Archive for March 2019

One common household item can act as a bug repellent, pain reliever, and more. Do you know what it is?

It’s Vick’s VapoRub, and most of us have a jar in our house. Typically, this topical cream is used to treat congestion caused by the common cold. However, it has far more uses than meets the eye. Made of eucalyptus oil, menthol, camphor, and other calming agents, Vick’s VapoRub can treat a variety of problems.

Below are 40 different ways Vick’s can be applied to everyday life.

1. Train your pets

If you have a problem with your pet marking its territory around the house, just grab an open container of Vicks VapoRub and place it in an area that your pet often tries to mark. The strong scent will help to deter them from the area and help them learn not to use the bathroom inside! This is a great gentle teaching alternative compared to other house-training methods.

2. Neosporin replacement

If you run out of Neosporin, use VapoRub as a replacement. Spread a thin layer around the wounded area (splinters, cuts, etc.) to help accelerate the healing process. It also helps protect against germs and bacteria.

3. Treat acne

You can put some VapoRub on your pimples, acne, or other blemishes and leave it on overnight. When you wash it off in the morning your blemish should be gone. Try this remedy of other skin treatments aren’t working for you.

4. Cry on command

Need to bring out the waterworks? Rub a little VapoRub underneath your eye to help you shed some tears. Impress your friends with your on-command crying skills.

5. Treat psoriasis and eczema

With the summer sun shining, don’t hide your skin away. Using VapoRub on your eczema will reduce your inflammation and itchiness from the condition. Let your skin breathe!

6. Relieve ear aches

Use Vicks VapoRub to stop earaches. Rub a small amount of VapoRub on a cotton ball and put it in your ear for several hours, several times a day. It will not only reduce the pain but also prevent a potential infection.

7. Relieve headaches

If you ever have headaches or migraines often, Vicks can be a great way to help provide some relief to the pain. The menthol in Vicks VapoRub helps to cool off your temples and relieve pressure if you rub some onto it. Be sure to keep it around, but if your migraines are occurring frequently, it would be a good idea to see a doctor.

8. Fight against stretch marks

Stretch marks are one of the worst symptoms of aging. And for those experiencing pregnancy, finding ways to keep your skin looking young is crucial. It turns out though, that Vicks VapoRub is a great way to fight against stretch marks from developing. Some of the primary ingredients in Vicks, eucalyptus oil, cedar leaf oil, petrolatum, camphor, and turpentine oil, all combine to help stretched skin both feel softer and increase moisture. This will help to keep stretch marks from standing out.

9. Soothe sunburns

Now that summer is here, sunburn is here with it. The cool feeling you get by rubbing on Vicks is perfect for some nice relief from that annoying stinging sensation. Just rub some of it on the affected area and you’ll be feeling better in no time!

10. Fight toenail fungus

Thymol is one of the main ingredients in Vicks VapoRub and is great for blocking the growth of fungus because of its antiseptic, antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. All you have to do is rub some of it on the bed of your nail and toenail to get rid of the fungus.

11. Relieve sore muscles

The menthol in Vicks can help to not only offer a refreshing cool to your skin, but it can also help to improve your blood circulation. After physical activity, just grab some Vicks and rub it onto any areas that are experiencing soreness. This should provide relief and comfort to any painful areas.

12. As bug repellent

Apply a thin layer of VapoRub to exposed skin, and it will repel annoying insects like mosquitoes. This is perfect for camping or when traveling through humid areas. The strong scent will deter bugs from coming your way.

13. Relieve bruises

If you have skin that bruises easily, Vicks can be your best friend when it comes to healing them. Just mix a pinch of salt into some a dab of Vicks and rub it onto any areas of skin that are bruised. It will help to dissolve the bruise and your skin will return to normal in no time!

14. Soothe chapped lips

If your lips get dry often, apply some Vicks VapoRub to them. This is a great home remedy to moisturize and soften them up. Pucker up!

