Simple Remedies
           Acne: Wash 3 times dail with a tincture of dandelion and chamomile.  It is also said witch hazle used a toner and a mask made of strawberries and honey will help with mild acne and to keep break outs at bay.  Another method often used is to take 1 teaspoon each borage flower tips, chicory, ash leaves, mugwort, wild pansy, and sage and boil them 45 minutes in one quart of water.  Place this liquid in a bowl and steam your face for at least 5 minutes, then dry it off with cotton.  Repeat this proccess once a day for 3 weeks, take 1 week off, and reapeat again in this way for 2 months.

          Backache:  Take a bath towel and dampen it through, then place it in a microwave or oven to warm.  Be very careful you do not scorce the towel or start a fire!!  Apply the warm towel to the area that hurts.  If this does not help try an ice pack. 

          Bee Stings:  An easy and quick remedy is to make a paste of baking soda or salt and apply it directly to the sting.  Some people believe slicing either a clove of garlic or onion bulb and placing it on the wound with tape until the pain subsides.

          Birth Pains:  Raspberry leaf tea can be helpful.  Massaging the women may help, if only for the fact that it will relax her.  A knife placed under the bed is said to cut the pain in half.

           Boils:  Make a poultice of flour and bruised ginger to apply to the boil and leave it in place for at least 1 hour to help draw it out.

          Bug Repellent:  Take 1 cup of almond or coconut oil and warm it with pennyroyal and citronella (obtained from any herb shop).  To this add 1/2 of a 9-inch taper candle (any colour) and begin beating with a fork.  Continues beating until a creamy texture is achieved, then pour into a container witha  good seal for the lid.  Store and use as needed.

          Burns:  For minor burns a fresh slice of potatoe, or the gel from the inside of the aloe plant appiled directly onto the burn will help.  A tea leaf poultice will also ease soreness.

          Burn, Bruise, and Scratch Cream:  This ointment is easily made and the process can be adapted for any lotion, depending on what you need.  You can even make scented skin cream for moisturising by ominitng the healing herbs and substituting them for flower petals or other armoatic objects.  Measure out 1/2 teaspoon each of yarrow, marshmallow root, comfrey, roses, sage, mint, rosemary, and pine.  Steep these in 1 cup of mineral oil over a low flame, until the oil smells strongly of the herbs.  Strain through cheese cloth and beat in approximately 2 tablespoons of honey until smooth.  Add some wax (equal to about 1/2 of a 9-ince taper).  Allow to melt and then begin beating.  When the ointment begins to get creamy and semi-soild, pour it into a container with a lid.  Seal and use as needed.  These sorts of ointments and lotions have a long shelf life, very well over a year.  For a base with stronger moisturising ability, add cocoa butter, lanolin, and/or aloe to the wax.

          Cold Brew:  For a cold make a tea of cucalyptus leaves, marshmellow flowers, lavender, mint, marjoram, rosemary, and thyme.  Steep herbs for 5 minutes and in 3 cups of hot water, then strain.  Drink this hot 3 times a day, with honey and 1 teaspoon of lemon.  Another remedy is to boil a common sized turnip and put it in a sauce, adding about 1/2 cup molasses and let stand for 15 minutes.  Pour off the syrup while squeezing the turnip to express the jucie.  This mixture is to be taken warm before going to bed.

          Cold and Sore Muscle Rub:  This cream is similar to the "Tiger Balm" and can be used on sore muscles or to help congestion.  Take 1 cup of oil and simmer the following ingredients (1 tablespoon each) for about 1 hour:  Eucalyptus leaves, yarrow, bayberry, mint, camphor, rosemarry, and cayenne.  Next, beat in 1/4 blue candle until you have a lotion.  Store this in an air-tight container and use as needed.  An equal portion of tea tree oil may also be added to this mixture to aid people who have joint problems.  the deconfestant effects of this mixture will be improved if you leave a eucalyptus leaf right in the jar and use with a humidifier.

          Corns:  Make a tincture of tea and apply it (with a fresh slice of lemon) each night.   When you get up, cut off the loose skin and let dry.  Reapply until gone.

          Cough:  An old Irish remedy for cough is to roast an onion and eat it with honey, pepper, and butter twice a day.

          Cough Syrup:  Take 1 teaspoon of comfrey, cloves, fennel, and ginger and put them in a container with 1 cup of honey.  Add 2 drops of spearmint, anise essence, and pennyroyal.  Pour in 1 pint of water.  Simmer all ingredients for 30 minutes, then strain.  This mixture may be used for anyone 12 years of age or older and should be taken 1 teaspoon 3 times daily. 

          Cramps:  Equal porportions of wintergreen, chamomile, clover, valerian, and mint in a tea seems to work rather well.  The mixture may also be made into a warm compress and applied directly onto the area in pain. 

          Dandruff:  A rinse can be made by combining equal parts camphor, lavender, bay, sage, and rosemary.  Add 1 capful of alcohol and steep in water for 2 hours.  Bottle this and use it whenver you shampoo.

