Simple Home Remedies to Add to Your Self-Care Routine

You’ve probably used home remedies to cure a sore throat or get rid of acne, but you might wonder how many of them actually work. There are many herbal teas, essential oils, and plant-based supplements that are known to boost your immune system and fight allergies, headaches, and other ailments. Whether you read about home remedies online or get the recipes from your grandmother, you can always spice up your Sunday morning self-care routine with new tips and tricks. Practicing yoga for stress-relief, trying a new face mask, or adding a positive habit that sparks joy to your day is worth a try. Now that many simple home remedies are backed by science, we don’t have to worry about doubting our choices. Here are 10 simple home remedies to kickstart your new self-care routine. 

Home Remedies for Anxiety

1. Lavender and Coconut Bath Salts

Ingredients: Lavender buds and essential oil, coconut oil, Epsom and sea salts.

Lavender is everyone’s go-to aromatic plant. Its benefits vary from treating anxiety and insomnia to restlessness and indigestion. Lavender's versatile usage makes it easy to incorporate in many different home remedies—such as adding it to tea, reed diffusers, sleep sachets, and more. 

After a stressful day, a bubble bath with lavender is just what you need to relax and unwind. Mix five tablespoons of Epsom salt and four tablespoons of sea salt in a bowl. Add two tablespoons of lavender buds, 15 drops of lavender essential oil, and one tablespoon of coconut oil. Mix the ingredients well and store the mixture in an airtight container. Add a handful of salts to every bath to feel calm and smell good.

2. Ginger Turmeric Herbal Tea

Ingredients: Ground turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, honey (or maple syrup), and water.

Ginger and turmeric are two powerful natural spices that boost the immune system and combat anxiety. Their combined health benefits have the potential to prevent heart disease, treat nausea, reduce pain and soreness, and increase your body's antioxidant capacity.

Frequently used for medicinal purposes, ginger-turmeric herbal tea is a fantastic choice for reducing anxiety—and since this simple home remedy is quite tasty, you'll actually enjoy sipping it. First, boil two cups of water and add half a teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, turmeric, and freshly-chopped ginger. Reduce the heat and let your tea simmer for 10 minutes. Once it’s done, strain it into your favorite mug, add honey or maple syrup, and enjoy as you chill with your best friend.

Home Remedies for Sunburns

3. Aloe Vera Sunburn Cure

Ingredients: Aloe vera leaves, extra-virgin coconut oil, and an essential oil of your choice.

Nowadays, almost every lotion, conditioner, and face mask is made with aloe vera. The popular medicinal plant is best known for treating skin injuries and canker sores, while also preventing wrinkles and lowering blood sugar levels. 

For this simple home remedy, begin by peeling the skin of the aloe vera leaves (five or six are enough). Scoop out the gel from inside the leaf and put it into a container with two tablespoons of coconut oil. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the mixture—Eden Botanicals and Floracopeia are California-based companies with wide selections of essential oils—and blend the ingredients with a fork or food processor. Refrigerate your homemade gel and mix it one more time before applying it to your skin.

4. Oatmeal Soak

Ingredients: Oatmeal, milk, and honey.

The combination of oatmeal, milk, and honey is very powerful. Oatmeal serves as a moisturizer and exfoliator, but also contains healing properties and acts as an anti-inflammatory supplement. Milk also has strong soothing properties, while honey serves as a natural antiseptic salve.

This simple home remedy is quick and easy to make. All you need to do is take two cups of uncooked ground oatmeal and pour it into your bathtub. A cup of milk and a tablespoon of honey is more than enough to treat your sunburn. Soak in the bathtub for 10 minutes, rinse off, and voilà, the redness of your skin is gone. Along with helping you get rid of skin irritation, soaking in the land of oatmeal, milk, and honey, is a fabulous way to meditate at home. 

Home Remedies for Depression

5. Saffron Tea for Blue Days

Ingredients: Saffron, honey, and water.

Commonly used to fight depression and Alzheimer’s Disease, saffron contains many health benefits including easing menstrual cramps and decreasing swelling. Many people opt to use the plant as a natural remedy for depression, though it’s also used as a spice (the perfect accomplice when cooking basmati rice), as yellow food coloring, and as a flavoring agent. 

