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Homeopathy is a holistic approach to healing which uses naturally derived ingredients in the form of remedies. These products have been used in one form or another by practitioners since the early 1700's. In layman's terms, homeopathy uses specific preparations to mimic conditions in our bodies which jump start our own systems to help us heal ourselves. Homeopathic preparations are not medicines, they are remedies, and the science of homeopathy is fascinating to read about - and the internet is a great source for learning about it.
We've been using homeopathic remedies for many years at my house. We swear by Oscillococcinum as it has successfully gotten us through countless cold and flu seasons, Nux Vomica (I know! Such names!) has proved itself wonderfully for my anxious stomach for years, and Similisan is a pretty terrific nasal spray. But I'm not here to rave about those today - I'm here to tell you about our two favorite remedies for skin care - Arnica and Calendula.
Arnica is a topical treatment used for sore muscles, aches and bruising. It is available in gel, cream or ointment form and usually comes in a tube. Its full name is Arnica Montana and it is derived from a plant in the sunflower family.You can read about Arnica and its uses here. We love using it for bumps and bruises and achey bits. Bruises fade so quickly you'll wonder if you had imagined them and swelling is often reduced within an hour. We were most impressed with Arnica when we used it after Youngest broke his nose - his bruises were gone the next morning after looking like he was in a boxing match the night before!
Arnica has been wonderful for my bad wrist (a little arthritis there) and is perfect for those shin-bruises I'm known for, but you don't want to use it if you have broken skin or are bleeding, it's for soothing those under-the-skin boo boos.
If you find yourself with rough, dry, chapped or irritated skin you'll want to try Calendula. Calendula is the schmancy name for marigold and it's also available in gel, lotion or ointment. Reach for it when you have a minor burn, a scrape or scratch. Calendula is fabulous on baby cheeks when babies are drooly and chapped from teething and helps skin heal without antiseptics (we tend to over-use germ killers and this is a nice alternative). Calendula is nice on that dry patch on my forehead too, it goes on very smoothly and absorbs quickly with no greasy residue.
Both Arnica and Calendula are safe to use on children and have very mild herb-y scents. Ask your doctor if you have questions regarding the use of these creams, especially if you are being treated for a particular dermatological condition.
I'm thinking that you, like me, have seen all those tubes and preparations and pamphlets at stores like Whole Foods (where the sales help is especially knowledgable about homeopathics) or your local health food store and wonder about their crazy names and uses. Now you know about two of them.
