*All of these recipes have been tested/are being used by me and my family.
Bee and Insect Sting Remedy
Make a paste of baking powder and water. Rub, clockwise, around the affected area. Apply several times throughout the day for added relief. This remedy also helps to remove the stinger if stung by a bee. I am allergic to bee stings as well as mosquitos and this helps me tremendously!
Diaper Rash "Cream"
We use cloth diapers on our 15 month old daughter (and sometimes use no diaper at all - yikes!) and occasionally she ends up getting a bit of diaper rash. We tried everything from Burt's Bees to Butt Paste and nothing worked. FINALLY, we decided to use some organic coconut oil we usually cook with and it went away over night! All we do is take a small glass jar (baby food jars work very well) and fill it up with the organic coconut oil. We prefer Dr. Bronner's brand, but it really doesn't matter. Stick with organic, though. An additional ingredient I've recently added, thanks to a friends' suggestion, is tea tree oil. With it's natural antiseptic/antifungal properties, it boosts the coconut oil's ability to rid her little bum of diaper rash! For the size of the container we use (small jar) I've found that about 5 drops seem to do the trick. For larger quantities of coconut oil, you'll need more tea tree oil.* We put the organic coconut - tea tree oil mix on her at every diaper change to both keep her skin feeling healthy and ward off diaper rash.
*Switching to homemade, cloth wipes and just wetting them with plain water or water with about 10 drops of tea tree oil has done wonders too. She hardly ever gets diaper rash anymore!
Nettle Tea for Allergy Relief
I, among countless others, suffer from pretty severe allergies every spring and fall. This season shift is just like the rest: relentless! I prefer to use homeopathic remedies whenever possible and only keep OTC meds for emergencies. I've found that the natural methods work better for my needs. Anyway, I digress. I usually steep dried, organic stinging nettle leaves in a very fine tea strainer for approx 3-5 minutes, covered. I use a heaping teaspoon per mug. The taste is very mild and refreshing. Lately, my allergies have been so bad that I've taken a cup in the morning and another at night. Adding a neti pot to my daily routine has also helped. The stinging nettle tea can be a challenge to find unless you have access to shops specializing in natural foods/remedies, but may also be purchased on line. Be sure to trust your source! Keep in mind, stinging nettles are a seasonal "crop" and may not be available all times of the year. The brand we consume is from "The Herbal Sage Tea Company" located in Athens, Ohio. I don't receive anything from telling you the company name, other than knowing you have a source to check out. Hope it brings you some allergy relief too!
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