Sunburn, athlete's foot, and swimmer's ear are just a few of the irritations that can ruin your relaxed vibe during the summer months, however, there are natural ways to find relief of common summer ailments.
Naturopathic doctor Sarah Park says aloe vera is a good place to start for sunburn.
“Aloe has been studied and has been shown to have lots of vitamins and minerals and enzymes and can help protect against the radiation damage that is caused by the sun's rays,” says Park.
Aloe can be purchased in gel form, or used straight from the plant, the purer the formulation, the better. Relief can also come from a common pantry staple.
“You can mix baking soda with water and you can use it with cotton balls to apply it to the area, or a cloth and you could also put it in a bath to do a soak as well,” says naturopathic doctor Samanda Verdun.
Verdun says baking soda creates an alkaline environment and helps soothe the itch and sting of sunburn.
Heat rash is also a common skin irritation in the summer months. Aloe can help, as can neem - another succulent plant.
“So that's similar to how aloe would be,” says Verdun. “It's cooling, soothing, reducing the heat, and help dealing with the inflammation.”
A cool shower or bath can provide relief, especially with the addition of another kitchen staple.
“If you put oatmeal in an old sock and add that to a tepid bath, that can help with healing the skin as well, because the oatmeal will release a starch that helps with skin soothing,” Verdun.
Athlete's foot can be hard to control in the heat. Keeping your feet dry can help with prevention, but if you do need to treat it, Verdun recommends the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties of tea tree oil.
“It's drops that you could definitely put in a foot soak or directly on the area as well, mixed with a little bit of olive oil as well so it's not as potent,” says Verdun.
If you are prone to motion sickness during your summer travels or boating excursions, ginger can help relieve the nausea.
“They have ginger capsules, they have fresh ginger as well, there's ginger candies, so there's a lot of great options and easy accessibility as well,” says Verdun.
Park recommends motion sickness bracelets as another option.
“They actually apply pressure to an acupressure point that is known for reducing nausea,” says Park.
Swimmer's ear is common when spending a lot of time in the pool or lake. Water becomes trapped in the ear canal and creates a bacterial infection.
Verdun says a combination of herbs can help with the pain, and kill the bacteria.
“Mullein, calendula, St. John's wort and garlic and those are a topical macerated in olive oil and they're topically used inside the ear,” says Verdun.
Dehydration can be the cause of heat related summer headaches. Both Park and Verdun stress the importance of drinking lots of water, and replenishing electrolytes lost through sweat.
“You can look into making a homemade electrolyte drink, which would just have things like lemon and lime, some sea salt, some coconut water,” says Park.
Park says too much exposure to air condition can also cause headaches. The air current can cause involuntary muscle contractions that can cause tension, especially if you are already tense in your shoulders and neck.
