2. Ginger
Ground ginger, just like the kind you find in the spice aisle at your local store, is another very versatile grocery store remedy. It’s warming, fights colds and flu, and is excellent at helping tummy aches, stomach bugs, motion sickness, and nausea.
Some of my top and most-often-used remedies involve adding ground ginger to pain salves, and making the quick ginger/honey remedy as written below.
Quick Ginger/Honey Remedy
This is one of the fastest and best remedies! With two kids who are prone to car sickness, three-fourths of my family dealing with celiac disease and sensitive stomachs, plus the usual colds and flus that come around, I find myself pulling out the ginger and honey multiple times each year.
It’s so easy, you can teach your kids to make their own mixture. (An empowering way to introduce herbalism!)
To make, combine one small pinch of ground ginger with a small spoonful of honey. Adjust the ginger/honey ratio to taste. Take as needed for nausea and stomach ache. (Just remember – don’t give honey to kids under age 1.)
Add Ginger to Lotion Bars & Salves
If you’re prone to cold hands and feet, or if you’re making products for aches and pains, ginger powder is an excellent addition! It works by increasing circulation to the area, providing warmth and pain relief.
Here’s a lotion bar recipe that combines ginger with cayenne pepper to make sure your feet stay nice and toasty warm when it’s chilly outside:
– Warm Toes Lotion Bars Recipe
If you’re adding ginger to a pain salve formula, try infusing each cup of oil with 1 to 2 tablespoons of ginger powder.
Check out my Things to Make for Aches & Pains eBook set for more recipes and information specifically about making pain products.
Even More Ways to Use Ginger!
Here are even more recipes and tips for using ginger.
– 14 Ways to Use Ground Ginger
– Easy Ginger Honey Syrup Recipe
– How to Make a Ginger Tincture
3. Honey
Not just a natural sweetener, honey also has healing benefits when applied to your skin, or taken for sore throats. A honey face wash works splendidly for both acne-prone skin, and dry, flaky skin.
Honey is antibacterial and can heal damaged or burned skin, and some tough-to-treat wounds (see the link to my diabetic dad’s honey story below.)
Here’s how to make a honey face wash, plus some recipes/articles featuring honey:
Honey Face Wash Instructions
Pour a small amount of honey into your hand, then massage over your face and throat. If possible, leave on your skin for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water. (It’s helpful to apply before a shower, to make it easy to wash off!)
Honey for Minor Burns
When I was a kid, my mom always put cold egg white on our burns. It worked very well as a quick and easy home remedy, but as an adult with a family of my own, I tend to most often reach for honey for burns.
First we run the area under cool water for several minutes, then apply a very thin layer of honey and let it stay on your skin. If needed, you can wrap some gauze around the area. (For deep burns, areas larger than a couple inches, or if the burn is on a baby, or for any concerns, definitely consult a health care professional – this remedy is for minor burns only.)
Using Honey for Diabetic Wounds
From personal experience, I’ve seen first-hand how amazing honey is at healing up hard-to-treat sores.
Here’s the tale of how honey helped my dad’s foot sore that wouldn’t heal. (Heads-up for those who are squeamish, the before photo of his foot may be a little icky for sensitive souls.)
– How Raw Honey Saved My Diabetic Dad’s Foot
Sore Throat Honey Spray
Combined with herbal tea or tinctures, honey makes an excellent spray that soothes scratchy, itchy throats. Anytime we get a cold or flu that looks like it’s going to hang around a couple days, I make a quick batch of throat spray to keep in the fridge, and use it as a tool to help us feel better faster!
Here’s how to make those: