Home Remedies from Common Sense Homesteading

Thieves Vinegar – Immune Booster and Germ Killer

October 6, 2018 by Laurie Neverman 58 Comments

Thieves Vinegar, Four Thieves Vinegar, Vinegar of the Four Thieves or Forthave's Vinegar

No matter what you call it, thieves vinegar has a long history of use. From Scientific American's 1910 reference to “medicated vinegar was invented by four thieves of Marseilles who successfully employed it as a prophylactic during a visitation of pestilence” to a popular essential oil company creating a product line based off of the blend, antimicrobial herbs have a well earned reputation for their usefulness.

Fall is a great time to prep a batch of homemade four thieves vinegar to have on hand for cold and flu season.
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Black Walnut Tincture – How to Make it and Use it Safely

September 6, 2018 by Laurie Neverman 70 Comments

In this post, we'll discuss how to make black walnut tincture, plus uses and benefits and a black walnut parasite cleanse. Black walnut tincture is easy to make, although a quick search will reveal plenty of variations in technique. Some people use only the green hull, some use the whole nuts in the hull. Most use only green nuts, but I've found a couple sources that use black hulls. I prefer to keep it simple and stick with plain vodka, but some mix half vodka and half glycerin, or even vodka, lemon juice and a layer of olive oil on top. (The olive oil and lemon help prevent oxidation, keeping your tincture green instead of brown.)

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11 Home Remedies for Sunburn Relief to Get Rid of Sunburn

July 4, 2018 by Laurie Neverman 16 Comments

These home remedies for sunburn will help bring relief from sunburn itch and speed healing from your head to your toes. We have safe options for sunburn on your face, tips for a soothing bath and some of the best options for sunburn relief.

How long does it take for sunburn to heal? That depends on the severity of the burn. For mild sunburn, you should be better in 3-5 days. A moderate burn will likely take a week or more, and severe burns with blisters will likely take two weeks or more.

Remember, sunburns are burns – so always be gentle to sunburned skin. (See note at bottom of post for when to see a doctor for sunburn.) Most of the time home sunburn remedies will take care of your symptoms, but be careful out there.

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10 Causes of Chapped Lips, Plus How to Get Rid of Chapped Lips

June 18, 2018 by Laurie Neverman 15 Comments

Chapped lips tend to get worse in winter, but can be a problem any time of year. From too much dry air to medical conditions, we'll discuss what causes chapped lips, plus home remedies that show you how to get rid of chapped lips and heal. It's important to match the right remedies for dry lips so you heal as well as treating the symptoms. Remember – good health starts from the inside out. [Read more…]

10 Home Remedies for Acid Reflux and The Problem with PPIs for GERD

February 5, 2018 by Laurie Neverman 44 Comments

Recently, some friends asked me for home remedies for acid reflux, so it seemed like a great topic to add to the Home Remedies Collection. Whether you call it acid reflux, GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, it doesn't feel good. In this post we'll cover quick fixes for acid reflux and GERD symptom relief, long term solutions to improve digestive health, acid reflux triggers to avoid and the side effects of PPIs. [Read more…]