Natural Remedy Secrets, Part I

Nature offers an array of herbs and produce that can be used for a variety of beauty of beauty treatments. This month we show you the best natural remedies for hair, eyes and oral health. Keep an eye on our upcoming issues for more herbal secrets and tips for facial and body skincare.

HAIR

Scalp & Roots: As a remedy for bothersome scalp conditions, try stirring the ripe meat of Soap Berry into water for a foamy shampoo, or use the oil squeezed from the skin of a Tangerine Orange. The Soap Berry concoction can also help erase any scars, as does rubbing fresh Ginger slices into the scalp. Juices from Kaffir Lime /Blue Butterfly Pea , Tamarind/Lime and Sponge Gourd also act as great washes and tonics for a healthy scalp and roots.

Dandruff: Onion juice is a great natural remedy to both remove and prevent dandruff. To prevent dandruff, immerse pieces of Sompoy in water, then whip it up into a foamy shampoo, or work crushed Garlic mixed with olive oil into the scalp.

Oily Hair: Control oily hair by using ground Garlic mixed with olive oil as a conditioner.

Lice: Juices from Sponge Gourd, Ripe Bale Fruit and Tamarind/Lime can kill lice. Also, dried Custard Apple seeds or Neem Tree leaves mixed in water.

Brittle Hair & Split Ends: Crush Lemon Grass into a juice and spread through hair to repair damages and add moisture. To add weight and fullness, mix dried Pandanus leaves into water, let it ferment for a while, and use as a conditioner.

Tangles: Ground Garlic mixed with olive oil works well as a conditioner to make hair silky smooth and easy to comb. Bits of Sompoy , or dried Custard Apple seeds mixed with water also do the trick.

Premature Hair Loss: Grinding fresh leaves of Thongpanchang, squeezing oil from the skin of a Tangerine Orange , rubbing fresh Ginger slices or working crushed Garlic mixed with olive oil into the scalp helps to slow hair loss. To stimulate growth, use Morning Glory Vine or Tiger Herbal , or a shampoo made from water and Sompoy bits.

Premature Gray: Kaffir Lime juice, ground Garlic mixed with olive oil, Coconut Milk , Aloe Vera juice and Sesame Oil are all useful for preventing premature gray.

Natural Dyes: Dried, ground leaves from the Henna tree mixed with water have long been used to achieve bright, auburn locks. For lustrous black, boil dried Chinese Rose, Hibiscus or Shoe flowers in olive oil, let it ferment, then work into hair and rinse.

ORAL HEALTH

Bad Breath: Chew and swish Lime or lime juice, Tea Leaves , Guava or its leaves, Cloves or Naam Wah Banana to help prevent bad breath.

Teeth & Gums: To build strength for healthy teeth and gums, chew up some Tumeric, Borneo Camphor or regular Camphor and let it seep into the walls of your mouth. Chewing on Orticaceas or Siamese Royal Bush bark or Betel Nut also helps to strengthen teeth. Betel Nut also happens to be a good cleansing agent. To prevent a gum infection, rinse with a concoction of chopped and boiled Bullet Wood bark.

Throat: To moisturize an irritated throat, chew and enjoy the juices from Spanish Licorice root.

EYES

To reduce puffiness and drive away dark circles, place slices of Cucumber or Potato over the eyes. Cold, wet Chamomile tea bags also do the trick.

To ease wrinkles from weariness, apply a few drops of Bees Honey around the eyes and tap the skin with slices of over-ripe Tamato.