Heal Thyself: 10 (More!) DIY Recipes for Colds, Wounds & More

DIY Healing Recipes Main

Soothe minor burns, relax away headaches, eliminate colds and much more with DIY recipes made with ingredients that are most likely already in your cupboard.  Non-toxic and easy to whip up yourself, these natural healing home remedies range from delicious-smelling balms for the skin to potent potions packed with flu-fighting powerhouses.

Peppermint & Lavender Headache Balm

DIY Healing Headache Balm

Next time you get a headache, try massaging a little bit of this beeswax-based headache balm by Hello Natural onto your forehead, which will soothe it away with lavender and peppermint.

 

DIY Plantain Salve

DIY Healing Herbal Salve

You can order some dried plantain (plantago major) from a company like Mountain Rose Herbs to make this healing herbal salve, or look for it in your garden – it’s a very common so-called ‘weed.’ Delicious Obsessions has the recipe for a salve that can be used on bug bites, burns, scrapes, rashes, chapped skin and cuts.

 

Combat Colds with Elderberry Syrup

DIY Healing Elderberry Syrup

When you feel a cold coming on, elderberry syrup should be one of the first things you reach for. These sweet, juicy berries contain an extract called sambucol that has been shown to relieve flu symptoms by inactivating the virus. Learn how to make the syrup yourself at Lovely Greens.

 

Fire Cider

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Five basic ingredients that can be found at any grocery store come together in a powerful potion known as ‘Fire Cider.’ Apple cider vinegar, onion, horseradish, ginger, garlic and honey all have their own potent healing properties that help combat colds and break up congestion. Learn more about how it works and how to make it at Preparedness Mama.

 

Magnesium Oil Headache Soother

DIY Healing Magnesium

This recipe for a headache soother from Radiant Life is similar to the beeswax balm above, but adds some extra virgin olive oil as well as magnesium oil, which relaxes muscles and blood vessels. 

 

DIY Nausea Pops

DIY Healing Nausea Pops

Whether you’ve got morning sickness, a hangover or a stomach bug, you can settle your stomach with these ‘nausea pops.’ Sabrina Alery has the recipe, which adds freshly grated ginger to a mix of berries, apple juice and greek yogurt.

 

Healing Bone Broth

DIY Healing Bone Broth Recipe

Bone broth has been valued for centuries as a remedy for the cold, flues, digestive disorders and a host of other medical issues. You can make it from poultry, beef, lame, fish, pork or venison. Learn all about this mineral-rich concoction at Mindful Meals.

 

Coconut Oil & Honey Healing Salve

DIY Healing Salve

Another healing salve adds chamomile, calendula and lavender, all of which have their own unique properties to help take care of burns, rashes, insect bites and other skin ailments. The coconut oil base is antibacterial and anti-fungal, too. Get the recipe at Crunchy Betty.

 

Hot Pepper Arthritis & Joint Pain Cream

DIY Healing Pepper Cream

The natural capsaicin found in hot peppers is often the active ingredient in over-the-counter pain relieving rubs. Make one yourself with cayenne, grapeseed oil and grated beeswax according to the directions over at Everyday Roots.

 

Natural Decongestant Cider

DIY Healing Decongestant

This natural decongestant will definitely help clear things up with the help of cayenne pepper, ginger, lemon juice, honey and apple cider vinegar. It’s incredibly easy to make – learn how at Everyday Roots.

 

Splinter-Drawing Salve

DIY Healing Drawing Salve

The activated charcoal and clay in this ‘drawing salve’ by The Nerdy Farm Wife will help you draw out even the most stubborn splinters.