Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Hive Treatments

I shaved my head two weeks early due to a horrible hive reaction from popcorn (I love the movies). As I was wincing at the red scabby spots on my newly shorn scalp, I got to thinking about the best way to treat hives.

I dislike hydrocortizone cream and all steroids. I'll use them if I must - but they make me nervous and I'm a bit of a hippie when it comes to skin care.

So when I get hives here are my options.

1. Wash area well (and gently) with corn free soap (I do well with Ivory and Dr. Bronner's) and washcloth.
2. Pat area with towel but don't rub all of the moisture out.
3. Mix the following in the palm of your hand: 5 drops jojoba oil, 2 drops grapefruit oil, 5 drops vitamin E oil.
4. Rub palms together until the oils mix and melt together.
5. Rub mixture on hives.

If your head is shaved, you can rub it right on your scalp. It's heavenly.

As a bonus, rumor mill has it that jojoba is antibacterial (yay, no more skin infections from scratching) and grapefruit oil will help to tighten pores. I've been using this mixture on my face and scalp regularly. It immediately relieves any itching and my skin looks fantastic.

Happy oiling.

By the way, I am THE SEX with a shaved head.