Sunburn Home Remedy

The Sun - He's not trying to burn you, or is he?

Thanks to my parents and my heritage, I'm blessed with pale skin. Even though I got teased for in as a child in grade school, and once in college (can you believe it?), I've always fully embraced my paleness and take necessary precautions to keep it healthy. I've never been to tanning salons and I don't lay out to tan in the sun (though I love me some Vitamin D and sometimes just sit in the sun to feel it on my face). I pick moisturizers with sunscreen in them and make sure I have some with me on long car trips so I don't get a classy window-arm burn. I even invested in a white button up shirt that has UVA UVB protections in it. Even with all that protection - I still get sunburned! And no one likes a sunburn. They can be just pesky pink burns that go away fast or really severe burns that can leave scars or precancerous moles. Regardless of the kind of burn, they need to be treated.

Aloe is the most common sunburn home remedy. Many people have aloe plants in their homes but if they don't, you can easily buy a tub of it at the store. There is also a product called Solarcaine that people love because it has lidocaine in which makes your skin feel all tingly and cool. I must admit I used to use this all the time, growing up, when I used to go to the city pool everyday during the summer. For a German-Irish girl, I worked up quite the tan - for a 12 year old. But when I look at it these days, I see it has plenty of un-pronounceable ingredients and dyes. So what is a sunburn home remedy that can not only soothe the sunburn but also give it that tingly and calming effect?

Ingredients:
Aloe
Vitamin E oil
Lavender essential oil
Peppermint essential oil

I can't for the life of me find where I got this recipe from! I know I didn't make it up on my own. I thought it was from my absolute favorite home remedy/herb book - but it's not. I will continue searching for it but for now, I promise that when I write recipes down in my notebook I will always notate where the recipe came from! Seeing as how it is the season where women wear sundresses and tank tops and men forget hats and generally forget sunscreen altogether (*I admit to this glaring generalization of men and I apologize to any avid sunscreen users who are male!) -  I can't keep this recipe or product to myself any more.

Get yourself a spray bottle (a smaller 'mister' would be better - see link for example). Fill it about 3/4 of the way full with aloe vera gel (make sure it's pure). Then add just a bit of vitamin e oil. I have a bottle of vitamin e oil with a dropper. I put about two droppers in but if it's easier for you, you can use vitamin e capsules that you can get at any drugstore. Put a hole in it and squeeze out the good part! I'd use about 3 or 4 capsules. Then add your oils. Peppermint is what's going to make your skin feel cool and tingly but it's very strong. Make sure to avoid getting the sunburn remedy in your eyes (ouch!).

Peppermint makes it feel tingly, lavender soothes the sunburn and the aloe treats it. I took this to Florida with me on my vacation and thank goodness I did! My nose is always the first to get burnt, no matter what. And my poor mom burned her legs in a very funky pattern (which we had to laugh at). Lucky for her, I brought this homemade remedy along.

Homemade Insect Repellent

I've heard people say that they must be made out of sugar and that's why biting insects like them so much. And the same with people who never seem to be bitten happen to have vinegar coursing through their veins (what a strange notion!). I'm not exactly sure why some people seem to be more immune to bugs bites than others, but either way, there is always a time and place for insect repellent. But haven't we all heard the scary stories about insect repellent filled with DEET - it causes cancer, it's bad for children, even causing memory dysfunction! Like everything that is presumably unsafe for us but is widely used - there is much debate on both sides. I'm a big proponent of simplifying things if you can, especially when it comes to homemade, natural products. So why not make some homemade insect repellent?

This is my very own recipe. I learned from HerbMentor that Yarrow is an herb that helps repel insects. I happen to have learned this while I was in my excited tincture making phase (phase? What am I talking about? I love making tinctures and I know that I will always have jars of herbs brewing in my house!). I decided to make a yarrow tincture to use as insect repellent. I filled a glass jar half way up with 100 proof vodka (the higher the proof the better, but see this article to help you understand tincture making). I let mine brew for 2 months - but the longer it brews the better.

After I decanted the yarrow tincture I decided I would add some essential oils to it - one, to make it smell less like alcohol and two, many essential oils actually have properties themselves to deter winged insects. I happened to choose citronella, lavender, clove, eucalyptus and a bit of geranium.

