Some untrue old wives tales are things like, 'Don't breath in when you're passing a cemetery', or 'Don't have your hair cut when the moon is in the wane' give us a chuckle. But is there any truth in age-old home remedies?
The news a few days ago featured a 2-yr-old with painful and itchy eczema all over her body.
The doctor instructed her mother to apply steroid cream to her daughter's skin nine times a day. You can imagine how long that took. But she found a cream which cured the eczema in weeks on Facebook made from cod liver oil and oats—a food found in most kitchens.
Oatmeal baths have long been recommended for people with sensitive skin conditions including eczema. Oats have properties which imparted the ability to naturally moisturize the skin and relieve itching. They also contain antioxidants which have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Most of us suffer with problems on our skin, which is the biggest organ in our body.
I have two areas that cause concern (apart from wrinkles—hehe) The surface of my lower legs is so dry it constantly flakes. I often brush the skin with soft bristles and I'm amazed at the size of the pile of skin lying on the floor underneath. I massage my skin with all sorts of things including baby oil after a shower. The most effective treatment seems to be rubbing with table salt and olive oil.
Here are several cures for common skin complaints.
The news a few days ago featured a 2-yr-old with painful and itchy eczema all over her body.
The doctor instructed her mother to apply steroid cream to her daughter's skin nine times a day. You can imagine how long that took. But she found a cream which cured the eczema in weeks on Facebook made from cod liver oil and oats—a food found in most kitchens.
Oatmeal baths have long been recommended for people with sensitive skin conditions including eczema. Oats have properties which imparted the ability to naturally moisturize the skin and relieve itching. They also contain antioxidants which have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Most of us suffer with problems on our skin, which is the biggest organ in our body.
I have two areas that cause concern (apart from wrinkles—hehe) The surface of my lower legs is so dry it constantly flakes. I often brush the skin with soft bristles and I'm amazed at the size of the pile of skin lying on the floor underneath. I massage my skin with all sorts of things including baby oil after a shower. The most effective treatment seems to be rubbing with table salt and olive oil.
Here are several cures for common skin complaints.
Baking soda cures eczema, a condition that causes the skin to become itchy, red, dry and cracked,
Apparently, baking soda is slightly alkaline, which removes dead skin, and helps neutralise acidic infected skin. Simply mix one tablespoon of soda with warm bathwater, and soak for 15 minutes, three times a week.
Baking powder also contains bicarbonate of soda (baking soda). It is usually combined with cream of tartar - usually twice the quantity of cream of tartar to bicarbonate of soda. The cream of tartar is an acid so it reacts with the alkaline bicarbonate of soda to produce carbon dioxide bubbles.
Skin diseases such as eczema are the most common reason people visit the GP, according to figures from the British Skin Foundation.
The condition, estimated to affect up to 20% of school children and up to 10% of adults, is on the rise. Eczema leaves the skin barrier unable to function properly, which leads to water loss, triggering itching. Bacteria readily gain entry, especially if it has been scratched, and cause infection.
Moisturizers or emollients are the first line in medical treatment. The humectants contain ingredients that draw water from the lower levels of skin to rehydrate the upper levels and those which prevent further water loss from the surface while the barrier repairs. The inflammation is treated by topical steroids.
Apparently, baking soda is slightly alkaline, which removes dead skin, and helps neutralise acidic infected skin. Simply mix one tablespoon of soda with warm bathwater, and soak for 15 minutes, three times a week.
Baking powder also contains bicarbonate of soda (baking soda). It is usually combined with cream of tartar - usually twice the quantity of cream of tartar to bicarbonate of soda. The cream of tartar is an acid so it reacts with the alkaline bicarbonate of soda to produce carbon dioxide bubbles.
Skin diseases such as eczema are the most common reason people visit the GP, according to figures from the British Skin Foundation.
The condition, estimated to affect up to 20% of school children and up to 10% of adults, is on the rise. Eczema leaves the skin barrier unable to function properly, which leads to water loss, triggering itching. Bacteria readily gain entry, especially if it has been scratched, and cause infection.
Moisturizers or emollients are the first line in medical treatment. The humectants contain ingredients that draw water from the lower levels of skin to rehydrate the upper levels and those which prevent further water loss from the surface while the barrier repairs. The inflammation is treated by topical steroids.
Duct tape kills warts.
My other problem is itchy warts on my torso. Okay, I'm the only one who sees them, but I hate the thought of these gross brown growths on my skin. Like leeches, they attach themselves and penetrate deep to cling to a vein for nourishment. Uggg!
Warts are small, self-limited tumors caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
Types of warts include common warts, flat warts, plantar warts, periungual warts, and filiform warts. The growths typically disappear on their own with time, but it may take years. They can also be spread to other areas by picking them.
Even liquid nitrogen isn’t completely effective, and creams are always pot luck. However, you might already have the perfect cure, nestled amongst your tools. Covering warts in duct tape sounds crazy, but apparently it deprives the virus of oxygen, killing them over time. In fact, 80% of cases have been cured with duct (duck) tape or other nonporous tape, such as electrical tape. This treatment requires that the tape must be left in place all the time and removed only a few hours once per week, when the tape is replaced.
Old wives tales aside, would you try either of these cures?
My other problem is itchy warts on my torso. Okay, I'm the only one who sees them, but I hate the thought of these gross brown growths on my skin. Like leeches, they attach themselves and penetrate deep to cling to a vein for nourishment. Uggg!
Warts are small, self-limited tumors caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
Types of warts include common warts, flat warts, plantar warts, periungual warts, and filiform warts. The growths typically disappear on their own with time, but it may take years. They can also be spread to other areas by picking them.
Even liquid nitrogen isn’t completely effective, and creams are always pot luck. However, you might already have the perfect cure, nestled amongst your tools. Covering warts in duct tape sounds crazy, but apparently it deprives the virus of oxygen, killing them over time. In fact, 80% of cases have been cured with duct (duck) tape or other nonporous tape, such as electrical tape. This treatment requires that the tape must be left in place all the time and removed only a few hours once per week, when the tape is replaced.
Old wives tales aside, would you try either of these cures?
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