15. Repair cracked heels

Do you wish you had soft heals but are stick with skin that dries and cracks? Just grab some Vicks and apply it to your heels and feet. Wear cotton socks on top and be sure to wash your feet with warm water. Use the Vicks nightly and you can also rub a pumice stone onto your heels to help exfoliate and further soften your skin.

16. Remove your eye makeup

If you’re all out of makeup remover you can use VapoRub in a pinch. Use a cotton ball to wipe the tops of your eyelids and around your eye. Make sure you avoid wiping it directly on your eye or eyelashes.

17. Burn fat

Want to get rid of fat and cellulite? Apply some VapoRub mixed with camphor, baking soda, and a little bit of alcohol. Rub this mixture on the area you want to slim down and cover it with plastic wrap. You can find more details on this method here.

18. Heal cuts and splinters

No one is a fan of splinters or minor cuts. Speed up the healing process by applying some VapoRub on your cuts or splinters. Let the soothing VapoRub relieve the sting.

19. Keep your horse focused

If you ride horses, listen up. You can keep a horse from getting distracted by the scent of female horses by applying some VapoRub under his nose. No need to let mating season stop you from going on a ride.

20. Apply as skin moisturizer

VapoRub works a fantastic skin moisturizer, especially on chapped skin. Just like with chapped lips, VapRub will restore the moisture to dry, cracked skin. New skin, new you.

21. Relieve itchiness

Itchiness is one of the most irritating skin conditions to deal with. Apply some VapoRub on bug bites or dry skin to prevent itchiness. Sitting through a meeting or class without having to scratch will feel like heaven.

22. Prevent skin infections

Burns and other skin wounds can become infected if you don’t take proper precautions. Apply some VapoRub to the area to prevent infection. But if the condition worsens, be sure to see your doctor.

23. Remove stubborn lipstick

If you’ve ever applied matte, red or other bold colored lipstick before you’ll know how hard it is to take off. But not with some VapoRub. Apply a thin layer of VapoRub on your stained lip and let it sit for five minutes before wiping it off completely. Shine on ladies!

24. Save your furniture from your cat’s claws

You can stop your cat from scratching up items in your home by applying a little bit of VapoRub on it. Your cat will want to avoid the smell at all costs. No more buying furniture covers for your sofas or chairs!

25. Relieve tennis elbow

Even tennis superstars can get tennis elbow. Massage your elbow with VapoRub until the camphor and menthol in it soothes the pain. Let your arm rest until you’re ready to swing again.

26. Get rid of warts

Have a nasty wart that suddenly appeared? No problem. Apply VapoRub to your warts twice a day for two weeks. Cover the area with gauze in between until the wart disappears.

27. Homemade slimming cream for your stomach

If you want to increase the weight-loss potential of a home therapy wrap, just create a homemade slimming cream using Vicks Vapo-Rub, camphor, baking soda, and a little rubbing alcohol. Although you could technically slather on some Vicks by itself, too much menthol can irritate or burn the skin, so it is a better idea to add camphor powder.

28. Apply to feet to relieve night coughs

Have a cold and can’t sleep at night? Applying Vicks on your feet before bed provides nighttime cough relief. Rub a generous amount of VapoRub all over your feet and cover them with socks for a good night’s sleep.

29. As a bedtime humidifier

Special types of humidifiers and vaporizers can allow a secret edition of Vick’s VapoRub. Make sure to check that your humidifier has an aromatherapy compartment before using. The humidifier will circulate Vicks throughout the air and keep you breathing easy all night long.

30. Relieve a congested chest

Probably the most classic uses of Vick’s VapoRub. When applied to the upper chest, it provides fantastic relief of cough and congestion symptoms. Make sure to stock up on Vick’s for winter season.

31. Silence a squeaky door

Squeaky doors can lead to headaches. If you have a door that squeaks when it opens or closes, try using Vick’s VapoRub. It acts as a good emergency replacement for oil.

