The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are up to one million cases of shingles in the United States every year. About one in three people in the United States will develop shingles at some point in their lifetime. Shingles refers to the reactivation of the dormant herpes varicella zoster virus (chickenpox) after childhood. Various illnesses, aging, trauma, and stress can all activate the virus. 

If you had chickenpox as a child, the shingles virus remains dormant in the body. It can reactivate later in life in the form of the shingles rash, which can occur on any part of the body, but it typically affects small sections. When the virus begins, you may notice pain and itching in the skin before the signature rash appears one or two days later. Typically, small, water-filled blisters accompany the rash. Those blisters eventually rupture, scar, and fade over a few weeks. That process, however, can be very uncomfortable and painful. Other potential symptoms of shingles can include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Abdominal pain
• Chills

If you think you have shingles, it’s best to see a healthcare provider as soon as possible, especially if it’s on your face or near the eyes. While there isn’t a cure for shingles, doctors often prescribe antiviral medication to help accelerate recovery and reduce the duration of symptoms. Although an antiviral treatment is very effective, the following home remedies may be able to reduce pain and discomfort. 

Oatmeal Or Baking Soda Baths

The best way to help reduce the pain and severity of shingles is to care for your skin safely as it heals. Soaking in an oatmeal or baking soda bath can soothe the skin if you have a shingles rash. These popular home remedies can help relieve itching, according to doctors. Look for colloidal (or ground) oatmeal or baking soda and add either of those ingredients to cool bath water. Both ingredients work to calm itching and are gentle on the skin. Grinding oat grain into a fine powder makes up colloidal oatmeal, which soothes the skin because it contains beneficial proteins, fats, minerals, and other nutrients. 

Cold Compresses

Applying a cool cloth or compress against the site of the rash may relieve itchiness and reduce inflammation. Lightly soak a natural cotton cloth or towel in cool water and wring it out before you put it on the sore area. Repeat this process as necessary. One thing to remember is that you do not want to expose the skin to extreme temperatures. Avoid the use of ice baths or very hot water. Hot water can increase blood flow and slow down the healing of sores, whereas ice increases skin sensitivity.

Calamine Lotion

Calamine lotion is an over-the-counter, topical, pink lotion that is commonly used to treat mild itchiness, pain, and discomfort. This is a very important note: do not apply calamine lotion to active blisters. The reason for this is because you do not want to cause infection. Only apply calamine lotion once the skin forms scabs over the blisters. That may help soothe the discomfort you feel and reduce the urge to itch your skin, according to dermatologists. 

Modify Your Diet

A healthy diet is integral for helping the body’s systems and organs function optimally. It is best to include a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains in your diet to vary your nutritional intake. People with shingles should aim to eat more orange, red, and green foods because they contain carotenoids. This group of antioxidants includes zeaxanthin, lutein, lycopene, and provitamin A, all of which work to enhance immune function. Try to eat more carrots, squash, pumpkin, watermelon, red bell pepper, grapefruit, tomatoes, kale, parsley, spinach, melon, lettuce, and other leafy greens. 

Vaseline

Covering the rash with a thin layer of Vaseline and then a large cotton bandage protects the skin from clothing and other irritants. Speaking of clothing, stick to loose, cotton clothes, especially when you’re on the mend, as that material eases the discomfort. By protecting your rash with Vaseline and a cotton bandage, you help keep others safe. Shingles is very contagious only while rash blisters appear. When using Vaseline, try to use a plain, unscented variety to avoid irritation.

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If there’s one thing that all adults have in common, it’s that they have experienced chapped lips. Clinically called cheilitis, chapped lips appear red, dry, flaky, or swollen, and you experience soreness, itchiness, or burning. The lips, and the surrounding border, can suffer from these symptoms. The feeling is incredibly annoying, but you’re in luck because there are numerous remedies that can soothe the situation.

The skin on the lips is much thinner and more delicate than it is on other areas of the body. Because the lips are always exposed to the sun, cold, and dry air, they are much more prone to dryness, flaking, peeling, and cracking. The unfortunate phenomenon of chapped lips is because the lips lack oil glands. That means that they can’t produce their own moisture; however, natural moisturizers can offer relief. Below, you’ll learn about expert tips to soothe chapped lips quickly and naturally.

