You're probably already familiar with tea tree oil's acne-fighting abilities. (One study found it's as effective as a 5 percent concentration of benzoyl peroxide in treating pimples.) But you probably didn't know that you could be using it from head to toe -- literally. Tea tree oil has antifungal properties, and it's been clinically shown to treat the symptoms of Athlete's foot -- redness, itching, dryness and burning -- as well as an over-the-counter cream with clotrimazole.
DIY: Apply the oil directly to your feet, or make a foot soak by adding 20-30 drops of tea tree oil to a tub of hot water and mellowing for about 15 minutes. Do either application two to three times a day until symptoms subside.
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The Oil That Makes Your Ambien Prescription Obsolete
Using a sleep aid medication feels a little bit like making a deal with the devil: You can get some restful shut-eye, but use them regularly and you'll have a greater chance of kicking the bucket. That little factoid is enough to make you lose sleep, wouldn't you say?
So give lavender oil a chance. In a study, subjects who sniffed the oil for two minutes before they went to bed reported sleeping better and feeling more energetic the following morning. It also increased the amount of subjects' slow-wave sleep, the state in which the body's reparative and memory-consolidating processes take place.
DIY: Mix a few drops of pure lavender oil with rubbing alcohol for a soothing pillow spray. You can also add a couple drops to an electric oil warmer and keep it on your nightstand to breathe in the loveliness all night long.
So unless you live under a rock (where there are no lady mags or Wi-Fi, obviously), you know there are plenty of uses for coconut oil beyond frying and baking. Yes, fatty-acid-rich, antioxidant-packed, multipurpose coconut oil is having a major moment in the beauty world. But don't forget the other super-oils that may be hiding in your kitchen cupboard or medicine cabinet. Here are clever ways to use olive oil, tea tree oil, jojoba oil and more.