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Cheap and Green: Five Recipes for Green Health Remedies

Easy, affordable and natural ways to help your hair, skin, stomach and sleep!

Originally published on The Green Student.

Store shelves are filled with products that have so many extra additives and chemicals. There is no way to know whether something is safe for the body and the environment when purchasing it. A simple way to help the environment, and the body is to create homemade health products out of beneficial and natural ingredients. Even as a student you have options to make decisions to help the environment. Take a look at these affordable and natural health remedies.

Eased Mind, Calm Sleep

Sleep is the biggest key to good health. Some people have a difficult time falling asleep. Students in university are especially notorious for lack of sleep, especially during exams. A simple trick for a good night’s sleep is to add lavender to evening bath water, or tuck it into a pillow case. The aroma of lavender is a natural soporific.

Trouble Skin No More

Acne plagues many young men and women, due to stress, unhealthy eating, or otherwise. The acne medications available are simply too harsh for skin, or too expensive for students on a budget. Tea tree oil is a tried remedy that has cleared skin for centuries. Simply add tea tree oil to a hypoallergenic organic lotion. If a spot won’t go away, simply dab a tiny amount of the oil onto the one spot. It will soon be gone. Not only is tea tree oil affordable, but it is available at most pharmacies.

Sour Stomach Solutions

With all the eating on the go, and greasy campus food, it is no wonder stomach problems of all sorts are so common. Treating a sour stomach can be as easy as making a cup of tea. Simply pour boiling water over fresh mint leaves or ginger root, and steep for about five minutes. For on the go, munching on candied or fresh ginger will do the same thing

Shiny, Healthy Hair

It is easy to get shiny, healthy hair. Natural butters and oils can help keep hair in good condition, and prevent damage. Just comb almond oil, argan oil, coconut oil, or olive oil through damp, freshly washed hair. Tie hair up under a plastic cap, and leave on while in the shower. Rinse it out, and let it air dry. This is a cheap and natural way for you to save money on conditioners since a little goes a long way.

All Natural Sunscreen

While so many people treat wrinkles, it is important to protect skin from the damage that causes these wrinkles in the first place. It is easy to make sunscreen that is safe for the skin and for the planet. The best all natural sunscreen can be made by adding a small amount of zinc oxide to a shea butter lotion base. The SPF can be altered by adjusting the amount of zinc oxide.

Health remedies don’t need to be filled with harmful chemicals. They are easy to make, easy on yourbody, and the environment. Even those on a budget, still trying to get through school can make a difference. With practice, the kitchen can also be an apothecary for healthy, green living!

Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger from Los Lunas, New Mexico. She studied writing and journalism at the University of New Mexico and recently graduated last spring. She is an outdoor enthusiast and loves to spend her time running and hiking.