Severe cases of poison ivy are typically treated with prednisone, a steroid that has potential side effects that include depression, psychoses, rapid weight gain, blurred vision, and many other conditions that are best to avoid if possible. If you do contract poison ivy, attempt to manage the spread of it by reducing the itching using one of these natural remedies so that that you can avoid having to take stronger medications.

Natural Remedies for Poison Ivy

1. Poultice

A poultice is a mixture of raw and cooked herbs that you can easily make yourself to help heal and soothe skin irritations or draw the infection out of a wound.

2. Jewelweed

Jewelweed is a close relative to poison ivy that actually appears to be nature’s counterpart to it. NaturalNews.com cites a 1958 study referenced in Varro Tyler’s book, Herbs of Choice, which found that jewelweed effectively treated 94-percent of patients within two to three days.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar

For a cost-effective remedy that also helps dry out the rash, turn to your pantry and pull out the apple cider vinegar.  While some recommend keeping it in a spray bottle to use whenever necessary, blogger Man from Modesto, who has had ample experience with poison ivy swears by applying it every few minutes (when possible) with a cotton swab which he says dries the rash out faster. Just beware that this remedy stings a bit in the beginning.

4. Banana Peel

While people are generally told to avoid banana peels because of their slipperiness, you may actually want to turn them when it comes time to relieve the itchiness of poison ivy or bug bites. The “meat” of the inside of the banana peel is said to quickly alleviate the itching and clear up the rash within a few days. Food.com recommends cleaning the rash with alcohol before applying the banana peel.

5. Baking Soda

Baking soda is used for many purposes including removing stinky odors from your fridge and making your own toothpaste, but it also works great for eliminating the itch of poison ivy. To start, run a bath and pour one-half cup of baking soda into it and soak for 30 minutes. In addition to the baking soda bath, PopSugar Fitness recommends applying a baking soda paste to the rash using a mixture of three parts baking soda to one part water. The baking soda is said to draw the urushiol out of the rash to help it clear up faster and relieve the itchiness.

Image Credit: blmurch

DISCLAIMER: This article contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, Naturally Savvy will receive a small commission so we can keep pumping out amazing articles like this one. Thank you so much for your support!

The post How to Heal Poison Ivy: 5 Natural Remedies appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

Read more about cleaning without toxic chemicals

1. Tile & Grout Cleaner– Grab an old tooth brush and scrub a mixture of baking soda and water onto the tile and grout to remove grime build-up.

2. Bathtub Scrub– Who knew that your favorite breakfast fruit could also clean your bathtub? Sprinkle kosher salt on your tub, scrub it with half of a fresh grapefruit, and rinse for a clean tub with a fresh citrus smell.

3. Glass Cleaner– There’s no reason to buy expensive glass cleaners when you can get the same results with a simple mixture of vinegar and water.

4. Laundry Detergent– Most store bought laundry detergents are petroleum based products, but you can make your own effective laundry detergent using a combination of shaved soap, borax, and washing soda.

5. All-Purpose Cleaner– For your everyday cleaning of countertops and other high traffic areas, a good all-purpose cleaner is essential. Stir up borax, vinegar, and natural dish soap with a little tea tree oil, if you like, for an all-purpose cleaner you’ll be happy to use regularly.

6. Carpet Stain Remover– Whether you have natural or synthetic carpets, a simple mixture of dish soap and warm water or vinegar and water will remove those pesky stains.

7. Dusting Spray- Your preferred cooking oil can also help keep dust at bay. Combine olive oil with vinegar and water to remove dust from your furniture.

8. Wood Floor Cleaner– Just a mixture of water and vinegar will keep your hardwood floors shiny and clean.

9. Oven Cleaner– Few places in the house get as greasy and grimy as the inside of the oven, but coating the oven in a paste made from baking soda and water and letting it sit overnight will make your oven as clean as can be.

Read more about natural cleaners

Making your own natural cleaners not only drastically reduces your exposure to nasty chemicals, but it’s also much less expensive than buying a wide variety of prepackaged cleaners.

