Home Remedies for Insomnia Hair Nails Dry Skin
Home Remedies for Insomnia, Hair, Nails, Dry Skin
If you're healthy but your nails are discolored, try lightly scrubbing nails with equal parts lemon juice and baking soda, Dr. Reed says. The acidic and antimicrobial properties of the lemon combined with abrasion from baking soda will lighten discolorations.
If a is to blame, try "tea tree oil or medicated vapor rub, applied around and squished under the nail twice a day for at least 6 months," says Reed.
Next:
Photo by Renee Comet The scent of lavender can ease insomnia and help improve sleep.
For a sound sleep, try using in a reed or other type of diffuser in the bedroom, or put a few drops of oil on a fabric that does not come in direct contact with your skin. Next:
"Vitamins are so important with nails, especially the omega-3 complex," says Roberts, a dermatologist who specializes in dermatopathology. Vitamin C and folate are also important, she adds. Eating foods high in such as salmon, fish oils and almonds will help keep nails from drying out. Next: Photo by Renee Comet Oatmeal eases dry skin. Add some to the bath or wrap use it as a gentle scrub for your skin.
Exfoliating and moisturizing scrubs also help with , says Roberts. "Plus," she adds, "scrubs are fun to make." Scrubs are usually sugar-, salt- or oatmeal-based. Mix the exfoliating ingredient with honey or any type of natural oil ingredients until they're a consistency that you can apply on your body and use once a week, she says. The salt scrub will be the harshest, so those with sensitive skin may want to stick with sugar or oatmeal mixed with honey. You can use the salty or sugary concoction as a spot treatment for dry lips, too. Next:
, or malaleuca oil, from the leaves of a native Australian plant, has antiseptic and antifungal properties that may help, says Hagen. Shampoos with tea tree oil can be found in most drug stores. Or you can buy tea tree oil and add a few drops to a tablespoon of olive, safflower or other cooking oil and rub it into your hair before using your regular shampoo. Be sure to always dilute the oil, since applying too much to the skin may cause irritation.
Another home remedy for dandruff is . Research has shown that green tea's anti-inflammatory properties may soothe the scalp and slow down the growth of skin cells. Steep two bags of green tea in one cup of hot water. Once the water has cooled, massage the tea into your scalp, let it soak in for up to an hour and rinse.
Next:
Photo by Renee Comet Mayonnaise adds moisture to dry, brittle hair.
And yes, it's true, mayonnaise works as a conditioner. Slather your hair with a generous dollop, put on a shower cap for up to an hour, says Roberts.
To enhance shine and remove build-up of oils from shampoo and styling products, try an apple cider vinegar rinse, says Roberts. Mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of water, apply it to your hair and then rinse. If smelling salad-like is a concern, she says, you can apply your regular conditioner afterward. Next: Photo by Renee Comet Apple cider vinegar mixed with water can help oily hair.
Proven Home Remedies for Common Conditions
Look and feel better with these inexpensive natural treatments
Photo by Renee Comet Equal parts of baking soda and lemon mixed together is a healthy mixture to rub on discolored nails. Do you have ? Does your skin look tired and dry? Then it might just be time for a spa getaway. But don't despair if you're not flush with cash — we're not talking about a weekend at a desert ranch.7 Common Ailments
Discolored Nails All you'll need to look and feel refreshed are a few minutes to yourself and a handful of ingredients that may already be in your pantry or refrigerator. These easy home remedies will boost the health of your hair, nails and skin — and likely your mood, as well. Remember that natural remedies are not cures, says Dr. Barbara Reed, Clinical Professor of Dermatology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Always check with your doctor to make sure your symptoms are not related to an underlying .Discolored Nails
As we age, nails grow at a slower rate and may become dull or yellowed. Consider stopping nail polish use or if those practices could be contributing to changes in your nail color. In some cases, discolored nails could be a symptom of a serious condition, so it's important to talk to your doctor, especially if you see a dramatic change in nail color.If you're healthy but your nails are discolored, try lightly scrubbing nails with equal parts lemon juice and baking soda, Dr. Reed says. The acidic and antimicrobial properties of the lemon combined with abrasion from baking soda will lighten discolorations.
If a is to blame, try "tea tree oil or medicated vapor rub, applied around and squished under the nail twice a day for at least 6 months," says Reed.
Next:
Photo by Renee Comet The scent of lavender can ease insomnia and help improve sleep.
