Ancient secrets for healing pimples, colds, upset stomachs, puffy eyes and more

Originally titled "Ancient Healing Secrets," from the August 2007 issue of Canadian Living Magazine, on newsstands or click here for the back issue.

Once a week; lathered all over your face.

And not just yogurt, her mother instructed. Switch it up with honey and olive oil, too.

The moment called for a bit of pubescent eye-rolling. But young Barb took one look at her mom, shrugged philosophically and headed for the fridge. After all, generations of women in her Mexican-born family look young -- a lot younger than is strictly decent -- and they swear it's all down to bioactive yogurt. “Doesn't matter what flavour,” laughs Barb, the afternoon drive radio host on Vancouver's Beat 94.5 FM. “It's like a natural facial, with
no chemicals.”

Mom knows best
Turns out, mom knew her stuff. Yogurt not only has healthy microbes to fight bacteria but also lactic acid to exfoliate. On the skin, honey is an antibacterial agent. And olive oil? It's rich in antioxidants, which reduce the skin-aging impact of free radicals, and is currently being studied for its antibacterial and antifungal properties.

“We're a society where medicine is so accessible,” observes Sherry Torkos, a Niagara-based pharmacist with a special interest in holistic health and author of the forthcoming Canadian Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine (Wiley, November 2007). “Yet some of the best things are found in nature.”

Long before acetylsalicylic acid and store-bought moisturizers, early cultures used nature's remedies to safely treat everything from wrinkles to warts. And most of the ingredients are available in your own neighbourhood.

Key ingredients
Most health food stores either carry the ingredients mentioned here or can order them in. Plants, such as aloe vera, rosemary, witch hazel, lemon balm and fennel, are often available from nurseries.

Alternatively, naturopathic doctors are always happy to offer their advice.

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