Acne

Heart breaking and totaly unnecessary. If you have a teenager hiding in their room because of acne that just won't respond to anything, try this. Put 2 or 3 tsp.dried basil leaves to 1 cup boiling water. Steep 10 to 20 minutes. Cool, and apply with a cotton ball. There should be a noticable differance in just a few days.

Athlete's Foot

Just about everyone gets athlete's foot at one time or another. That itching and burning between your toes, with peeling skin that might occasionally blister. It is a common, all to easy to catch fungus. The most important thing to do is keep your feet dry. Fungus grows in damp moist places. Wearing white socks are best because white cotton absorbs moisture. Keep a pan of very diluted clorox bleach by the tub or shower and step in and out of it to prevent spreading the fungus to other family members.

Look for over the counter clotrimazole cream and apply twice a day for 7 to 10 days. Fill your socks with good old fashioned corn starch for added dryness.

Bee Sting

Provided the person is not allergic to the sting, there is something you can do to relieve the pain. Check to see if the stinger is in the wound. If so, it must be removed. If the stinger is not there, you are home free. Soak white bread in whole milk so that the bread can be handled. Apply like a poltice to the bee sting. Wrap with a clean bandage. Change the poltus and bandage every few hours. There will be a marked difference in the pain and hot red feel of the wound. If you are not at home, or camping, wet tobacco will do the same thing.

Blackheads and Pimples

When a pimple just won't come to a head so you can deal with it, put a piece of membrane from the inside of an egg shell on it. As it dries, it will draw the liquid (puss) to the surface. Will do the same for blackheads so they can be washed away.

Burns and Scrapes

Aloe Vera for everything. Simple burns and scrapes will heal faster with the application of juice from the aloe vera plant. Keep a plant growing and break off a leaf when ever you need to dab it on.

Diarrhea

Another lovely subject but one that can't be ignored. Besides the obvious reasons we all hate diarrhea, there can be some serious side effects to a prolonged bout. It depletes your body of water and minerals such as sodium and potassium. To replace what's lost, drink a little sugar water with a pinch of salt. bananas help get rid of diarrhea by soaking up water in the stool. They are also useful for replacing the lost potassium. There are several good over the counter products which will help control the diarrhea itself. Look for any imodium containing loperamide. It is not only quick acting, but also long lasting.

Dry Skin

Combine 1 Cup oatmeal,1 Cup warm water,1 Tbvanilla extract, and 1/2 Cup baking soda in a blender or food processor until you have a smooth paste. Pour this paste under the running water while drawing the bath. Very soothing to dry, itchy skin.

Ear Ache

A few drops of warm vegetable or mineral oil in the ear will help relieve pain. It will also help soften and expel dried ear wax.

Ear Wax

Ear wax build up can cause some pretty serious problems. Put a few drops of mineral oil in your ears twice daily for a few days. This should soften the wax sufficiently to fall out on its own.

Flatulence (Ok! Gas)

Let's face it, we all get it and only men are not embarrassed by it. Besides the obvious problem, it can cause a great deal of discomfort. Mylanta, Di-Gel and Maalox Puls tablets contain "Simethicone", a nonprescription substance that can be purchased in most health food stores. Taking two activated charcoal tablets before and after eating can prevent most of it and can also be purchased in health food stores. Because charcoal binds to other substances as well as the gas bubbles, it should not be taken with supplements or medications, including birth control pills.

Gnats and Mosquitos

Apply "Skin So Soft" by Avon, to all exposed areas of the body. Arms, legs, face and so on. No one seems to know why it works but they will not land or bite while you have it on.

Heat Rash

The dreaded summer pricklies. Heat rash comes from sweating too much. Moisture gets trapped in the sweat glands. The first thing you want to do is cool the temperature of your skin in a cool bath. Lightly dust the areas of rash with cornstarch. That will soak up some of the excess sweat, relieving the problem that caused the rash in the first place.

Humidify Dry Air

Dry air in the house from heat running can cause nose bleed and all kinds of related problems. To put moisture back in the air, boil a pot of water at all times. If someone in the house already has a cold, you can add vicks or mentholatum to the water to give it a medicinal effect. You can also use an electric Potpourri pot instead of the stove. Every one will be able to breathe much easier.

Insomnia

Can be as easy to deal with as eating something high in carbohydrates. Have a late evening snack such as rice cakes, dry cerial, bagels or a muffin. As your body digests the carbohydrates it will release serotonin which the body uses to induce sleep.

Itchy Rash or Ant Bites

Boil weeping willow leaves until the water turns brown. Strain liquid into a jar and dab on as needed.

Joints That Ache

I am including this one because my husband absolutely swears by it. When he has an elbow, knee or finger joint that is sore he sprays WD40 on it and rubs it in. Now I know he isn't the only one who believes this helps. He first saw it on an episode of 60 Minutes. Give it a try, what have you got to loose? It may help.

Mouth Sores

salt water! Add salt to tap water as hot as you can stand it and swish in mouth several times a day. Put enought salt in the water so it actually tastes salty. You can also use vinegar in the water instead of the salt or use vinegar full strength. This will speed the healing to the point where it will be noticed the next day.

Night Sweats

Before going to bed, rub full-strength vinegar on your arms, legs, chest, neck, and shoulders. Allow to air-dry. Do not wash off. Many people find that this prevents night sweats or decreases their severity.

Sore Throat

Mix together: 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar. Take one tablespoon every 4 hours. This remedy is also recommended for the flu.

Splinters

When a splinter is just too deep to get with tweesers or the dreaded needle, put bacon fat on it. Use the really white fatty part of the bacon. Wrap well because when it warms from the skin it will slip around. In a day or so you should be able to eaisly extract the object.

"Sty" On Your Eye

They can really hurt. No one seems to know what causes them but there is a way to get rid of them. Rub them with a gold ring. A smooth wide gold wedding band is the best but any gold ring will do as long as it is at least 14 karot. Hold the skin around the eye so you can get a good surface and rub the ring across it. Do it a few times a day until it's gone.

Sunburn

To cool down a sunburn, rub full-strength vinegar (white or cider) on the skin. If you get the vinegar on before the sunburn starts, it will dramatically reduce the pain! It will help reduce the pain after the fact. Noxema face cream is also good to take the fire out of sunburn.

Swimmers Ear

A cap full of alcohol in each ear after swimming will get rid of any water that may have gotten in. It will also help get rid of any trapped air bubbles that can hold moisture in the ear.

Ticks and Red Bugs

Come back from the woods or a picknick with a few uninvited guests? clorox bleach will send them packing. Stand in bathtub in about ankle deep water and add 1/2 cup bleach. Dip a wash cloth or something to rinse with the bleach water. Turn on shower and bathe as normal. For adults, I have used the bleach full strength on arms and legs.

Upset Stomach

When absolutely nothing will stay down, drink warm rice water. Boil white rice (not munute rice). When the water is cloudy, usually when the rice is done, drain the water into a container. Sip the warm liquid until you begin to notice your stomach feeling better. Soup or broth should stay down after that.

Windburn Protection

If you know you are going to be out in the wind, like boating, you can protect your skin from windburn with olive oil and cider vinegar. Mix equal portions of olive oil and cider vinegar. Rub a small amount on face and other exposed skin areas.

This will be an ongoing project. If you have a special home remedy that you would like to share, please e-mail me. Include a first name and the State you are from and if I use it, I will give you credit.