the costs are miniscule, you can get a big bottle for 47p in Tescos which you will not need all of, save it in the cupboard it has loads of other moneysaving uses! Compared to some thrush treatments which can cost a tenner, definately a bargain!

Me brain can't think of any more right now, but hopefully that gets the ball rolling! :j

Enterprise_1701C

I've never used vinegar to treat thrush - but I do find yogurt works beautifully!

In winter I use plenty of onions in cooking, and we get very few colds between us.

Rather than expensive spot cream I've always used antiseptic cream like germolene - gets rid of them just as well and works great on those horrible ones that develop right under the skin and are sore!

Ballymackeonan

I'd second the yogurt for thrush...and germolene!

Sage leaf tea - a couple of leaves in a mug/small teapot - sweetened with a little honey, good for coughs and chest infections. Mint tea for an upset stomach. I've always got both of these growing in pots!

For sunburn, a few drops of lavender oil in lukewarm water, sponge on gently.

Instead of aromatherapy oil, you can get lavender essential oil from some chemists - it's labelled as oil of spike. Same product, costs a fraction! You can also get citronella oil from chemists, it's the strong lemon scent that discourages flying insects.

E45 lotion is just as effective as any expensive body moisturiser.

redmandarin

Well done beltainebabe, this is a great thread!

For indigestion, heartburn, bloatedness or trapped wind, there's no need to spend a fortune on over-the-counter or prescription medicines that don't work very well. Use bicarbonate of soda. You can find tubs of it, usually in the baking aisle of supermarkets for 60p approx (Supercook do one).

Put a quarter of a teaspoon of bicarb into half a tumbler of water and stir for about 20 or 30 seconds until the bicarb has dissolved and the water is clear. Then drink it. It tastes a bit salty sweet, so if you don't like the taste, you may want to have a glass of water ready to wash the taste away (don't use fruit juice for this, as acidic foods can make the problem worse). You get used to the taste and it's worth it to cure the problem! For bad wind you can use more bicarb, (which is less pleasant to drink) or you can take another dose if you need greater improvement.

It works by neutralising the acid in your stomach and it saves a lot of money! Plus you can also use the bicarb for lots of other things, including household cleaning, baking and teeth whitening - just google)!

redmandarin

Hi GonzoAston, Great tip!

Please can you tell us where to buy concentrated lime juice?

Also, does anyone know who sells concentrated apple juice?

Thanks!

Enterprise_1701C

My mum used to use the bicarb for wind - I remember cos she would always send me to mix it (a teaspoon in a beaker then!) and I would always burp on the way back in with it! I was only about 11 at the time but the psychological effect was incredible!

tigerlily

redmandarin wrote: »

Hi GonzoAston, Great tip!

Please can you tell us where to buy concentrated lime juice?

Also, does anyone know who sells concentrated apple juice?

Thanks!

have just done a 10 second google.......... sainsbury's sell jif concentrated lime juice 250ml for 66p.

All4ABargain

Loving this thread - thanks beltainebabe for starting such a fab thread and to everyone else for sharing their tips! :T I think I'll be checking out this thread a lot!

I make up a hair mask with olive oil and mashed avacado (strain it through a piece of muslin) - it really keeps my hair in good condition when I've dyed it.

I also make a scalp treatment with olive oil, rosemary oil (good for your hair). If I've no rosemary oil to hand, I nip a bit of rosemary from the garden, mash it up with a mortar & pestle to release the oils, and add it to the olive oil & leave to infuse for a week or two and then strain. I also add some tea tree & lavender, to combat dandruff and to keep the mixture from going off.

I know it's a common one, but I really do love the aloe vera plant for burns. It grows happily inside with minimum care. I have used it on several occasions, and found it absolutely excellent. You just cut off a leaf when you need it, open the leaf to find fresh aloe vera juice.

I use basic calendula cream (just base plus calendula - no need for any other fancy ingredients). I'm sure you could make it if you had a base and tincture, but I buy mine. I use it as I would use any antiseptic cream for bites, scratches, cuts etc. It's very gentle but helps healing very quickly. It saves me money because it works better than anything else I have tried, so I only buy this one product. Everyone I know who has tried mine, always ends up buying some for themselves. Also, SIL was delighted to finally find something that healed her mosquito bites when on holiday. When she first used it in Africa, the locals were astounded with how well it worked.

The next one sounds a little weird/simplistic - I didn't really think it'd work when I first read about it, but it works a treat for me, so I'll mention it... For heartburn eat an apple & when lying down in bed, lie on your left side. Before trying that, I was practcially keeping antacid companies in business.

I'm sure there's lots more but that's all I can think of right now... Hope some of it helps someone.

GonzoAston

redmandarin wrote: »

Hi GonzoAston, Great tip!

Please can you tell us where to buy concentrated lime juice?

Also, does anyone know who sells concentrated apple juice?

Thanks!

I normally buy it from my local Asian Shops. Its about £1 for a litre of it. HTH