April showers bring May flowers… while we did not get much rain here at Derma E’s home base of Southern California, we are still welcoming May with an open mind, and are ready for any opportunity that comes our way.
As it so happens, the first week of May is Wellness Week, and what better time than now to share some tips and tricks to keeping both your mind and body well.
In order to be well we have to take a look at what we are putting in and on our body. We do such a great job of making sure that our food and skincare is natural, but what about our medicine and at home remedies? A lot of common products found in medicine cabinets have the potential to do as much harm as good. Below are some of our favorite substitutions to help you with a natural medicine cabinet makeover.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Let this multi-purpose tool be the Swiss Army Knife of your medicine cabinet.
- Let it soothe your throat. Mix Apple Cider Vinegar in hot water with some honey to alleviate any pain or swelling in your throat. I drink this mixture almost daily, just because I have grown to love the taste!
- Fun Fact: Apple Cider Vinegar can also help with heartburn! Use a teaspoon of raw, unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar instead of your antacid for a natural way to fight heartburn.
- This multi-purpose product also contains healthy levels of Vitamins B, E, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. All of which helps with cold symptoms like stuffy noses. Mix a few teaspoons with water to help clear your sinuses.
- The list really goes on and on. Apple Cider Vinegar can relieve sunburns, whiten teeth, cleanse your hair, and soothe itchy skin! This should be a staple in any all natural medicine cabinet!
Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is good for your hair, skin, and teeth. You can even slap it on toast and call it butter.
- Mix Coconut Oil with baking powder to make a super effective natural deodorant. You can also use this same mixture as toothpaste!
- Coconut Oil can also help breastfeeding moms. Intake 3 teaspoons daily to help enrich your milk supply! It also helps to control cravings, and keep blood sugar levels stable!
- Coconut Oil is anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antiviral, and it improves nutrient absorption!
- A lesser known fact about Coconut Oil is that you can substitute it for harsher yeast infection creams. Use twice a day to relieve pain/itching and to help rebalance PH levels.
- It is also an awesome deep moisturizer. Combine Coconut Oil with a vegan conditioner, like our Scalp Relief Conditioner to create a hydrating hair mask. Leave in 15 minutes before your shower, and rinse out.
Essential Oils: Essential Oils are can be a fantastic natural remedy for headaches, stomach pains, irritated skin, and more! Oils are very concentrated, so use sparingly.
- Lavender – Apply to irritated bug bites, it acts as an anti-inflammatory. Replace sleeping pills with a few drops of lavender on your pillows! This will also help with nervous tension and headaches.
- Tea Tree Oil – Apply to a damp cotton swab and apply to acne. Mix our Tea Tree and Vitamin E Oil with Lavender, Jojoba, and Avocado Oil to create cuticle oil that will soften your cuticles and prevent them from splitting.
- Peppermint Oil – Put a few drops of this on some tissues or in a diffuser to keep away spiders and other small bugs. Peppermint can not only be used to soothe an upset stomach, but it is also a known pain reliever. Use during a massage or put directly on skin to soothe sore muscles.
Honorary Mentions: Neti Pot for allergy relief, Aloe Vera Juice for the rare constipation, and huo xiang zheng qi (available in liquid and pill form) can help to cure diarrhea. It is an all-natural substitute for Pepto-Bismol.
With life being as crazy and unpredictable as it is, it can be hard to make sure that we are using the best products on and in our bodies. I hope these tips can help you create habits this Wellness Week that will last a lifetime!