We all get them: puffy eyes. Whether it be from not getting enough sleep, eating salty foods, or having a long, rough day, puffy eyes are the worst. Here you will find simple holistic tips to help get rid of the puffiness under those tired eyes.

1. It may sound clichè, but cut up a few slices of cucumber and place them on your eyes for about 10 minutes. Cucumbers contain minerals that soothe irritation and puffiness.

2. Buy some green tea! The caffeine in the tea bags help restrict blood vessels, reducing your puffy eyes. All you have to do is brew two green tea bags, let them cool down, and place them over your eyes for 10 minutes.

3. Potatoes are also a weird way to get rid of swollen, tired eyes. The starch in the potatoes eases the irritation. First, peel the skin off, and slice two thin and wide strips of the potato, and place on eyes for 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Place a cool compress on your eyes. You can use two spoons, an ice pack, or an ice cube. The coldness helps decompress the puffiness and tighten up the skin around your eyes, while relaxing blood vessels.

5. Strawberries! They contain alpha hydroxy acid that makes your skin look smooth and young. All you have to do is chill the strawberries for 30 minutes in the fridge, remove the tops and slice them into thick pieces, and place the slices over your eyes for 10 minutes.

Try any of these home remedies to cure your puffy eyes, and wa – la! Your tired eyes will disappear!

Now that winter is here, the temperature is dropping and our skin is becoming dry and flakey. Nobody likes their skin to feel rough and cracked. With these following holistic practices, not only will your skin start clearing up and your body start feeling better, but you will have a natural, moisturized, glow to your face.

1) Eat more veggies!

• Start with eating at least one vegetable with every meal. They help your body function more smoothly and provides it with the nutrients it needs.

2) Create your own homemade exfoliator

• At minimum, exfoliate twice a week. It is important to wash the dead skin off your face because it clogs your pores. In the blog below, you can find a way to make an exfoliator made of epsom salt.

3) Stay Hydrated!

• When we don’t get enough water, not only do we feel dehydrated and sluggish, but it also makes our skin look older and duller. Make sure to sip on water throughout your day, and eat foods that are hydrating like cucumbers. When the cold air is making our skin dry and irritated, make sure you have enough water to fight back.

4) De-stress

• Stress can be very detrimental to not only our overall health and self esteem, but our skin’s appearance as well. When we are more stressed, we create higher cortisol levels, which does all sorts of damage to our body. It causes acne and blemishes, so make sure to take a breather and de-stress throughout your day.

5) Get Active!

• Exercising is the best way to get your blood flowing to all the right places. It will give you that extra glow, and make you feel a lot better overall. It can also get rid of your stress, which as I said earlier will cause acne. Get at least 30 minutes of movement in each day!

  

Did you know that the epsom salt you keep laying around in your cabinet can actually be very beneficial for you? It does not cost much, yet has an amazing amount of uses that are taken for granted. In this blog post you will find five different ways that epsom salt can help you in your everyday life.

1) Soothe sore muscles

• epsom salt can soothe sore muscles, cramps, joint pain, and bruises. After you work out, take a bath with two cups of epsom salt in it. It will help you relax and relieve stress and sore muscles

2) Cleanse your face

• Exfoliating your skin is very important, and the grainy salt is a great way to do so. Simply put a teaspoon of salt in your hand and mix it with warm water. Scrub your face and rinse. This helps exfoliate, rejuvenate, and gets rid of those unwanted blackheads.

3) Kill Foot Fungus and Remove Odor

• All you have to do is soak your feet in a bucket filled with warm water and epsom salt for 10 – 15 minutes. It will draw out toxins and get rid of odor and foot fungus.

4) Treat sunburns

• Soothe your irritated sunburned skin by soaking in a warm bath with one cup of epsom salt.

5) Hair conditioner

• Epsom salt actually works as a great deep conditioner, and adds volume while getting rid of grease. Add the salt to your conditioner, and apply to hair. Leave in for 20 minutes, then rinse.

When people get headaches, the first instinct is to pop some Advil or Ibuprofen. However, these  over the counter products have long-term effects. After years, they start to have negative effects on the liver and kidneys. When possible, try and find some natural ways to reduce the headache instead of going straight to the painkillers. In this blog post, you will find five different ways to do so.

1. The main reason that people get headaches is because they are dehydrated. So first, make sure you drink water. Drink one glass of water first, then throughout the day continue sipping water. You are supposed to drink at least eight glasses a day.

2. Get a cold compress, like an ice pack or frozen vegetables, and put it to your head. This will numb the pain, help shrink blood vessels, and improve circulation to the area.

3. Applying heat to the back of your neck relieves headaches caused by stress by relaxing tense muscles and ease the throbbing pain. Taking a hot shower is one way to apply heat.

4. Lemon reduces headaches because it contains acid-alkaline which restores pH in the body . Cut a few slices of lemon and put it in a glass of water or water bottle and drink that throughout the day. Another way is to cut lemon crust, crush it until it is pasty, and apply it right on your forehead.

5. Apples and apple cider vinegar also contains acid-alkaline. You can eat apples to help, or add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water. Adding honey and lemon will definitely help sooth the pain, too.

I hope these home remedies will be of use for you next time you have that throbbing pain in your head!

Coconut oil has so many different health benefits, it will have your head spinning.

Some of the benefits include:

~ hair care:  gives it shine, promotes hair growth

~ skin care: moisturizer, delays appearance of wrinkles and sagging skin

~ stress relief

~ cholesterol level maintenance

~ weight loss: increases metabolism, burns energy,

~ boosted immune system

~ proper digestion

~ regulated metabolism

~ boost energy level and mental alertness

It has also been shown to provide relief from:

~ kidney problems

~ heart diseases

~ diabetes

~ HIV

~ thyroid disease

These benefits of coconut oil are based upon it’s active ingredients: lauric acid, capric acid, caprylic acid, and their respective properties: antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial and soothing qualities.

Coconut oil is also known to kill off hunger, making it easier to consume less food. One study showed that six men who ate more coconut ate 256 fewer calories per day. After a few years, this number would increase and the overall health would continue to improve.

Coconut oil is used mostly in tropical areas such as Sri Lanka and Thailand, but you can buy some at your local grocery store. It is evident that those who live in tropical places are not overweight because they use coconut oil for cooking and eat over 60% of their calories from coconuts. Due to this, they are in excellent health with no evidence of heart disease.

One trick that most people don’t know is that coconut oil can also help with dogs allergies. Just by letting your dog drink/eat coconut oil, it will help nourish the dry, inflamed skin. It will also reduce the itching. Start with ½ a tablespoon a day and then work your way up to one tablespoon a day.

Basically, using coconut oil every day, at least in your cooking, will boost your overall health in so many different ways. Start putting it in your diet!