Image: Hoppo Bumpo (Liesl)

The post 9 Chemical Free Cleaners You Can Make appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

See more of our recipes

1. Stinging Nettle Tortellini

2. Kale & Onion Pizza

3. Rhubarb Crumble Bars

4. Heirloom Tomato Tart

5. Garlic Scape Hummus

6. Honey Lavender Ice Cream

7. Chocolate and Balsamic Roasted Beets

8. Grilled Peach and Mozzarella Salad

9. Squash Blossom Quesadillas with Summer Squash Salsa

10. Bakes Zucchini Chips

Shopping at farmers markets will almost always reveal new foods that you haven’t tried (or even heard of) yet, and it’s a great way to expand your palette and experiment with new recipes. Also remember that most farmers expand their offerings far beyond fruits and vegetables. You can also fnd naturally raised meats and artisan made cheeses as well as locally produced honey. Supporting your local farmers is not only good for the local economy, but it also reduces the environmental impact on getting your food to the table, and allows you to get to know your farmers and their practices so that you can make informed decisions on what you put in your body.

Read more about farmers markets

And remember to preserve some of your farmers market finds by freezing or canning them to ensure that you’ll be able to enjoy the flavors of your local land far beyond the growing season.

Photo Credit: NatalieMaynor

The post 10 Seasonal Recipes for Your Farmers Market Finds appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

1. Choose Natural Products

Many flooring products are made from synthetic ingredients. Vinyl tile and carpets made from nylon, polyester, and acrylic make up a good portion of the floor covering market and are laden with chemicals, including known carcinogens. If you’ve ever walked through a flooring store and could smell all the products, you know how nauseating the off-gassing can be, and you certainly don’t want to be living with it in your home. Look for products made from naturally occurring materials such as wool, stone, cork, rubber, and the many varieties of wood flooring available such as bamboo, cherry, and pine (just be sure that it is sustainably harvested). Other good options are tile made from glass (often recycled) or ceramic and natural linoleum which is made primarily from linseed oil and cork dust.

2. Check the Backings, Coatings, and Adhesives

Unfortunately, in most cases it isn’t possible to just put down stone tiles or planks of wood and get the look, feel, and durability you are looking for in your flooring. Wool, jute, and other natural fiber rugs must be backed once they are woven in order to keep them together and prevent them from sliding. Look for rubber or latex backings instead of synthetic ones. Tiles need to be adhered to the sub-floor and wood floors need to be sealed. Some manufacturers use backings, coatings, and adhesives that contain formaldehyde or other harmful chemicals, so it’s important to pay attention to how the products are put together and what is required for their installation. Those wood veneer floors are good looking and cost effective, but there may be toxins in that glue that secures the veneer to the base. In addition to selecting flooring products that aren’t produced with harmful chemicals, it’s also important to seek out less toxic products when it comes time to install and finish your flooring.

3. Paying More Will Cost You Less in the Long Run

While investing in natural, healthier flooring may be more expensive in the short term, it is well worth the investment. Many people choose a synthetic carpet because it is marketed as stain resistant, but more expensive wool carpets are naturally stain resistant because of the lanolin that occurs in the formation of the fibers, making it easy to clean and more likely to stand the test of time. Wood floors can be refinished time after time instead of having to be replaced when they begin to show wear and tear. Selecting flooring derived from properly harvested natural products and installed properly means you likely will never have to replace the flooring again.

Photo Credit: Maureen Lunn

The post How to Choose Healthy Flooring for Your Home appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

From a quick glance across the lunch room, we can see that oftentimes we’re resorting to using reusable plastic lunch containers. Are those really safe for our kids?

The best lunch boxes for kids

Even when choosing BPA-free plastic containers, it’s hard to tell which plastics are leaching other dangerous chemicals such as phthalates, and we know that plastics do a real number on the planet before we put them in our kids’ lunch boxes every day. And every parent should want a safe lunch for both the environment and their child.

Here are some much better alternatives for both your family’s health and the planet’s well-being.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel lunch boxes are a great option food container option for kids because the metal is antibacterial and doesn't leach chemicals. More and more companies are making easy-to-pack and tote child lunch containers, so you can find them in just about any configuration you need, whether you prefer to pack sandwiches or a wide variety of nibbles.

