Natural Home Remedies You’ll Actually Use

The following is a guest post from Heather Green.

Putting carcinogens in skin products seems like something no company would do, or at least could get away with.  Unfortunately, many personal care products regularly include these ingredients:

• Triclosan – popular in antibacterial products which has also recently been proven to impair muscle and skeletal contractions by up to 25 percent—within one hour
• 1,4 dioxane – a probable human carcinogen
• Phthalates and parabens – known endocrine disruptors
• Formaldehyde –  a probable human carcinogen as well as eye, skin, and respiratory irritant

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics—comprised of 175 nonprofit organizations with 1.7 million members, including the Environmental Working Group and the American Nurses Association—has been pushing big companies for years to clean up their act.  You can check the safety of the ingredients in your cosmetics and personal care products by typing them into EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database, where you’ll receive a hazard rating for the ingredient and even the product itself.

In the meantime, we can look online for natural DIY face masks and home remedies.  Here are some to get you started.

Sunburn Salve

• 2 carrots
• 1 cucumber
• ½ cup coconut or sesame oil
• ½ cup aloe vera gel

Finely grate the vegetables in a large pan with coconut or sesame oil over low heat for 30 minutes.  Strain the liquid and add the aloe vera gel; mix well.  Store in the refrigerator and apply liberally to sunburns several times daily.

Exfoliating Face Mask

• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp oats
• 2 tsp plain, organic yogurt
• 1 tsp raw honey
• Optional: lemon juice

Blend sugar and oats in a coffee grinder and pulse until superfine.  (Try to avoid genetically modified ingredients as their nutritional content is reduced compared to natural forms.)  Mix with the yogurt (full fat if your skin is dry) and raw honey.  Gently rub—don’t scrub—onto face in gentle, circular motions.  Wash with lukewarm water after 10 minutes or more.  Hint: add lemon juice if you want to remove scarring.

Motion and Morning Sickness Remedy

• 1½  cups gingerroot
• ½ or 1 cup sugar or maple syrup
• 2 tbsp water

Peel and thinly slice 1½ cups of gingerroot into a saucepan.  Cover the ginger with water and boil with a partially covered lid for 1 hour until ginger is al dente.  Drain and stir in  ½ to 1 cup of raw sugar or maple syrup, adding 2 tablespoons of water.  Simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until the ginger becomes clear (about 20 minutes).   Reduce heat and stir until ginger starts to crystallize.  Let cool and place in a jar for a yummy snack or to do away with queasiness.

Photo Credit for All Photos

Heather Green is a mom, freelance writer, pet lover and the resident blogger for OnlineNursingDegrees.org, a free informational website offering tips and advice about nurse case manager certification and online m to bsn degree.