32. Hide bad smells

Everyday life can build up into some bad smells. Whether it’s from a baby’s diaper or taking out the trash, relieve the bad smell by making your own Vick’s air freshener or applying some under your nose. Your sinuses will thank you.

33. Shower bomb

You might have heard of bath bombs, but shower bombs are another way to get relaxation during a quick rinse. Some products called “shower disks” contain Vick’s VapoRub. After placing the disk in the shower, the vapor will dissolve into the air. That vapor paired with the steam from the shower will instantly clear up any clogged sinuses.

34. Heal athlete’s foot

Suffer from athlete’s foot? No problem. Put a small amount of Vicks VapoRub on your foot two times a day to combat athlete’s foot. Now you can get back on the court or field with ease.

35. Treat hemorrhoids

Hopefully you won’t have to use Vick’s VapoRub for this reason. But fun fact, for small, itchy hemorrhoids, apply Vick’s on there and let the menthol drown out the itch. But make sure to know if you can tolerate the burn first by testing Vick’s on another part of your body.

36. Treat ringworm

Dr. Peter H. Gott’s staff and Jared Zeiman, M.D write: “Vicks, as well as store and other generic forms of mentholated chest rubs, has been used successfully by many of my readers for a variety of conditions, including nail fungus, plaque psoriasis, seborrheic keratoses, ringworm, neuropathy pain and more.” If you do have a case of ringworm, apply Vicks two to three times a day.

37. Treat a dry scalp

Treat the affected area by taking a thin layer of Vick’s and rubbing it onto the dry parts of your scalp. Try doing this home remedy right before you go to bed or after you take a shower. The oil from the eucalyptus and the petroleum work together as a salve for your scalp.

38. Promote hair growth

Take a small amount of Vick’s and apply it to your scalp. The benefits? 1: Stimulates blood flow to the scalp. 2: Kills scalp bacteria. 3: Tingling sensation means “it’s working”

39. Clear up rosacea

A small amount of Vick’s with help the look and discomfort of rosacea. It also helps promotes clear skin. Whether it’s acne, rosacea, or both, Vick’s can work as a treatment for many skin conditions.

40. Heal cooking burns

If you’re channeling your inner Gordon Ramsay in the kitchen and accidentally burn yourself, fear not. After running the burn after some cold water, apply Vick’s to the injury. The remedy should soothe the sting of the burn.

Sources

We often do not realize the kind of damage we are doing to our liver with our unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles. We must understand that our good health largely depends on the health of our liver – the largest and most vital of organs in our body. Among several other functions, three of the major functions of the liver include cleansing of blood, production of bile – an essential digestive liquid – and building of proteins. So, it is imperative that we form a few good habits for a healthy liver and a healthier body.

In such cases, something as simple as drinking raisin water can do magic for our bodies! Raisins have the essential ingredients that smoothen biochemical processes, helping the liver cleanse our blood of poisonous substances. They are known to be rich in antioxidants and are also known to have natural chemicals that are good for the heart as well as the liver.

In fact, many alternate forms of medicine tend to advise the consumption of raisins for a host of benefits like lowering of bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels in your body. Additionally, it’s also used as an age-old remedy for a constipated or upset tummy.

The reason why the drinking of raisin water is advised is because, while it contains all the medicinal qualities of the raisin, it is also lower in sugar levels and, therefore, better than the raisin itself.

In that spirit, here are a few more benefits of raisin water!

1. It’s High In Natural Antioxidants

Since raisins are actually grapes that have been dried, it is but natural that they contain high amounts of natural antioxidants (1). Grapes are also natural sources of bioflavonoids and are therefore known to keep the body protected against sicknesses by repelling free radicals. In fact, these are the reasons why it is used in remedies for heart and liver-related ailments.

2. It’s A Good Detox

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Thanks to our sedentary lifestyles and also the tendency to consume junk food, without knowing it, we are poisoning our body (the liver in particular) when we let these elements enter our bodies. Right from deep fried junk to sugary sodas, none if it is doing us any good. Not only do they clog up our arteries, they also mess up our digestive system, which, in turn, can mess up a host of other things in our body.

