Shea butter, a moisturizing oil extracted from the seeds of the African shea tree, adds the emollient to homemade and commercial cosmetics including lip balms, lotions and creams. Shea butter contains vitamins A and E, both of which soothe and moisturize chapped lips and dry skin.
Read more →
Butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus), a medicinal herb native to the Mediterranean and once popular for making brooms, provides several modern medicinal benefits. People have used the herb for centuries, once even consuming it as a vegetable.
Read more →
Slippery elm, an herbal remedy derived from the inner bark of the slippery elm tree, or Ulmus fulva, provides several purported health benefits.Though clinical support for its efficacy is lacking, many people claim that slippery elm's mucilaginous components are soothing.
Read more →
Cayenne pepper has numerous medicinal and culinary benefits. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, Native Americans used cayenne pepper as food and medicine as long as 9,000 years ago. Cayenne contains a substance known as capsaicin that has pain-relieving properties.
Read more →
The University of Minnesota Extension recommends washing fresh produce under clean, running water prior to consuming, but adding vinegar to the mix may help kill even more bacteria.
Read more →