• LunchBots makes a divided stainless steel container that’s available in one, two, three, and four-compartment options, as well as condiment cups. Just be sure to look for all stainless steel versions instead of those with plastic lids.
• The ECOlunchbox is a three-in-one stainless steel lunch box kit that nests into a compact stack that locks together. It’s great for packing a sandwich and two sides for your child.
• PlanetBox is the ultimate in stainless steel lunch boxes for kids. These metal bento box-style lunch boxes contain many compartments so that you can pack a wide variety of foods and come with a hinged lid for easy containment. Fun magnets are available to decorate the boxes to make kids happy, and a recycled polyester bag is available to make toting this box a breeze.
• Stainless steel is the best material for non-toxic lunch containers and the best option for your child’s drink. The Sigg kid's bottles come in pared-down sizes and with a huge variety of themes that are great for everyone from toddlers to teens.

Tempered Glass

Tempered Glass is sturdy and doesn’t break into dangerous shards if it’s damaged, unlike other glass containers. For this reason, it is the material of choice in some of the best kids' lunch boxes on the market. Wean Green makes a great variety of sizes of tempered glass lunch boxes; however, they do have plastic snapping lids, so if you want to be completely free of plastics, they aren’t an option. 

Brinware offers a tempered glass sandwich container with a decorative silicone cover to help extend its life and a silicone lid.

Organic Cotton 

Because, in most cases, you’ll still need a bag to carry your new healthy lunch containers in, organic cotton bags are the best option because the fabric has been grown without the use of harmful pesticides, and the cotton hasn’t been bleached. You can find plain organic cotton lunch totes or more decorative ones from various online retailers.

Organic cotton sandwich wraps are also a great way to package your food and can be used for much more than sandwiches. Wrap up your fruit, crackers, and other dry goods in them as well.

These might not be the classic lunch containers for kids you’ve used in the past, but they’re the best options to make sure that the healthy lunch you are packing for your family isn’t being tainted by harmful chemicals.

READ MORE: 5 Places Plastic is Hiding in Your Home

The post The Best Lunch Boxes for Your Kids’ And the Planet’s Health appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

1. Strawberries
While strawberries will happily grow in pots, the plants spread and multiply substantially from one year to the next. So, if you have ample space you can develop a significantly larger strawberry patch from one year to the next. Just be sure that at some point you contain the edges so that they don’t take over your entire garden. Kids love plucking these sweet berries straight off the vine for an afternoon snack.

2. Blueberries
Blueberries typically grow on bushes that over time can become taller than any member of the family and bear many, many helpings of this sweet fruit. However, new breeds of blueberries are available that grow in pots. As a perennial, these shrubs take a few years to reach their full potential, but you’ll still enjoy the sweet berries in the early years of the plant. It's also fun to have plants that you can watch grow along with your kids.

3. Watermelon
The watermelons you grow in your own garden may not have the girth of those you find in the grocery store, but you can easily grow sweet and delicious watermelons that are about the same size as a cantaloupe in your backyard. This juicy fruit is a great side to any summer meal or even as a healthy replacement for dessert. Kids can’t get enough of it!

Read more: 12 Nutrition Tips for Picky Eaters

4. Tomatoes
There are dozens of varieties of tomatoes that one can plant, and even if you have a big garden, you may want to plant yours in pots on your deck or patio so that they are always on hand to add to salads or for snacks. For kids, cherry, grape, and pear tomatoes, which are available in red, yellow, and orange varieties, are bite sized which makes eating them right off the vine easy. They also provide more sweetness than their larger counterparts.

5. Green Beans
Also known as bush beans, with little more than proper watering, green beans can grow plentifully off a single plant for many weeks. They are equally as tasty raw as they are sautéed up as a side dish, and kids enjoy heading out to the garden to pick their portion of beans for the evening’s dinner.

6. Cucumbers
While cucumbers aren’t one of the more flavorful fruits in the garden, they are crisp and refreshing, particularly on a hot summer day. They can also grow to be very long which gets the kids excited about them. Let each of your kids plant their own cucumber plant and have a contest to see who can grow the largest one, or just measure all of the ones that come out of the garden so that it’s a bit of a game for them.

