Home remedies
Summary per indication (illness)
For each illness, find the home remedy that you will need:
See also all home remedies from A to Z
A
Abscess: clay poultice
Angina : Chadian hot toddy
Anemia (complementary measure!) : nettle soup
Anorexia: wormwood tea, yellow gentian tea, fenugreek tea, centaury tea
Arthritis: horsetail powder, cabbage leaf, tincture of arnica
B
Bad breath: bicarbonate of soda, peppermint tea
Benign hyperplasia of the prostate: hawthorn tea
Bloating: peppermint tea
Breastfeeding: breastfeeding tea, fennel tea
Bronchitis: potato poultice, mustard poultice, mullein tea, remedy for bronchitis
Bruises: marigold compress
Burns to the skin: aloe vera
C
Cardiac problems: hawthorn tea
Chills: milk-based hot toddy, lime-based hot toddy, lime tea, sage tea, elderflower tea, herb tea for chills
Cold: physiological water, inhalation of thyme, inhalation of rosemary
Colitis: peppermint tea
Constipation: magnesium chloride, laxative tea, buckthorn tea, buckthorn decoction, psyllium seeds
Corns: corn remedy
Cough: potato poultice, mustard poultice, mullein syrup, remedy for bronchitis, garlic syrup, pine tree bud syrup, plantain syrup, elderberry syrup, thyme tea, thyme syrup
Cuts: tincture of arnica
Cystitis: cider vinegar, anti-cystitis herbal tea, horsetail tea
D
Depression: St. John’s wort tea
Diarrhea: bramble tea, bilberry tea
Digestive problems: yarrow tea, fennel tea, chamomile decoction, peppermint tea, wormwood tea, milk thistle tea
E
Exposure to the sun: carrot juice (+video)
F
Fatigue: herbal tea for fatigue
Fever: lime tea, lime decoction
Flatulence: cumin tea, lovage tea, star anise decoction, peppermint tea
Flu: elderberry syrup
G
Gastroenteritis: rice water, bilberry tea
H
Hair (blond): chamomile decoction, infusion of onion skins
Hair (loss): wheat germ, nettle-based lotion
Heart (cardiac problems): hawthorn tea
Heartburn : bicarbonate of soda, calamus tea
Hemorrhoids: witch hazel tea
I
Indigestion: peppermint tea
Insect bites: half an onion
Insomnia: lime tea, chamomile tea, valerian tea
Irritable bowel syndrome: peppermint tea
Itching, insect bites: apple cider vinegar, half an onion
L
Lice: oil for lice
M
Menstrual cramps: yarrow tea
Migraine: feverfew tea
N
Nutrition help: dandelion honey
O
Otitis externa: vinegar ear drops
P
Painful periods: lady’s mantle tea
Prostate (benign hyperplasia): hawthorn tea
Psoriasis: sea salt bath, turmeric poultice
R
Rheumatism: turmeric poultice, cabbage leaf, sea salt bath, horsetail powder, blackcurrant tea
S
Shingles: natural remedy for shingles
Sinusitis: inhalation of thyme, onion poultice, physiological water
Skin: inhalation of rosemary
Sore throat: clay poultice, sage tea
Stomach acid: bicarbonate of soda, centaury tea
Stretchmarks: sweet almond oil
Stress: lavender bath, magnesium chloride, sea salt bath
Suntan (preparation for): carrot juice (+video)
Surface wounds (not bleeding): marigold ointment
T
Teeth whitening: bicarbonate of soda
U
Urinary tract infection: cider vinegar, anti-cystitis herbal tea, horsetail tea
V
Vitamin C (lack of): acerola juice
W
Whitlow: compress for whitlow
Wounds: marigold ointment
Scientific and medical interest in home remedies
A. Traditional plant-based drugs
We know that a large proportion of traditional drugs (those which your doctor prescribes for you every day, also called allopathic medicine) come from plants or derivatives.
The most famous example is certainly Aspirin. Indeed, acetylsalicylic acid (the active ingredient in aspirin) was synthesized based on the knowledge of two plants: meadowsweet and willow.
There is also digoxin, an active ingredient indicated for certain cardiac problems, which comes from digitalis (the foxglove plant).
Many other drugs have made it possible to improve our health in recent decades, as is the case of some very effective malaria and cancer drugs.
B. Many home remedies have been scientifically proven
Most home remedies that you will find on this site are scientifically based and come from medicinal plants or mineral substances such as clay or bicarbonate of soda.
Of course, it is possible that certain remedies also enjoy a placebo effect or that the effect has never been verifiably proven (e.g. certain remedies for warts).
However, most of the home remedies suggested have a scientific basis.
See also all home remedies from A to Z