Lazy Saturday and Natural home medicine

I am still not firing on all pistons and today is a quiet day by design here at my home.  We have had one or two flutters of snow but it is not settling and is fey and just disappearing and is cold, but then I really do feel the cold compared to everyone else.  Fortunately I am snug in the house and for once enjoying being at home where I am quietly trying to tidy and sort the front room out.  I haven't been shopping either trying to make the most of what I actually have in the house and only just popping out for necessities like milk and eggs if required.  The washing machine is on whirring away and shortly the tumble drier will go on  (it is a condenser type tumbler and I recycle the water for feeding plants etc)- I use this a lot during the winter months as we do not have a fire source in this house or a drying area so needs must; and with the damp air jiggering me up I am not going to introduce too much moisture into the atmosphere although I do on occasion hang things up on coathangers to dry and then get into trouble with the OH because he has to duck and dive the drying garments.

With the medical conditions I have it has been affecting my skin quite badly  and it has been a lot drier than I am used to so in an effort to do something about this and improve the condition of my skin I have taken to adding a little almond oil (if you cannot tolerate nuts use baby oil) to the bath or when I hand wash (we do not have a shower) which seems to be working as the condition of my skin seems to be improving and more supple.  Almond oil is one of the more gentler oils and has always been advocated for rubbing into babies scalps if the suffer from an over dry skin.  Fortunately I have a ready supply of almond oil from my local Asian food shop where it does not cost an arm and a leg and also coconut oil..  Both are very good for the skin and rather than pay through the nose for beauty products I would rather use something that is already in the house such as olive oil, coconut oil or almond oil (all can be used in cooking).  To make them smell nicer you can always add a few drops of essential oil of your choice (which I also tend to keep in).  I think there is a "Hedge Witch" in there somewhere trying to escape as come autumn I really do haunt the hedgerows and I really am interested in alternative medicines and forms of healing.

I am also trying to improve the condition of my nails; last year one of my finger nails became discoloured and seemed to have an infection (I am not sure how) where the nail was uneven and kept weeping I tried all the usual methods to no avail and in the end I slapped on a honey bandage.  Result the infection cleared  and dried and the nail has healed.  I am a great believer in keeping honey in the kitchen cupboard also as it is a very good natural expectorant (helps bring things up) if you have a chest infection and good for cuts it helps seal a cut and minimise scarring.  Honey is naturally antibiotic and if you have a cut with muck/infection  in it if you pop on a honey plaster or bandage it will get rid of the nasties. It has taken me a whole year to get the quality back in the nail without any ridges and uneven bits so I am now going to start doing a regular manicure to help strengthen my nails and make them more nicely presented.  I have in the past used a cube of jelly a day and it does help increase the strength of my nails.  I also rub in a little neat oil with some cotton wool into the nails once a week as well.  Will have to see how things go.

Right am going to potter on hopefully will be able to pop back later on.

Hope you are all okay

Pattypan

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