If you don't have yarrow or don't have time to mess around with the tincture making process, you may want to try an easier recipe such as this one HERE.

So, does it work? I spent 2 hours in a friend's garden over the weekend (visit the AR Facebook page for pics of what I got from the garden!). We even sat on the ground and talked for at least a half an hour. Luckily we sprayed ourselves as soon as I got there. No bites, on either one of us!

Now, then I got to my house and sat on my front porch as I replanted the herb starts. Apparently I have mutant mosquitoes that live in my bushes on my front lawn. I woke up with 2 pinkish dots - but with no itch! Lesson? Re-apply this spray as often as necessary. It's natural so it won't hurt you and it's not as strong as the store bought DEET infused stuff.

Be sure to check out my Etsy store soon (I'll announce it on a blog post when it is up and running) to load up on products.


Have a safe and fun bug-filled season!

Sage Home Remedies

Herb: SAGE Salvia officinalis

Healthy sage plant

Ah, sage! Sage is one of my favorites herbs. In fact, I'm trying to create the new Antique Remedies logo with sage in mind.  I use it a lot, not for cooking, but for tea. Sage can be used for all sorts of home remedies. As soon as I hit my late twenties (yeah, I know, I'm not saying it's old!), my memory started fizzling out. Maybe it's all the hard work I do during the week, but maybe my brain is just on overload! I started drinking my morning green tea with a pinch of sage leaf in it. I don't know if it's just a mind trick or if sage really helped, but I definitely feel more alert and feel like I can recall details when I'm on a conference call at work! Plus, it gives me green tea a bit of a kick, which is nice in the mornings.

Sage plant after your dog has eaten it

Sage is an aromatic herb with a strong taste. Its Latin name contains the word 'Salvia' which comes to mean 'to heal' or 'savior'. Sage is an antiseptic and an immune stimulant. It's really great for stimulating the apetite and is a great digestive remedy, soothing the stomach.

What else can sage be used for?

• Sage Bath: Native Americans used sage in hot baths to soothe shaky, cramped or weak feeling legs. You can also make a poultice and apply it directly to those weary legs. 
• Headache Ease: Try a cup of sage tea to help ease a throbbing head.  Drinking this regularly can also help ward off colds and boost your memory. Bonus!
• Ghostbuster: Do you believe in ghosts? Have some lurking around? Sage was used to prevent nightmares - either burned as an incense or leaves were thrown around on the floor or on the bed to ward off lost spirits. (I actually own a sage 'smudge stick' and burned it in my (100+ year) house when I first moved in - happy to report, no ghost problems) It's not only said to help with ghosts but any kind of bad, negative energy that may be weighting down the atmosphere around you. 
• Throat Gargle: Just like rosemary, sage can be used to treat a sore throat. Brew some sage like you would a tea, let it cool and use it as a gargle in the morning and again at night. It's wise to swallow it when you're finished because of its antiseptic and analgesic qualities. 
• Menopause Sweats: Have the pleasure of going through menopause? Having night sweats? Pour boiling water over 10 large fresh sage leaves or 1.5 teaspoons of dried leaves. Steep for 5 minutes. Let it cool! Do not drink it hot! Drink this three nights in a row, then go to every other night, then three times a week. 
• Teeth Whitener: Rub a sage leaf on your teeth to help get rid of unsightly stains. A warning though, sage leaves have been known to trigger epileptic seizures. Please do not try this remedy if you have a history of seizures. 
• Brunette Hair Color: Like oregano, you can use sage to help color your hair a shade of brown. It happens to also add lift and decrease dandruff. Use 4 tablespoons of sage and use 2 cups of boiled water, steep for 2 hours. If you want it to be stronger add 2 cups of rum or 2 tablespoons of black tea and steep for 4 hours. 

According to some of the books I used to research sage, pregnant women should avoid high quantities of sage. 

References: 

- http://www.herbworld.com/learningherbs/sage.pdf

- Traditional Home Remedies: The Old Farmers Home Library Almanac, Martha White, ISBN 078354868-0

- Herbs (Eyewitness handbook), Lesley Bremness ISBN 1-56458-497-6