Try “Lip Slugging” Before Bed

Some swear by this trend, which has been popularized on TikTok. “Slugging” involves slathering your skin with a petrolatum-based product that acts as an occlusive. That means that the product seals moisture into the skin. Why the name “slugging,” you ask? The name comes from the fact that slugs leave a slimy trail behind. Although the origin of the name sounds gross, slugging may positively impact your lips. Use a moisturizer or hyaluronic acid serum on your lips and top that with a coat of Vaseline or Aquaphor to avoid chapping overnight. 

Exfoliate Your Lips

Have you ever seen lip scrubs? You may not think that the lips require exfoliation, but gently exfoliating them may help remove dry skin. Dry skin on the lips can prevent the healing ingredients in lip balms from reaching the area to fix the problem. That’s why beauty experts encourage you to scrub this layer of dry skin away with lip scrubs that contain baking soda or sugar. When choosing a lip scrub, make sure the ingredient list contains ingredients that soothe and moisturize the lips. If you want to make your own lip scrub, click here. 

Change Up Your Lip Balm

Lips can dry out for a variety of reasons, according to dermatologists. Cold weather, hot weather, forced indoor heat or air conditioning, contact dermatitis, and lip licking can all cause lips to chap. A common trigger, believe it or not, is your lip balm that you got at a random store. More often than not, these lip balms make your lips produce less of their own moisture, making them feel dryer and rough. You apply more lip balm and the cycle continues. Menthol, camphor, fragrances, and phenol can irritate your lips, but so can eucalyptus, salicylic acid, and flavorings. If your lip balm tingles your lips, it is probably irritating them, so treat your lips with the balm they deserve. Try to choose a balm that contains lip-friendly ingredients, such as petrolatum, shea butter, dimethicone, and ceramides. 

Drink Water

One of the major causes of chapped lips is dehydration. You may not experience chapped lips if you are slightly dehydrated, but avoiding water throughout the day can increase the risk of dry or cracked lips. Dehydration, of course, occurs when the body loses more fluid than you take in. The body starts to pull water from certain areas to ensure that cells stay hydrated. That can cause dryness all over the body, including the lips. Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day to stay properly hydrated, adjusting that figure if you exercise. 

Remove Lipstick Gently

It’s important to understand that long-wear or matte lipstick has a drying effect on your lips. If you suffer from chapped lips, or you find that certain lipsticks aggravate dryness, you may need to find a new lipstick. Lip gloss may serve as a better temporary option while you figure out a better option for lipstick. Although lip gloss isn’t hydrating, it doesn’t dry either. Anyways, when you remove lipstick, dermatologists suggest using a gentle makeup remover, as opposed to scrubbing your lips. Micellar water, for example, works like a charm on the reddest of red lipsticks!

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People use Vaseline or petroleum jelly for different reason. Some people use it to moisturize dry skin, remedy chapped lips, soothe burns, or to keep a tattoo from drying during the healing process. New research, however, has indicated that this common skincare product is not beneficial for your body. In fact, it does more bad than good.

Vaseline’s role is to protect the skin and keep it from drying out. Depending on the weather, people may use it in lotion, ointment, or cream form. People even use it on infants to help remedy diaper rash. It doesn’t serve as a remedy, though, because it actually creates an atmosphere, in which bacteria can multiply.

Vaseline completely shuts down the pores and prevents your body’s natural ability to remedy the issue. Using it on burns, for example, makes it so the body preserves the heat in the tissues, rather than naturally getting rid of it. Do you still want to use Vaseline? Here are more reasons why you shouldn’t.

Destroys Skin’s Collagen

When you apply petroleum jelly to the skin, it inhibits the skin from being able to breathe. This also means that the skin can’t take in nutrients. Continued use of Vaseline requires more collagen use to keep the skin moisturized.

It Can Cause Pneumonia

If you continue to use petroleum jelly, you may experience a health condition known as lipid pneumonia. This only happens when the body intakes a large amount of petroleum jelly, e.g. via your pores. Since the body can’t dispose of it on its own, the lungs can become inflamed.

Full Of Hydrocarbons

Because the skin cannot process Vaseline, you increase your risk of various health ailments. In theory, the petroleum jelly should act as a protective layer, but it inhibits the body from healing naturally. One study found that Vaseline contained mineral oil hydrocarbons, which are a huge threat to the human body.

