Some of the unknown facts are that essential oils can help a person to keep their hair and skin healthy. The costs are notably less than over the counter products:
• Jojoba Oil is good for hair and also when mixed with a base oil can help to moisturise a person’s skin.
• Lavender essential oil is good for the deterrent of mosquitoes. Do not forget to mix with a base oil before placing on the skin.
• Geranium, cypress and lavender essential oils make a wonderful mix for skin care but it can be overpowering.
• If you have a problem with over processed hair and it is looking dry use vitamin E oil, but not too much as it could make the hair follicles over greasy.
• If you have no essential oils to hand you can try olive oil on its own for a quick fix.

Here are a couple of recipes:
1. Take some virgin coconut oil and rub gently in your hair. Leave for a while and then shampoo well. Use baby oil for your body and you will feel great.
2. If you have the time try making rosewater tonic with glycerin, rose petals, and a bottle of distilled water. Boil the water and then add the rest of the ingredients. When cool use as a rinse for your hair.

Warning: Do not use undiluted essential oils.

If you have been ill and you want to take a supplement that will pick you up quickly then St. Johns Wort can be of assistance.
This herbal remedy is just as effective for a mild depression and can be used instead of taking drugs such as Celexa or Prozac without any side effects.
There is more than one use for St. Johns Wort. However, it can be up to one month before you see any noticeable results.
1. Take with meals three times a day.
2. It can be used externally as a lotion due to it being an anti-inflammatory.
3. This herbal remedy also has the effect of reducing pain and speed up the healing of wounds, varicose veins etc.
In the months of June to September the herb’s yellow flowers bloom. If you hold a flower up to the light you will see spots, and they are the glands that hold the oil. Once the flowers are steeped then the result is a beautiful red liquid.
St. Johns Wort is good for depression, sciatica, rheumatic pain, and menopausal changes in a woman’s life.
Note: St. Johns Wort is made into capsules, tablets or a tincture.
To prepare a tincture: take some of the herbs leaves and pour some boiling water over them and leave to infuse for at least ten minutes. Take two teaspoonfuls three times a day.

This herbal remedy is more known as bitter almonds and it can be used to reduce the amount of mucus from a person’s body and therefore stop the coughing that mucus can cause.

Chinese practitioners use some kernels out of the middle of apricots to relieve a person that has a bronchial condition.

Some of the ailments that apricot seeds help with are constipation, asthma, coughing and wheezing. Many cough syrups available over the counter have apricot seeds in their list of ingredients. Apricot kernels are also used as a laxative.

Warning:
• It is important not to take excessive amounts as they can lead to headaches and vomiting. Symptoms to look out for are dilated pupils and an erratic heartbeat. If you overdose then use activated charcoal or ipecac syrup as an antidote.
• There is a substance in the apricot seeds which a person’s body breaks up into different products and one is prussic acid.
• Prussic acid is toxic, therefore for this reason do not give these seeds to children. Check with your doctor if you are taking a prescribed medication.
• Do not use this herbal remedy if you think you may be pregnant.

Herbal Remedies can be used at home to help a person to become well again.

Every culture in the world has different ailments, and they all have herbal remedies at hand provided by Mother Earth.

The word ‘healing’ is from the Greek word ‘holos’ which means whole or holistic.

Spirits and emotions flow in all parts of our minds and bodies including our tissues, skin and organs.
Herbs can vary in their effects, and there are different actions which vary according to the needs of the mind and body.

It is important to treat the body as a whole and not just treat certain parts. Herbal medicine has healing powers which go beyond the physical and invite the life force to help to empower the healing required.

Each individual has a responsibility to look after their own well-being, and all the herbal remedies work by using a person’s capability to heal themselves.

The Whole Self:
Usually you will find the person who is ill is actually the person who activates the ‘therapeutic healing’.

Having a healthy mouth should be important to everybody. When introduced to a stranger the first thing noticed is often a healthy and attractive smile.

Tooth decay or gum diseases have been recognised as contributing factors to the onset of breathing problems, strokes and even heart attacks.

There are a variety of mouthwashes and toothpastes being sold and some of them have harmful ingredients in them. Toothpaste and mouthwash are not meant to be swallowed, but it can happen and cause problems with the mucous membranes of the mouth.

Herbal Remedies can be used to adapt to your needs and be part of your own collection of Home Remedies . Also, aromatherapy can solve these problems for you. Using the right essential oils such as anise, cinnamon, eucalyptus can help kill bacteria in your mouth.

There are many excellent natural herbal mouth-care products available on the market, but you also can make your own with simple ingredients. Try these 3 aromatherapy formulas recipes for your healthy mouth. Each takes only a few minutes to make.

Mint – Myrr Tooth Powder:
Ingredients:
• Half a cup of baking soda
• Half a teaspoon of stevia powder
• 2 teaspoonfuls of myrrh powder
• One teaspoon of sea salt
• 20 to 30 drops of peppermint essential oil
Direction:
• Take all the ingredients and mix together.
• Store the mixture into an airtight container.
To use:
• Take another small glass or plastic container and place one teaspoonful of the powder into it.
• Wet your toothbrush and you are ready to use your home made toothpaste.