          Diarrhea:  For children chamomile and ginger tea is a good remedy.  While you may want to add 2 or 3 grape leaves, mint, and balm to it for an adult.  Drink 1 cup a night.

          Fatique:  If you should need to refresh youself, sip a cool tincuture made from fennel.

          Fever:  Sip catnip tea, or elder flower and tansy tea.  Feverfew taken with warm milk also may help.

          Freckles:  Take an egg white and beat it until stiff.  Continues beating the egg white and add 1 cup of water, the juice from one lemon, and 1/3 ounce powdered sugar.  Apply this mixture to your freckles before bed and rinnse it off upon waking each morning.

          Gargle:  Simmer some sage and mint (eucalyptus may also be added) and make a strong tincture; then add 1 cup of brandy.  Store and use as mouth wash.

          Gum Bleeding:  Brush with baking soda twice a day to help decrease the bleeding in time and ease the tenderness.  This is a good remedy to use on a regular basis if you have gum trouble and the garle above should help as well.  Alernatively, you can make a rinse of marshmallow leaves, red wine, agrimony, oak bark, comfrey, sage, chamomile, and a pinch of salt and use this twcie daily.  You put 1 tablespoon of all the listed herbs in 3 cups of red wine over a low heat for 45 minutes.  Strain and use as a mouth rince; DO NOT SWALLOW!

          Hay Fever:  A tea that will somewhat relieve you is made of orange, eucalyptus, dandelion root, yarrow, and dried fig.  Season your tea with honey.

          Headache:  Feverfew tea is wonderful for headache relife.  Another remedy is to apply cucumber peel to the forehead.  Other teas that relieve headache are basil, rosemary, catnip, and raspberry.

          Indigestion:  Add a tablespoon of fennel, chamomile, mint, thyme, verbena, sage, and 1/2 tablespoon of dandelion root to 1 liter of boiling water.  Steep this mixture.  Then have 1 cup after your meal.

          Itching:  A good past for itchy skin is baking soda and oatmeal.  You will want to add just enough water to make the ingredients spreadable.  If the itching is caused by a bug bite, denting it a little with your fingernail crosswise will help.  You can also place cool, clay earth on the bite.

          Liniment:  An easy herbal liniment is made by taking eucalyptus, cayenne, chamomile, peppermint, sage, camphor, and bayberry and placing them in oil to warm.  Repeat this process until you have a very strong solution with a reddish colour, and then store and apply to joints and muscles.  This liniment is for external use only!

          Nausea:  Chamomile, basil, and clove tea is good.  Peppermint tea is also wonderful for any stomach aliment.  Ginger tea is a good cure for nausea and is ecspecially helpful for morning sickness.

          Treatment for Oily Skin:  Steep a cup of violets in warm, fresh milk overnight.  Then soak a wash cloth in hot water, wring it out, and soak it in the milk solution.  AFter that apply to face, neck, and oily areas of skin.

          Pain (especially joint pain):  Soak burdock leaves for 24 hours in apple cider vinegar.  Heat these leaves until they are as warm as the skin can tolerate and place it on the irritated areas.  As long as there isn't an infection present, these leaves can be returned to the vinegar and reapplied.

          Sleeplessness:  A tea made from anise, chamomile, clover, dill, parsley, lavender, valerian, woodrugg, and/or verbena.  Valerian is the best, but chamomile is also a very good sleep aid.

          Spider Bite:  Dissovle as much salt as you can in 1 cup of vinegar.  Dip some cotton in this misture and apply directly to the bite.

          Toothache:  A little oil of a clove leaf will ease your pain.

          Vapour Baths:  These were used to "cure" many ills, from skin conditions to fevers to circulation problems.  To make a vapour bath take a red hot brick and put it in a can, standing on one end.  Place this under a chair with a flannel covering on the seat.  Drink a large cup of ginger and yarrow tea, then pour boiling water over the brick until the can is half full.  Sit down and wrap youself in a heavy blanket until you being to perspire on your face.  Next, was down with a vinegar and water rinse, dry off completely and go straight to bed.  This is not a recommened method for people with heart problems.  Vapour baths act very much like modern day suans which are good for cold and congestion, and to cleanse the skin of impurities.

          Warts:  Apply a slice of onion or garlic at night with some dandelion sap, keeping it on the wart with tape and cotton.  Repeat this each night for a month.

          Wounds:  An ointment made of marshmallow is good for all kinds of inflammation and sores.  To preapre this, take some green marshmallow leaves adn elder flowers, bruise them and ad them to lard.  Simmer in the oven until herbs are crisp.  Strain this through a cloth before it gets cold.  If you want it to be stronger, repate this process before adding beeswax (1 ounce of beeswax to each pound of ointment).  After adding the beeswax, beat until cool.  Marshmallow root may be substituted for marshmallow leaves.  However, a simpler approach is to take 2 ounces of fir balsam and place it in a pint of alcohol.  This can be placed on the wound as a wash.