Don’t let little workout side effects like blisters and sore muscles keep you on the couch. Instead, channel your inner country doctor and try one of these do-it-yourself treatments from Lillian M. Beard, MD, author of Salt in Your Sock and Other Tried-and-True Home Remedies. We did, and they work great. (If the problem continues, of course, see your doctor.)
Ache #1: Heel blister
The remedy: Carefully apply enough lavender oil (available at health-food stores) to fully cover the blister without popping it; this will help it deflate and dry out faster. Reapply every few hours for three to five days or until the blister heals completely.
Why it works: Lavender is a proven anti-inflammatory that can speed the healing of skin irritations. Bonus benefit: The aroma is incredibly soothing.
Ache #2: Sore muscle
The remedy: Saturate a cloth with apple cider vinegar and wrap it around the muscle for 20 minutes; the pain should disappear within a few hours. Reapply every three to four hours for continued relief until the pain is gone for good.
Why it works: Apple cider vinegar is a muscle reliever; it helps to draw lactic acid (the stuff that causes soreness) out of your muscles after exercise.
Ache #3: Athlete’s foot
The remedy: Drop a few freshly minced cloves of garlic into a cotton sock, and then wear the sock overnight. (Just be sure to wash your feet in the morning with something that has a more pleasant scent!) Repeat the treatment nightly until the fungus disappears, usually within 7 to 10 days.
Why it works: Garlic kills all sorts of fungi—including the one that causes athlete’s foot.
Ache #4: Heat rash
The remedy: Mix regular oatmeal (not instant) or cornstarch with water to make a thick paste. Apply to irritated skin, let it dry, and leave it on until it flakes off on its own (the residue will continue to work). Reapply only if it starts to itch again (otherwise you risk overdrying the area).
Why it works: Both oatmeal and cornstarch help reduce irritation and swelling, and provide itch relief.
By Bethany Lye
Comments (12)
Lavender is one of our favorite essential oils. It has so many great uses. Our kids love it when we put it on them at bedtime because it is so soothing. We will try it on our next blister to see how it works. Make sure you get 100% pure oil. This is a great place to get oil http://www.doterralife.com
You should be very careful using lavender products with boys and men. It has been linked to breast development and possible cancer in boys and men. Here’s the link for all you nah sayers. http://parentingsolved.typepad.com/parenting_solved/2007/02/while_medical_j.html
Keep Lavender Away From Your Boys and Men.
Browning flower can treat and heal diaper rashes. Plain white flour in a skillet and brown. Cheap and effective. My granny told me that one :D.
I would like to know if there’s a home remedy that truly works in reducing or getting rid of keloids.
I’m going to try the one on garlic and see if it works.
What I’d like to know if there’s a home remedy that truly works in reducing or getting rid of keloids.
I’m going to try the garlic and see if it will work on nail fungus.
Hi Friends, Am going to try the one one garlic my Althletic feet is as old as myself! and I may get ba to you if I get good result.Thanks
I believe the one about the garlic. I had a planters wart on the bottom of foot (heal) I was told to crush a clove of garlic and apply it to the wart every night, which I did with a large bandage. After about a week it was gone. I had tried the expensive over the counter remedies that did not work, but this one does. Planters warts are also a fungus.
I’m wondering about the garlic thing. Would it work on eczema and ringworm because they’re both fungal infections too right? Please, just please i really need the cure. My skin on my face is irritating and itchy. During the first two years, my face bled alot due to to the irritating itch. It was quite embarrasing as everyone could see how horrible it was. Now i managed to control myself not to scratch it but there are still scars, flaky skin and the tone of my skin is different like patches. I spent alot of money to buy creams and go to the hospital but it never work. I realised the doctors give creams not to stop it but just to slow it. At first, i apply the cream on my face as prescribed by my doctor. It was gone for awhile but appeared again. My doctor gave me a more stronger cream but still it gave the same result. I tried searching through the internet. There are also people like me suffering trough the same disease. So this one, I hope this one, can end all my misery for almost 7 years now.
Eczema is NOT a fungus, it’s more along the lines of an allergy. I have had success with Clobetasol ointment for mine.
Go ahead and use the garlic for the ringworm, though. My mom had a fungal infection in her nail bed that her dr said she would have the rest of her life, and she wrapped it w/ minced garlic and it went away in 3 days and never returned.
I would definitely consult a dermatologist(or a different one if you have already) for your face, though, if you’ve been suffering for that long. Maybe you didn’t get the right diagnosis!
Your eczema is internal and needs to be treated there first. My daughter was born with it . You need an allergy test to determine what you are eating to cause the the problem and then avoid those foods. Wheat is a big NO No for most people w/ eczema. Our doctor told us that some foods can be eaten maybe once in awhile but avoid eating them in more than a day. never in successive days. Listen to your body !If you can’t aford to do the testing , pay attention to what you are eating when you have your flare ups and just keep a food journal to help you document the foods that are bothering you. It’s better to introduce new foods one at a time so you can easily determine the triggers.
Hope this helps !
I am wondering if you found anything to work on your face? I am having the same type of problem you describe on my face red irritated itchy skin. Please let me know. Thanks