Do your skin a favor and use natural alternatives like coconut oil, shea butter, or beeswax. All of these are rich in vitamins and minerals that work with the body to naturally heal itself. They also contain anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent inflammation or dryness.

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Vaginal dryness tends to occur in older and middle-aged women in their 40s and 50s. It’s not uncommon to have cases of women in their 20s and 30s who suffer from vaginal dryness.

The vagina is naturally self-lubricating. It lubricates during sexual arousal or stimulation that is usually brought on by either thought or foreplay. Lubrication is the female body’s way of making the statement that it is ready for penetration. Lubrication helps the penis insert into the vagina and also helps to protect the vaginal tissues from the effect of stroking.

Causes of Vaginal Dryness

Physically speaking, vaginal dryness results from a hormonal imbalance and issues with the endocrine and reproductive systems. Vaginal dryness usually indicates a lack of the female hormone progesterone, but also a lack of the female hormone estrogen or perhaps a lack of both hormones in some cases.

On a deep level of understanding, when the vagina fails to naturally lubricate, it’s a sign that the woman does not want to have sex or that the woman should not be engaging in sex.

Natural vaginal lubrication is necessary for penile penetration and if there’s a problem with the vagina becoming lubricated (which it naturally does when a woman is sexually stimulated), then it’s a sign that sex should not be taking place until a problem is first addressed. The problem could be physical, mental, emotional, psychological, or even etheric.

The majority of females do not enjoy painful, burning penile penetration (which can rupture the delicate and soft vaginal tissue and lead to bleeding). Painful, burning penetration results from sex while the vagina is not lubricated.

What You Should Know About Commercial Lubricants

Dherbs does not advocate commercial brand lubricants for any purpose or reason, regardless of the sexual act or activity.

Many synthetic-based lubricants can cause further vaginal dryness. Synthetic man-made lubricant is not the solution for a dry vagina. A dry vagina means something is out of balance with the female endocrine and sexual reproductive system.

There are plenty of natural alternatives such as botanical oils such as olive oil, sweet almond oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, and grape seed oil to name a few. Remember, ideally you should be able to eat anything you put on your body and if you can’t, it doesn’t belong on your body.

Many commercial brand lubricants contain petroleum that is derived from rocks and has no business on or in your body. Never use Vaseline either. Vaseline is 100% petroleum, hence its name, Petroleum Jelly.

There is a good alternative to petroleum jelly today that is sold in health food stores. It’s called ‘Un-Petroleum Jelly.’ It feels and looks just like petroleum jelly. It can be used for everything petroleum is used for.

Reversing Vaginal Dryness Naturally

No herb helps to reverse vaginal dryness like saw palmetto berry. Saw palmetto helps to stimulate natural lubrication in the vagina. It can be combined with false unicorn root for maximum effect. Six capsules (or 3 cups of tea) of saw palmetto berries daily should suffice (along with change in thought process, diet, lifestyle, and attitude) for purposes of reversing vaginal dryness.

Stimulating Sexual Thoughts

A good method to try involves stimulating sexual thoughts. The sexual excitement is totally mental. It takes the female body much longer than the male body to warm up due their Yin nature. Mental/sexual stimulation is necessary as a precursor to the sex act because it causes vaginal secretions to secrete for purposes of vaginal penetration.

For about 10 minutes daily, visualize erotic thoughts, thoughts of physical sexual foreplay. Don’t feel this is silly or that you’re silly for doing such. Don’t be shy. Use your mind to help yourself reverse vaginal dryness. Use your mind to become sexually aroused.

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An enema is a procedure in which a solution is introduced into the rectum for cleansing or therapeutic purposes. Enemas were once very common but as people began to move away from the old ways in order to live the fast paced life in pursuit of easy living and luxury, the procedure got tossed to the side and our entire alimentary canal system (or digestive tract), especially the alimentary members ‘colon’ and ‘rectum’, became clogged and a plethora of diseases resulted, diseases such as constipation, hemorrhoids, anal fistula, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rectal cancer, and colon cancer.

A ‘high in meat, dairy, refined grains and starches’ diet has greatly sabotaged health in general, colon health in particular. Chances are, if the colon is impaired, so is the rectum.