Insomnia
As many as one half of older adults have trouble falling asleep or , according to the American Psychological Association. "As we get older, sleep becomes more and more an issue. Sleep gets more fragmented — we wake up more often," says Dr. Philip T. Hagen, vice chair of the Mayo Clinic's Division of Preventive and Occupational and Aerospace Medicine and co-author of the Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies.Related
Studies have shown that the scent of helps improve sleep and can prolong deep sleep. How lavender works its magic isn't yet clear. But scent receptors in the nose are very old, from an evolutionary standpoint, and closely connected to the brain, says Hagen.For a sound sleep, try using in a reed or other type of diffuser in the bedroom, or put a few drops of oil on a fabric that does not come in direct contact with your skin. Next:
Can A Scent Boost Energy
Try vanilla, which has been shown to have a mood-elevating effect, says Hagen. Or peppermint oil. "We know that an active ingredient in [plants in] the mint family has some vascular effects, so using a little peppermint oil on the temples can help with a ," he says. Photo by Renee Comet Olive oil can soften brittle nails.Brittle Nails
Moisturizing with olive or coconut oil can help hydrate dry and brittle nails, says Dr. Wendy E. Roberts, founding director of Dermatopathology at the Loma Linda University Medical Center in California. The best time to hydrate is after bathing. Try rubbing oil over the entire nail on a daily basis. If you take an evening bath, wear light cotton gloves to bed to keep oil from getting on clothes and sheets."Vitamins are so important with nails, especially the omega-3 complex," says Roberts, a dermatologist who specializes in dermatopathology. Vitamin C and folate are also important, she adds. Eating foods high in such as salmon, fish oils and almonds will help keep nails from drying out. Next: Photo by Renee Comet Oatmeal eases dry skin. Add some to the bath or wrap use it as a gentle scrub for your skin.
Dry skin
If your skin has lost moisture, help restore it with oatmeal. Roberts calls oatmeal the "single most important natural remedy for people with and sensitive skin." What makes it so effective? A combination of fatty acids, proteins and vitamins help the skin retain moisture and relieve inflammation.Related
Add a cup of oatmeal to a warm, but not hot, bath, or sponge yourself with a handful wrapped in cheesecloth or a handkerchief. "While you can use whatever you have in the pantry, the finely milled oatmeal works best in the bathtub," says Hagen. Finely milled oatmeal is sold over-the-counter as colloidal oatmeal. If you use oatmeal from your pantry, make sure it's not instant because preservatives have been added to processed oatmeal.Exfoliating and moisturizing scrubs also help with , says Roberts. "Plus," she adds, "scrubs are fun to make." Scrubs are usually sugar-, salt- or oatmeal-based. Mix the exfoliating ingredient with honey or any type of natural oil ingredients until they're a consistency that you can apply on your body and use once a week, she says. The salt scrub will be the harshest, so those with sensitive skin may want to stick with sugar or oatmeal mixed with honey. You can use the salty or sugary concoction as a spot treatment for dry lips, too. Next:
Fruit for Your Soles
Do you have rough or calloused feet? Once or twice a week, apply mashed up unripe papaya for 15 or 30 minutes. Papain, an enzyme in papaya, naturally exfoliates dead skin cells. Green, or unripe, papaya has more of the enzyme, so best to apply it to a small patch of skin to see how your skin responds before using it more widely. Photo by Renee Comet Tea tree oil's antiseptic qualities can help relieve dandruff.Dandruff
occurs when the scalp's skin cells grow at a fast rate and the dead skin cells build up and flake off in clumps. A yeast-like fungus called malassezia, which occurs naturally on the scalp, may cause skin cells to grow faster and contribute to the condition. Styling products, stress and dry weather can also cause dandruff or make it worse., or malaleuca oil, from the leaves of a native Australian plant, has antiseptic and antifungal properties that may help, says Hagen. Shampoos with tea tree oil can be found in most drug stores. Or you can buy tea tree oil and add a few drops to a tablespoon of olive, safflower or other cooking oil and rub it into your hair before using your regular shampoo. Be sure to always dilute the oil, since applying too much to the skin may cause irritation.
Another home remedy for dandruff is . Research has shown that green tea's anti-inflammatory properties may soothe the scalp and slow down the growth of skin cells. Steep two bags of green tea in one cup of hot water. Once the water has cooled, massage the tea into your scalp, let it soak in for up to an hour and rinse.
Next:
Photo by Renee Comet Mayonnaise adds moisture to dry, brittle hair.
Dry and Dull Hair
Harsh chemicals and intense heat from styling tools can strip away your hair's outer layer, robbing your hair of moisture. Roberts recommends restoring moisture through hot oil treatments. You can use any oil that you have in the house — for example, safflower, canola, olive. Heat it up so that it is warm but not too hot. The important thing is to massage it into your scalp, she says. Then put on a shower cap for about an hour, then rinse or shampoo out the oil.And yes, it's true, mayonnaise works as a conditioner. Slather your hair with a generous dollop, put on a shower cap for up to an hour, says Roberts.
To enhance shine and remove build-up of oils from shampoo and styling products, try an apple cider vinegar rinse, says Roberts. Mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of water, apply it to your hair and then rinse. If smelling salad-like is a concern, she says, you can apply your regular conditioner afterward. Next: Photo by Renee Comet Apple cider vinegar mixed with water can help oily hair.