7. Broccoli
Not all kids love broccoli, but they are much more likely to eat it if they are the ones that grow it. Broccoli is easy to grow and doesn’t have a particularly long season, so adding it to the garden is a good way for kids to try something that may not be their favorite vegetable. You also do not have to worry about dedicating lot of space in the garden to it.

Read more: 5 Great Tips for Starting a Spring Organic Garden

8. Snap Peas
Quick-growing sugar snap peas are wonderful for kids because they allow them to see the fruits (or in this case vegetables) of their labor faster than many other plants. They’re also crisp and sweet which makes them great raw snacks or cooked as part of a meal.

9. Sweet Corn
While it’s not the easiest vegetable to grow, if you succeed in growing sweet corn, it will be well worth the work. The best corn is that which is plucked straight from the garden and eaten right away. And with so many ways to prepare it, from fresh on the cob to salads and more, the whole family will want some. Gardening is always a learning experience and adding a trickier plant into the mix is certain to provide many lessons for both you and your kids about what factors affect the success of your plants.

10. Pumpkins
Heading to the pumpkin patch every fall is great fun, but what is even more fun is having it be in your own back yard. Pumpkins do require a bit of space to grow, but growing them is very rewarding. In addition to carving jack-o-lanterns they grew themselves, the kids will also love roasting pumpkin seeds and making pumpkin pie straight from the garden.

The post 10 Fruits and Veggies Perfect for Planting with Kids appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

1. Walls

Even if you don’t have any yard space, you’ve got to have exterior walls, and if at least one of them gets a decent amount of sun you can plant a vertical garden. These can be created by upcycling pallets or hanging organizers or you can order vertical garden planters that suit your space and aesthetic. Not only will you get to grow your vegetables, but your outdoor walls will look lovely and lush as well. Fences and gates are other great spots to put vertical planters.

Read more about learning to grow your own fruits and vegetables

2. Patios or Steps

If you’ve got any patio, terrace or porch space, or even a set of front steps, plant your vegetables in pots. Almost any vegetable can be planted in pots, but tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, beans, cucumbers, and herbs do particularly well. There are even varieties of blueberry and raspberry bushes that now thrive in pots if you want to add some fruit to your garden mix.

Read more about purple GMO tomatoes

3. Roof

If you’re short on space when you look to the front and back of your home, try looking up. If there’s an accessible spot on your roof that is flat and it is in good condition, you may be able set up raised beds or pots. Many apartment buildings have flat roofs that go under utilized so talk to your landlord and ask if you can create a garden up there.

4. Community Garden

With so many people who want to plant vegetable gardens that don’t have the space to do so, more and more community gardens are being created all over the country. These gardens are typically on public plots of land, and you can rent a plot in the garden to plant and care for yourself. To find a community garden near you, check out the American Community Garden Association’s garden finder.

5. Indoors

Vegetable gardens don’t have to be planted outside. Many vegetables will grow very happily in a sunny window when planted in pots or a long box that fits on a window sill. Steer clear of vegetables like squash that spread wide as they grow, and stick to those that grow vertically such as tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, and herbs.

The post 5 Super Crafty Ideas for Starting a Spring Garden with Limited Space appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

It’s tempting to search out the most potent cleaners, but they are more often than not, laden with harmful chemicals you don’t want to expose your family to. And you don’t need to, because one of the most effective cleaning agents is in your pantry: distilled white vinegar.

Here are 25 ways to use this completely non-toxic ingredient in your spring cleaning for a sparkling fresh home.

1. Clean Chrome and Stainless Steel: Combine one part salt to four parts vinegar and wipe clean chrome faucets or stainless steel sinks and other products.

2. Polish Metals (Silver, Brass, Copper):  Create a paste using one quarter teaspoon salt and one cup vinegar with enough flour to allow it to spread thinly. Coat the metal items with the paste and let sit for fifteen 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing and buffing with a soft cloth.

3. Remove Mildew: Straight vinegar applied to a toothbrush or other scrub brush and some elbow grease will remove mildew from tight spots in bathrooms, windows, and other high moisture spots.

