Home remedies are pretty much a hit and miss because everybody reacts differently to certain treatment. Even in the world of pharmaceutical drugs, some people may react negatively to a drug that’s seen as a miracle by others.
The key to health is always about finding out what works for your body, whether it be how much protein you need every day or how many hours of sleep you need at night, there’s always a transitional period where you have to try things out and keep what works.
That being said, the remedies in this list are either time-tested or lab-proven to work for a vast majority of people, so why not give them a try? You might just find your next go-to remedy.
1. Mouthwash Foot Soak
Mouthwash is mean to kill the bacteria in your mouth that cause plaque and gingivitis. These anti-bacterial properties can also be beneficial for athlete’s foot and toenail fungus. The important thing, though, is to use an all-natural alcohol-free mouthwash, especially if you have any cuts or open wounds on your feet.
You’ll need:
- 1/2 cup mouthwash
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 10 drops eucalyptus essential oil (for toenail fungus) or 20 drops of tea tree oil (for athlete’s foot)
- A plastic tub large enough for your feet
Instructions:
- Add all the ingredients in the tub place your feet inside.
- Pour warm-to-hot water in the tub until your feet are submerged.
- Soak for 30 minutes.
- Pat feet dry without rinsing until they are very dry.
- Repeat twice a day as needed.
2. Black Tea Sunburn Tonic
If you’ve run out of aloe and you’ve got a nasty sunburn, take out your kettle! Black tea contains antioxidants that full soothe burnt skin, promote healing, and fight redness.
You’ll need:
- A medium-sized aluminum bowl
- An old rag
- Boiled water
- 3-4 bags of black tea
- Ice
Instructions:
- Steep the tea in the bowl for 10-20 minutes, keeping the water line a few inches from the rim of the bowl.
- Cool the tea by adding ice until it’s become lukewarm.
- Dunk the rag into the tea, and dab it onto your sunburn. Make sure to stand on an old towel as tea will stain just about any surface (even tiled floor and the bathtub).
- Leave the tea on your skin and let it be absorbed by your skin.
- Once dry, reapply a few coats, never wiping any off.
- Cover affected skin with old clothes and go to bed. Your skin will be noticeably less red and irritated in the morning.
3. Apple Cider Vinegar Cough Syrup
To fight a sore throat as it comes about, gargle a bit of apple cider vinegar mixed with hot water every hour or so to kill the bacteria or virus behind your illness. Unlike cough syrup, it doesn’t contain sugar and won’t leave you drowsy!
4. Wakeful Mint
If you think the smell of coffee is enough to wake you up, then you’ve never had peppermint tea! The scent of mint is invigorating, meaning that it can snap you right out your sleepiness and mental fog (1). Drink a cup of peppermint tea in the morning to start your day fresh and alert or drink it in the afternoon to fight the post-lunch crash.
5. Baking Soda For Heartburn
Heartburn can occur your stomach produces too much stomach acid and your cardiac sphincter opens up, allowing the acid to migrate up your esophagus. When you’re healthy and well, you pancreas naturally produces sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to neutralizes the excess acid in the digestive system and prevent heartburn. To prevent the burn, mix a ½ teaspoon in 8 ounces of cold water and drink after a meal to prevent acid reflux. Take every two hours until relief of symptoms, making sure not to exceed 7 doses in a 24-hour period.
6. Hydrogen Peroxide For Earaches
If you experience infections often or are prone to swimmer’s ear, lie down on your side and gently pour a solution of one part 3% hydrogen peroxide, one part lukewarm water into the affected ear. Place a cotton ball into the affected ear. Lay down with the affected ear on a towel-covered pillow for about 20 minutes to let the solution do its work. Remove the cotton ball and tilt your head to drain out any excess liquid. Caution : Do not use this method if you have a perforated eardrum!
7. Honey For Wounds
Raw organic honey has the ability to kill bacteria thanks to a combination of weapons, including hydrogen peroxide, acidity, osmotic effect, high sugar concentration and polyphenols (2). Apply a small amount on a fresh cut to kill even the most antibiotic-resistant bacteria .
8. Baking Soda For Bee Stings
To ease the pain and inflammation, make a paste with baking soda and water and apply it directly to the sting. Use it from the moment you get stung until it subsides.
9. Cayenne For Deep Cuts
If you get a nasty cut that’s bleeding profusely, generously cover it in cayenne pepper! The spice works by equalizing your blood pressure to clot blood and prevent further blood loss. It also promotes wound healing and fights bad bacteria. The spice is no replacement for medical treatment, so make sure to speed over to the clinic after applying.
10. Salt for Canker Sores
To kill the bad bacteria festering in your mouth ulcer, mix 1 teaspoon of Himalayan salt into 1 cup of warm water when you first wake up. Swish it around for 30 seconds, then spit it out. Repeat after every meal. To speed up the healing process, drink warm lemon water about 2 hours before bed.
11. Chicken Noodle Soup For A Cold
Chicken soup made with bone broth contains amino acids like arginine which fights inflammation as well as nutrients and compounds to help cure the common cold. One study even found that chicken soup had the possibility to prevent mitigation of symptomatic upper respiratory tract infections (3).
12. Cranberry Juice For Urinary Tract Infections
Cranberries fight urinary tract infections by killing bacteria thanks to its high acitidity content and A-type proanthocyanidins (PACs), which interfere with the bacteria’s ability to adhere the walls of the bladder and urinary tract (4). Drinking plenty of juice also flushes out the bladder to wash away bacteria.
For this trick to work, it’s important to buy 100% pure organic cranberry juice. Cranberry cocktail won’t work because it’s watered down and contain plenty of sugar, which actually feeds bad bacteria.