To make this natural, antidepressant tea, place a few strands of saffron in your cup. Add a little bit of warm water and stir. Let it sit for 10 minutes so the saffron infuses into the water. After 10 minutes, add boiling water to your cup and stir again to see a lovely yellow hue. If you like your warm drinks on the sugary side, a teaspoon of honey will satisfy your sweet tooth. 

6. Blood Orange Depression Combat

Ingredients: Blood orange and clary sage essential oils.

Aromatherapy is a comforting holistic treatment that reduces depression and soothes the soul. Helping to ease nervous tension, blood orange essential oil puts you in an uplifted mood and promotes a happy mind. Native to the Mediterranean Basin, clary sage is a natural antidepressant which reduces stress and contains antibacterial properties.

Whether you want to use it as a room diffuser, air freshener, or massage oil, the blend works wonders. All you have to do is mix three drops of blood orange and two drops of clary sage essential oils together for this simple remedy. The depression soothing blend provides a sense of comfort and relieves your mind of negative thoughts.  

Home Remedies for Hydrating Skin

7. Banana and Yogurt Face Mask

Ingredients: Banana, yogurt, and lemon juice.

Glowing skin is a sign of a healthy routine. Incorporating bananas into your weekly mix can help your skin shine because they hydrate and moisturize dry skin and contain potassium which makes your face feel soft and silky. Bananas are also used to treat acne and contain anti-aging effects. Yogurt, on the other hand, provides UV protection, increases elasticity, and brightens skin.

This simple home remedy is just what you need for a Sunday evening pamper session. Hydrate your skin by taking a few slices of ripe bananas and mashing them with a fork. Once the bananas have taken the form of a paste, add a tablespoon of yogurt and half a tablespoon of freshly-squeezed lemon juice. Cleanse your face, apply the mask, and let it sit for 30 minutes. Before rinsing it off, use your fingertips to gently massage your face for several minutes. Rinse off the mask and relish in your glowing skin.

8. Coffee Skincare Scrub

Ingredients: Ground coffee, brown sugar, and olive oil.

Enhance your skin with a coffee scrub that’ll rejuvenate your face. Thanks to antioxidants, coffee has calming effects and reduces inflammation. Brown sugar is a fantastic exfoliator that keeps your skin radiant and healthy, while olive oil moisturizes skin and fights bacteria.

This scrub increases blood circulation and softens skin and smooths skin as it sloughs away dead cells. Start by combining one tablespoon of ground coffee, two tablespoons of brown sugar, and one tablespoon of olive oil to create a paste. Mix the combination well and apply it to your face. Gently massage the scrub for a few minutes and let it sit on your face for 30 minutes. Scrub the mixture into your skin as you wash it off with warm water. This home remedy is all about big results in a short amount of time. 

Home Remedies for Allergies

9. Apple Cider Vinegar Steam

Ingredients: Apple cider vinegar and water.

There’s truth in the proverb “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Apple cider vinegar restores the acid-alkaline balance in your body and fights off headaches. It contains iron, potassium, and calcium, and helps with digestion, but inhaling apple cider vinegar steam is also a wonderful home remedy for allergies.

You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to make this one. In a pan, boil half a cup of water with half a cup of apple cider vinegar. Once the concoction is heated, put a towel over your head and inhale the steam. For instant relief from a sinus headache, do this for several minutes.

10. Blueberry Herbal Tea

Ingredients: Blueberries, a green or black tea bag, honey, and water.

An excellent way to reduce seasonal symptoms, blueberry herbal tea is a great home remedy to fight allergies. It contains quercetin—a natural component that promotes anti-inflammatory protection against allergens. 

This nourishing drink can be enjoyed both hot and cold. First, rinse your berries with cold water. In a pan, boil water and add a tea bag of your choice. Remove from heat, pour the berries into the pan with the tea bag, and let the concoction soak for 15 minutes. Then, use a sieve to mash the berries and strain the juice into another container. Pour the juice into a cup and add honey for extra sweetness.