Homemade medicines.

[gordonrussell]

You can make your own version of 'Optrex' by mixing one ml of distilled witch hazel to nine ml of cooled , boiled water and storing in a clean dropper bottle.

You may need a measuring cylinder , say 10ml and you can buy stoppered dropping bottles from a chemist. Obviously good hygiene is important , but you can save heaps as Optrex retails at about £1615.25 a gallon and distilled witch hazel retails at £34.13 a gallon.

[eefanincan]

The ingredients and formulation might be the same, but I wouldn't suggest putting anything that's unsterile into the eye-- there's a huge risk for infection, or, even burning the eye is your measurements are even the least little bit off.

If anyone was going to try this, I would suggest boiling the dropper bottle as well as any measuring tools, and wearing sterile gloves when preparing.

[gordonrussell]

You can make your own eardrops.Commercial sodium bicarbonate ear drops usually come in 10ml bottles and retail at up to a whopping £1314.95 a gallon.If you follow the instructions below and remember to use a STRICT HYGIENE REGIME AND bear in mind the warning "If you have a tube in your ear or a perforated eardrum, never put liquid or drops of any kind into your ear" , you can save a considerable amount of money.

I find it easier to store in small, sterile dropper bottles obtainable from most chemists.

[faceless]

I had no idea that was just baking soda. Very cool.

[eefanincan]

Ear drops are no problem.......things don't have to be sterile for that as there is a membrane/eardrum separating it from the internal structures.

Still wouldn't recommend doing the eye drops though, no matter how many times you bold or underline sterile, strict hygiene routine --- nothing personal here Gordon, just my professional opinion as a nurse, mate.

[Skylace]

I have to agree with eefan. Eye infections are very easy to get and you need to be very careful with what goes into your eyes. I am not sure if most people would remember to sterilize the dropper each time etc.

[Twirley]

I know a guy who would lick his contact lenses to "clean" them and then put them back in his eyes.

[Skylace]

Ewwww...I've met people like that. Not healthy at all.

[eefanincan]

[Skylace]

[eefanincan]

It was worse than any of the things I have dealt with as a nurse, it truly was. Can't even think of it without gagging!

[gordonrussell]

Baking soda again , in this rather gloomy article that shows the versatility of bicarbonate of soda - and not just in medical situations.

[Twirley]

It may have been gloomy, but I enjoyed that article. Thanks gordon...

[Bob]

Anyone made any home made bug spray? Got any recipes that work?

[gordonrussell]

Glad you enjoyed it Twirley.... and Thanks for the feedback.

Hi Bob , I remember an aromatherapist I knew praising citronella oil..... but care must be taken with undiluted essential oils on the skin so I would use a 'carrier oil' to dilute it - sunflower , soya , olive etc., if you want to try it.
Living in Scotland and liking the outdoors, I remember meeting several different people who swore by , I think it was Avon cream:
http://www.leithlinks.co.uk/business/cosmetics/karengeorgeson/karen.html
probably , but I have not tried any of these things as I hate anything on my skin.
This one sounds quite plausible, but quantities are somewhat lacking
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/natural-insect-repellents-460608#fbIndex5[/url]
... cajeput is an ingredient of Olbas oil.
This Link I include as it claims that vanilla can help with hunger, B.O., skin smothing and bug repellant

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/4-fresh-uses-for-vanilla-2466223.html

Sorry I can't give you personal testimony, having such rash-prone skin , and my best remedy was a midgie hat I made from fine white net curtain sew onto a brimmed hat , bit like this
http://www.lifesystems.co.uk/products/mosquito-nets/head-net-hat.html