It has been observed that consuming of raisin water can go a long way in detoxing the body and easing the digestive system. In fact, users have claimed that they have instantly felt their digestive systems easing out when they have consumed the raisin water for four consecutive days every month.

3. It Aids In Digestion

Since consuming raisin water eases the digestive system, it is obvious that it helps in digestion as well. In case you are wondering how, it is because the raisin water helps in separating the acids of the stomach so that the food that goes into your body can be broken down more easily, and all the necessary nutrients can thus be absorbed by the body more efficiently. Users state that a couple of days is enough to see the raisin water actually making a difference in your body.

Make Your Own Raisin Water Drink!

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Now that we’ve illustrated to you the benefits of raisin water, here is a simple and foolproof way of making raisin water in a way that is effective and useful for your body.

Ingredients:

400ml of drinking water (this amounts to about 2 normal cups).
150gm of the best raisins (you can choose whichever brand you like, but we would suggest going for organic ones).

Directions:

Take the raisins and wash them thoroughly so that no dirt is left behind. It is important that you clean all the dirt and impurities from it. However, if you buy packed raisins, this shouldn’t be a problem. Make sure you choose raisins that are slightly darker in color and are not too hard. Once you have washed them, add the raisins to boiling water. Once the raisins are in, let the mixture bubble for about 20 minutes before taking it off the heat. The water would have reduced a bit in quantity by now. Don’t worry. This is how it should be. Now let the raisins remain in the water for the night.

The next morning, as soon as you wake up, consume the water on an empty stomach. If you want, you can heat it up or even drink it at room temperature. Make sure to let your stomach remain empty untill about half an hour after you’ve consumed the raisin water, after which you are free to have a healthy breakfast.

So, what do you think? Would you try this to improve your digestion and protect your liver? Let us know in the comments!

Sources

As long as one of the functions of your liver, among others, is to produce bile, which somehow controls your weight, because it breaks down fat, it is important to cleanse your liver if you want to be healthy, but also in order to lose weight.

How do you do this?

There are natural ways of cleansing your liver: foods and herbal supplements.

Foods:

citruses such as lemons, limes and grapefruits help the cleansing of the liver because their high content of vitamin C; they also produce enzymes that aid to the elimination of toxins;
vegetables are also recommended: either you choose to consume garlic, leafy green vegetables, or cruciferous vegetables, you make a good choice for your health; they activate enzymes necessary to the liver in the process of eliminating toxins;
walnuts and avocados both help the production of glutathione – an essential compound that your body produces in order to get rid of the toxins;
because they contain vitamin B, whole grains are recommended in order to chase away the toxins produced when you eat wheat flour, which is a source of lots of toxins;
the well-known antioxidant properties of the green tea are also very beneficial for the health of (not only) your liver, because they improve its function;

Herbal supplements:

turmeric is a spice which helps your liver to get rid of toxins, when consumed either in foods or by taking capsules that contain it;
tablets of dandelion roots are also recommended – they prevent indigestion and the swelling of your liver;
there are certain substances which are dangerous for your liver cells; in order to prevent their production, it is advisable to consume milk thistle (doses of 140mg are recommended);
sometimes, your liver tissue needs regeneration – if you want to stimulate it, you should consume globe artichoke.

Change your lifestyle!

There are certain things you do on a daily basis and which affect your liver.

It is recommended to avoid certain foods: reduce the amount of dairy and meat, try not to eat so many processed foods and never consume fast food, it is maybe the worst thing you do for your health.

This type of food contains lots of chemicals and thus produces toxins that your liver cannot keep the pace with when it comes to getting rid of them.

What you have to do is to drink a lot of water – it aids to the elimination of toxins.

Also, try to reduce the stress, avoid the situations that cause it, because it is closely related to your digestive system and it can crucially affect it.