8 Home Remedies for Summer's Common Problems

Aug 3rd, 2010

8 Home Remedies for Summer's Common Problems

(rd.com)

1. Sunburn

Solution: Vinegar

Vinegar contains acetic acid -- one of the components of aspirin. It can help ease sunburn pain, itching, and inflammation. Soak a few sheets of paper towels in white vinegar, and apply them to the burned areas. Leave them on until the towels are dry. Repeat as needed.

2. Heat Rash

Solution: Baking Soda

Sometimes it seems as if baking soda is good for just about anything, and it's certainly good for relieving heat rash. Soak in a tub to which you've added a few tablespoons of the powder. It will ease the itching and make you feel more comfortable while the rash heals. You can also add fine-ground oatmeal, which is sold under brand names such as Aveeno.

3. Blisters

Solution: Aloe Vera

Keep the blister clean with soap and water. Smear some aloe vera gel on the blister and cover it with a bandage to help it heal. But be sure you use the pure gel of the plant. Some processed products contain ingredients, like alcohol, which have a drying effect.

4. Swimmer's Ear

Solution: Garlic

Swimmer's ear is an infection of the outer ear canal. It happens when water gets trapped in your ears and allows bacteria or fungi to flourish. To deal with the pain, your easiest option is an over-the-counter painkiller such as aspirin or acetaminophen. For soothing at-home relief, treat your ear to heat. Use a hot-water bottle or a heating pad set on low. If you're using the bottle, wrap it in a towel so it feels comfortably warm, not super hot.

5. Insect Bites

Solution: Peppermint Oil

Instead of scratching that insect bite, apply a drop or two of peppermint oil. It has a cooling effect, and also increases circulation to the bite, speeding the healing process. Alternatively, if you have toothpaste that contains peppermint oil, apply a dab.

6. Cuts and Scrapes

Solution: Honey

If you can stop the bleeding and keep the wound clean to prevent infection, you've done your part; nature will take over from there. Required: some bandages and antibiotic ointment (doctors recommend any triple antibiotic variety). No antibiotic cream handy? In a pinch, dab on a little honey and then cover with a bandage. Honey has antibacterial properties, and studies have shown that it can speed wound healing. In certain cases some doctors believe that honey might even be superior to triple-antibiotic creams as a wound dressing.

7. Poison Ivy

Solution: Lawn Weed Plantain

Run for the shower -- or the nearest creek, if you're hiking -- and wash away the resin before the allergic reaction takes hold. Once you come into contact with poison ivy, the clock starts ticking: You have about 15 minutes to get rid of the urushiol. Use soap and warm water, if they're available. If you have a choice of soaps, use one that does not contain moisturizers. Skip the washcloth, since it can spread the oil around your body. Pick a few leaves from the common lawn weed plantain, wash them, mash them, and apply as a poultice to the affected skin.

8. Fried Hair

Solution: Avocado

All that sun, water and chlorine made your hair dry, rough, brittle, and frizzy? Condition it with Avocado. Avocado moisturizes hair shafts and loads them with protein, making them stronger. Thoroughly mix a ripe, peeled avocado with a teaspoon of wheat-germ oil and a teaspoon of jojoba oil. Apply it to freshly washed hair, and spread it all the way to the ends. Cover your scalp with a shampoo cap or a plastic bag, wait 15 to 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.