We all love summer and the fun that it can bring, but with the fun of summer comes the inevitable bug bites, sunburn, poison Ivy and even tick bites.
But with the coming of summer times problems comes frugal home made solutions to take the bite of out of your discomfort. Here are a few that I have managed to collect.
Top 5 Sunburn Remedies
One of the most common summer time complaints, there must be at least a 100 remedies for sunburns. Some remedies are very common and well heard of, others are pretty off the wall. I have compiled a list of five remedies that seem to get the most praise from readers.
- Vinegar – Surprisingly this came out as the number one remedy for burning, itching sunburn. Use either white or apple cider vinegar they both seem to work equally well, spray it on or apply it with a cotton ball and let dry. It takes away the itching and burning and helps your burn not to peel quite as much.
- Aloe – No sunburn list would be complete without Aloe on the list. Long known for its healing properties this is the remedy that most of us are familiar with. Simply apply aloe juice, gel, or direct from the plant and leave it.
- Tea or tea bags – Tea will reduce the burning as well has help your burn fade a bit faster than it otherwise would.While many people suggest applying tea bags directly to the burn if you have a large burn this could be a bit difficult. You can brew your tea let it cool and use a rag to apply the tea directly to your skin. Use this remedy two to three times daily till the pain stops and the redness fades. Especially good on severe burns.
- Ice – Removes the burn and pulls the heat out of your skin, ice will also help to reduce any swelling that might occur from severe burns. Best if combined with other remedies. You can use ice cubes, ice packs or put a wet towel in the freezer and let it freeze.
- Mustard – while this might sound a bit gross, and truthfully it is the first time I had heard of it many people swear by it. Smear the burn area with mustard and let it dry. Remove by washing it off, it takes away the sting and will prevent blistering from occuring.
Other off the wall remedies people have used for sunburn include preparation H ( recommended by a nurse) vagisil ( this from a desperate person) Noxema, Shaving cream,and a yogurt paste with barley and turmeric.
Bug Bite Remedies
From spiders to bees, we all end up with our share of bug bites in the summer time, not all remedies work the same since each bite you get is a bit different but here is a list of the best remedies and what you can use them for.
- Ice -Perhaps the best all around remedy for bug bites is ice. It constricts the blood vessels slowing the toxins and keeping histamines from reaching the skin, easing the itch and any mild allergic reaction you may have to the bite.
- Tobacco – Again it may sound gross or turn you off (I know it does me) but it really works well for bee or wasp stings. Any sort of tobacco will work, simply wet it and put it on the sting. Will stop the pain and swelling.
- Baking Soda – An age old remedy for an assortment of stings, it helps to relieve the pain.Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply to the sting site, once it dries it can be washed off and reapplied.
- Toothpaste – If you are in a pinch and having nothing else toothpaste is great for taking the sting and swelling out of a bug bite.
- Aspirin – make a paste of one aspirin and water and apply it to the site. Will relieve the sting and swelling.
Assorted other home remedies
- Poison Ivy – For poison ivy the most commonly used remedies are bleach, rubbing alcohol, inside of a banana peel, baking soda in your bath, a mixture of vinegar and table salt, and dawn dish soap mixed with white vinegar.
- Tick Removal – Pert plus shampoo will cause them to release their hold and then they can be removed easily, a hot needle to the back of the ticks neck, or simply use a pair of tweezers to pull the tick straight off, the disease of the tick resides in its body so do not worry if you do not get all of the tick.