The American Academy of Dermatology notes the skin is actually the largest organ in the human body. So, no wonder it seems so sensitive to insects, the elements and life itself!
In fact, the skin is like a living shield that protects the rest of the body. But when the skin repels a threat, discomfort is often the result.
Here are 10 home remedies for common skin problems that can help your skin start to feel better fast:
1. Use plain yogurt to send athlete’s foot packing. The skin irritation called athletes foot is caused by a fungal infection.
Because athlete’s foot is caused by a fungus, many people think you have to go to a doctor. However, there are a lot of home remedies for athlete’s foot that can help you when dealing with this infection.
What to do: Spread some plain (no sugar, no flavor) yogurt with active cultures over the affected area on your foot. Let it dry and then gently wash it away with cool water. The cultures are probiotics and they will quickly go to work to neutralize the fungus.
2. Cut the burn with fresh Aloe Vera. The warm sun can feel so good! Especially if you’ve been stuck inside at work, on weekends it can be oh-so-tempting to soak up the rays.
But then later, your skin may reward you with a painful sunburn. Even worse, you know the red, burning, itching skin will soon peel and itch. But fresh Aloe Vera can reduce your skin’s healing time.
What to do: Pick a fresh Aloe Vera stalk and slice it open. Use a spoon or your fingers to remove the clear inner gel and smooth it right onto the burned area. Do this several times per day as needed.
3. Exfoliate to fight back against blemishes. No one likes acne. Because skin blemishes are so closely associated with the teenage years, many adults wake up one morning in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s or beyond to a nasty shock: adult-onset acne.
Luckily, there is a simple home remedy for this: exfoliation.
What to do: There are a lot of skin care routines out there, some better and some worse, but a light exfoliating acid-based gel or lotion can surely help even out your skin, gently buff away dry or flaking skin cells and restore your skin’s youthful (but blemish-free!) glow.
4. Ease the itch with peppermint. If you are the type of person who just seems to attract mosquitos, spiders, ants and flies, you probably feel like you were born scratching. But help is only a peppermint leaf away.
What to do: Pick a sprig of fresh peppermint leaves. Crush and rub the leaves over the itchy area.
5. Treat eczema and rashes with oatmeal. Oatmeal is a time-honoured trick for easing everything from chickenpox to poison ivy to eczema.
What to do: One option is to make an oatmeal poultice. Combine a bit of plain raw oatmeal with warm water and mix into a paste, then spread it directly over the affected area. You can also use colloidal oatmeal in a warm bath.
6. Reduce oily skin with honey. This is perhaps one of the best remedies for common skin problems out there today.
Who doesn’t love honey? Sweet, tasty and packed full of antibacterial and antiseptic properties, honey is as healing to the outside of the body as it is to the inside! If you have oily or combination skin, you may be wondering if there is anything that can slow down the oil production. As it turns out, honey is the cure you’ve been looking for!
What to do: Just smooth a thin layer of honey over the affected skin and leave it for about 10 minutes. Then rinse the honey away with cool water and blot dry.
7. Banana banishes puffy and dry skin. Bananas are quite tasty, of course. But they are also great healers in their own right! If you suffer from puffy eyes or skin or dry skin issues, it is time to see bananas in a new light.
What to do: Mash up a fresh banana and spread it over the affected area. Leave it for 20 minutes and then wash off with cool water.
8. Erase burn scars with almond oil. Almond oil smells so wonderful it is easy to miss noticing its potent healing properties. But if you have scars left over from a burn, scrape or cut, this is a remedy you won’t want to miss.
What to do: Place a few drops of almond oil on the region of the scar, then gently massage it in. Do this daily until the scar fades.
9. Use lemon juice to even out skin tone. Sometimes spending too much time in the sun, using the wrong body products or even just natural pigmentation variation can cause uneven skin tone. If you have some areas that are darker than others, lemon juice can help you fix that.
What to do: Cut a fresh lemon in half. Rub the lemon over the darker areas of skin. Apply a natural moisturizer like coconut oil afterwards to restore hydration.
10. Stop the itching with baking soda. Finally, did you know that simple, humble baking soda could be a powerful antidote to itching, whether rash or bite related?
What to do: Mix baking soda with water in a 1:4 ratio or mix baking soda with coconut oil in a 1:1 ratio. Spread it over the affected area and let it dry for 5 minutes, then wash it off with cool water. We hope you have enjoyed these 10 home remedies for common skin problems!
Remember, you don’t have to try them all at once – just pick one that addresses a skin issue you have right now, and keep the rest on file for the future. And look forward to healthier, happier skin!