To properly fix or repair the colon, the proper procedure would be a colonic. Please read our article “Colonics” to learn more about this procedure if you’re interested in it. However, the proper and best procedure to repair the rectum would be a good old fashion enema. Enemas release water or another solution into the rectum which helps cleanse the rectum by aiding (and stimulating) the rectum in expelling old fecal waste matter and residue. The rectum pretty much holds waste that is ready for elimination. However, many times, the waste will remain in the rectum for days and in some cases (with certain people), for weeks!

Preparing For and Performing the Enema

The enema is assembled; if reusable equipment is to be use, an 18-to-20 French gauge catheter (or a speculum), a 2-to3 foot length of tubing, an enema bag, the solution, a clamp, and a thermometer are collected and brought to the place where the enema will be performed, preferably the bathroom.

It is not hygienic to perform an enema in the kitchen or bedroom.

If a disposable enema set is to be used, no other equipment is necessary. The catheter or speculum (tip) is lubricated, preferably with botanical oil such as olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil, grape seed oil, castor oil, or jojoba oil. Don’t use a synthetic lubricant, especially one that contains or is made from petroleum, i.e. Vaseline, K-Y-Jelly, or mineral oil. Always keep things natural as possible!

The person is positioned in the left lateral knee-chest or dorsal position, or, as some prefer, bent over with head-to-floor and posterior up.

The lubricated speculum or catheter is then gently inserted into the opening of the rectum. Remember to slide and ease in gently the speculum tip or catheter tip. The tip should be inserted 7.5 to 10 cm into the rectum.

NOTE: You can also lubricate the anus too before injecting the lubricated tip of the speculum or catheter.

Next, you slowly open the clamp (usually by a pressing and releasing action, which you may have to get a feel for with your hands behind you feeling their way with the enema’s clamp).

The enema solution is allowed to flow from a height of 45 cm above the level of the hips. Generally, the higher the enema bag, the better the ability of the water to flow through the hose and into your rectum.

You can control the flow of water into the rectum by manipulating the clamp. The clamp will usually have about 3-5 ridges that allow you to control the flow and amount of water that comes into your rectum.

With a disposable enema, the container is squeezed slowly to force the fluid into the rectum.

The tip (of the speculum or catheter) is gently withdrawn when all the solution has been administered.

The enema solution is held in for a prescribed period of time, after which it is expelled as you sit on the toilet (which is why the bathroom is the best place to perform your enema).

After injecting the enema solution (usually herbal solution) into the rectum, lie on your left side for 3-5 minutes and massage the left lower part of your stomach. Then, turn on your back and massage the top lower part of your stomach for 3-5 minutes. After this, lie on your right side for 3-5 minutes and massage the lower right side of your stomach.

NOTE: Place a few towels on the floor where you will lie on your sides and back during your enema. You should be comfortable lying down while massaging your lower stomach.

If you are new to enemas, you may want to attempt holding the solution in for about a good minute and then expel on the toilet. Don’t try and hold it in for 3 to 5 minutes. Work your way up to 5 minutes. Start at 1 minute, then 2 minutes, and then 3 minutes and so on.

Hold the enema solution in for as long as you can before expelling on the toilet. Sit on the toilet for a few minutes and take your thumb (alternating with both hands) and press into your stomach to hit certain reflex meridians to cause enema solution to be released.

Types of Solutions

The original enema solution is plain old natural WATER! Use distilled water or alkaline water for your enema. Never use tap water because it’s too chemically polluted!

You can mix different types of enemas together in the bag: hydrogen peroxide, liquid chlorophyll, sea salt, and bentonite clay. ALWAYS use the measurements given above when mixing all these agents together. The coffee enema should always be pure coffee and nothing else!

SEA SALT

You can add sea salt to your enema water. Pour the water into a big bowl or pot and then add the sea salt (4-8 ounces will suffice). Let the solution sit over night. The salt should dissolve into the water. Then right before performing your enema, pour the salt water into your enema bag.

NOTE: Refrain from pouring sea salt directly into your enema bag before performing the enema. The salt may clog the tube and prevent the clamp from allowing water in to the rectum. Sea salt takes time to dissolve!