Citrus Mint Toothpaste:
This toothpaste is more similar to commercially available toothpastes because of the sweet flavour and smooth consistency provided by vegetable glycerin.
Ingredients:
• ¼ cup of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable glycerin
• 10 drops of peppermint essential oil
• 10 drops of orange essential oil
• 5 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
Direction:
• Mix all ingredients together thoroughly in a small bowl.
• Store in a small, tightly covered container.
To use:
• Take another small glass or plastic container and place one teaspoonful of the powder into it.
• Wet your toothbrush and you are ready to use your home made toothpaste.

Citrus Mint Mouthwash:
This mouthwash leaves your mouth feeling clean and refreshed, and the essential oils help combat bacteria.
Ingredients:
• 20 drops of peppermint essential oil
• 10 drops of orange essential oil
• 10 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
• 1 cup of vodka
Direction:
• Combine essential oils with vodka and store in a tightly capped bottle.
To use:
• Dilute one tablespoon of mouthwash with one cup of water.
• Stir well.
• Use as a gargle and mouth rinse and do not swallow.

The properties of the herb bitter gourd found in Africa and Asia is known to have good medicinal properties. The herbal plant is an antidote, a laxative and a stomachic.

It is a herbal remedy that is passive and can be used to treat alcoholism. The juice from this herb can help a person’s body by strengthening the liver and immune system.

Method:
• Take the juice first thing in the morning before eating any food by adding two or three teaspoonfuls to buttermilk. Try this for one month.

Other aides are:
1. Grape juice, which has a certain amount of wine in its raw condition and when drunk it can neutralize any craving for alcohol.

2. Apple, which is another fruit that is good for reducing cravings for alcohol.

3. Dates are also good as an antidote. Try crushing them in a pan of boiled water. You have to consume this decoction at least once a day for a month, do not miss one day.
Warning: Seek professional help from your medical practitioner if unsure about anything.

If a gastric ulcer is attacking a person’s stomach it can be very painful. One of the reasons could be due to a variety of fast foods which are known to cause health complications.

There have been advances in technology which makes treating the ulcer simpler, and eases what would have been a very uncomfortable issue in years past.

There are other ulcers that can cause pain and are treatable by Herbal Remedies.

Herbal Remedies:

• Bilberry is a herbal plant that can be used effectively as it has astringent, antiseptic and anti-oxidant properties. This shrub has thin leaves with flowers and fruit.

• Cayenne pepper has been studied and found to help in the reduction of number of symptoms and help in the reduction of pain. The pepper helps to open blood vessels, which is an aid for the gastrointestinal tract.

• Cabbage eaten or drunk as a juice on a daily basis can assist with the pain of a gastric ulcer.

Warning: Herbal Remedies should not be used as a replacement for medical prescription. If the pain does not subside or if you are still feeling uncomfortable inform your doctor.

Kidney stones are caused by the formation of a substance similar to crystals and can be helped by Home Remedies .

There are four different types of stones but today we are looking at home remedies which will help to dissolve the calcium based stones.

Stones are formed inside your kidneys with crystals; if they are too large they can block ureters tubes and cause pain. If any member of your family has suffered from kidney stones then you may be at risk as it is a hereditary condition.

Note: Dehydration is a large factor in the healing and reduction of kidney stones. If you do not drink enough fluids then crystals form in the kidney.
• The most natural way to keep stones at bay and flush the calcium deposits out of a body is by drinking plenty of water with a slice of lemon.
• You can drink tea with a slice of lemon each morning or if you are feeling brave try blending two ounces of lemon and two ounces of virgin oil and drink first thing in the morning. The pain should reduce quickly and the stones should dissolve by the next day.

Sometimes you may not know the stones have dissolved. If you realize your urine is a bit gritty then you will know the mixture has worked.
Warning: Olive oil can make a person feel sickly.

When you first see the name of this herbal shrub you may think of a well known washing powder. This herb is also good for cleansing; however it’s your liver that it works on rather than your clothes.

If you are suffering from ailments such as a weak digestive tract, dyspepsia or stress then this herbal remedy could work for you.

It acts as a diuretic, sedative, tonic and hepatic. It is available in tincture form, capsules or as an infusion.

Note: To make an infusion pour boiling water over the herb, leave to steep and then cool.

The oil of this herbal plant can be volatile and some of the constituents are boldine and tannin.
It is important to take into account that there are times when it is inadvisable not to use this herbal remedy such as:

1. If you think you are pregnant.
2. If you have a nervous system or breathing problem.
Warning: Test out the herb for an allergic reaction and keep out of the reach of children. If you are on prescribed medication inform your doctor of any Herbal Remedies you use.

If you mention fennel to your friends they are likely to immediately think of it being used in cooking or on a salad.

Most people are unaware that fennel is an herbal plant and is a semi-hardy perennial which usually grows about four or five feet in height. It can be found in the Mediterranean, Australia and North America and it looks like a fat stick of celery with hardy feathery leaves and umbrella yellow flowers.

•    Chefs use the whole or cracked seeds of this herbal plant to flavour sausages and stuffing
•    Fennel is used as an ingredient in some liqueurs

As a healing herbal remedy, fennel is used to treat such ailments as PMS, water retention, bloating, upset stomachs, colic and flatulence.

One of the most important treatments it can help with is promoting the vital organs such as the liver, kidneys and spleen.  It is good for cleansing a person’s lungs.

In external use, fennel helps with infections of the eye or conjunctivitis and to ease muscular pain.

All the parts of this herbal plant can be used whether it is in the kitchen for cooking or as a home remedy to aid healing.

Warning: do not use if you are pregnant. Do not apply fennel oil directly on to skin.