Sea salt is available from health food stores. All kinds of sea salt can be used for the enema, i.e. Celtic sea salt, Himalayan sea salt, etc. Coarse or granule sea salt is best, but whichever sea salt type you use must be dissolved in water overnight.

CHLOROPHYLL

Liquid chlorophyll is a great addition to enema water. It helps to alkalize the rectum and also deodorize it! You can add 2-4 ounces to your enema water.

Liquid chlorophyll is available at health food stores.

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

Hydrogen peroxide (HP) is a great add to your enema water. Hydrogen peroxide eventually breaks down into oxygen in the body and this will help to neutralize parasites and other microorganisms that may be in the rectum.

There are 2 types of hydrogen peroxide you can use for your enema: 3% hydrogen peroxide and 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide.

If using regular 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1 ounce can be added to your enema water. If using 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide, half an ounce will suffice-it’s very powerful stuff. Use too much food-grade hydrogen peroxide and you could burn the tissues of the rectum, which can lead to rectal bleeding.

35% Food grade hydrogen peroxide is available from select health food stores. It’s not an easy item to find so you may have to search around and inquire for a while. Regular hydrogen peroxide is readily available from your local supermarket or pharmacy.

LIQUID BENTONITE CLAY

You can also use liquid bentonite clay (2-3 tablespoons) in your enema water. Bentonite clay will help to draw out toxins and impurities from the rectum. NEVER use powdered bentonite clay in your enema water, only liquid bentonite clay (also known as colloidal bentonite clay).

HERBAL TEA

Make a pot of herbal tea and let it cool down to room temperature, and then add it to the enema bag. Use laxative and colon conditioning herbs (in whole or cut and sifted form, not powdered) such as chamomile, black walnut hulls, cascara sagrada and senna leaves.

Boil the herbs in water on the stove and strain the tea into a separate container. Let them cool down to room temperature and then pour in my enema bag.

Inject the herbal solution (tea) going through the 3-5 minutes on left side, back, and right side routine, and then expelling on the toilet. Then follow up with a cool water rinse (which is really room temperature), which contains cool water and half an ounce of 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide.

COFFEE

The coffee enema is ideal to help cleanse the liver and also for purposes of weight release (if you need to release some excess weight or fat). The coffee enema is best performed once a month. If you do a weekly enema, the fourth one should be a liver cleanse and the other three should be coffee-free!

Coffee through the rectum is not absorbed into the bloodstream like when drinking coffee, so you don’t have to worry about anything, especially the concerns related to drinking coffee. Coffee in the rectum causes the liver to throw off toxins like a dump truck!

Only use organic coffee beans. It doesn’t matter which kind (or flavor) of coffee you use. However, the coffee beans need to be organic, preferably. You can find organic coffee beans at Whole Foods Market and other good health food stores.

How Often Can or Should I Perform An Enema?

You can perform an enema every other 2nd or 3rd day. You don’t need to perform enemas daily. Once a week usually suffices for optimal health and wellbeing. Perform an enema at least 1-2 times per month.

It’s best to perform an enema in the morning, on an empty stomach. In the morning, all the refuse and waste matter that has broken down over night during the body’s natural healing cycle (11 p.m. – 7 a.m.) is ready to be eliminated. If morning isn’t convenient, then before bedtime is the next best time to perform an enema.

If you perform an enema during the week and you work a job, make sure you wake up an hour early to perform your enema. You might fare well though to perform your enema on your day off from work.

Even if you get colonics performed, you should still perform an enema periodically.

Even if you detox 2-4 times per year with the Full Body Detox or some other Dherbs.com cleanse, you should still perform an enema periodically. In fact, it is ideal and recommended that you perform an enema during your cleanse, every other 3rd day for that matter, or once a week. It doesn’t matter what cleanse you may be performing, you can and should perform enemas during the cleanse.

Where Can I Purchase An Enema Bag?

You can purchase an enema bag at a commercial pharmacy, supermarket, or medical supply store. They usually cost under $10.00 and come with the necessary accessories, i.e. clamp, hose, speculum, etc.

Some enema bags may even serve as a douche bag. As long as the douche bag comes with the accessories that allow you to perform an enema, it’s okay.

Enemas, Babies and Small Children

Enemas could be performed on babies and small children if there is a need for the procedure, but it’s not recommended.

Thank you for reading!

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