4. Remove the Cloudy Effect on Glassware: Wrap both the interior and exterior of the glass with a cloth soaked in vinegar and let it sit for about ten minutes. Then rinse clean and towel dry for a sparkly clean finish.

5. Clean Showerheads: Soak a towel in vinegar and wrap it around the shower head. Leave it overnight and then rinse to remove the buildup.

Read More:  The Best Options for Water Filters

6. Remove Water Marks: Equal parts olive oil and vinegar rubbed onto water marks will remove them from wood furniture.

7. Clean the Garbage Disposal:  Think about all the things that go down the garbage disposal, and how rarely it gets cleaned! Pour one half cup of baking soda down the drain followed by one cup of vinegar. Allow the two to react (you’ll hear fizzing) for a few minutes and then run extra hot water down the drain to rinse it.

8. Clean the Dishwasher:  Run about one quarter cup of vinegar through the detergent compartment in the dishwasher to remove soap buildup.

9. Disinfect the Microwave:  Bring equal parts of water and vinegar (about one cup total) in a microwave-safe bowl to a gentle boil which will loosen the food and grease stuck to the inside of the appliance. Then you can easily wipe down the interior with a soft cloth.

Read More: 4 Reasons Why I Trashed my Microwave

10. Window Washing: Mix equal parts vinegar and hot water in a spray bottle. Apply to window and wipe clean with a lint-free cloth.

11. De-Grime the Can Opener: All those foods that you open using a can opener splatter and build up on the apparatus. Clean it out by soaking an old toothbrush in vinegar and brushing around the blade of the can opener.

12. Clean Doorknobs:  Spray straight vinegar on doorknobs and wipe with a clean cloth to remove germs.

13. Remove Lime Buildup:  On everything from coffee pots to bath fixtures, scrubbing them with straight vinegar and rinsing them with hot water will remove the heavy lime buildup that occurs over time.

14. Clean Computer and TV Screens: After turning the power to the appliance off, gently apply a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water using a soft cloth.

15. Disinfect the Refrigerator: A simple mixture of equal parts water and vinegar is all you need to wipe down and disinfect the inside of a refrigerator.

16. Remove Dirt from Blinds: Soak a soft cloth or the fingertips of gloves in equal parts vinegar and warm water and wipe down each panel of the blinds.

17. De-Grease Exhaust Fans: Wipe greasy fans down with a sponge soaked in vinegar.

18. Clean Grill Surfaces: Mix equal parts vinegar and water into a spray bottle and then coat grill grates with mixture before scrubbing with a hard bristle brush.

Read more:  5 Healthy Grilling Tips for Safe and Delicious Barbecuing

19. Clean a Porcelain Sink:  Straight vinegar applied to the sink and scrubbed with a hard-bristled brush will have it sparkling or soak the sink in a mixture of vinegar and hot water before rinsing.

20. Wipe Down Wood Paneling: Combine one part olive oil, two parts vinegar, and four parts water and then apply to wood-paneled walls with a soft cloth to dust and clean them.

21. Remove Tile Scum: Mix one half cup of vinegar with one gallon of water to create a cleaning product that will make your shower or floor tile clean as new.

22. Clean the Washing Machine: Run an empty cycle through your washing machine with one cup of vinegar to disinfect it and remove any mineral buildup.

23. Disinfect Kids Toys:  Mix equal parts vinegar and warm water to remove germs from kids toys.

Read More: Is it an Easy bake Oven or a Queasy Bake Oven? 

24. Clean Grout:  To remove everything from soap buildup to dirt and mildew, use a toothbrush to scrub grout lines with straight vinegar.

25. Remove Grime from Window Sills and Tracks: Dip a paper towel or cotton swab in vinegar and wipe it down the track of sliding windows and doors to remove the dirt and grime buildup that gets trapped between indoors and out.

The post 25 Ways to Spring Clean with Vinegar appeared first on NaturallySavvy.com.

There are no foods that replace sunscreen entirely, but adding these foods to your diet may be the extra sun protection boost you need in the fight against skin cancer. So, pour yourself another cup of java and start planning menus with more of these healthful fruits and vegetables. Here are five foods that are easy to incorporate into your diet for sun protection and help reduce your risk of skin cancer.

1. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are naturally rich in lycopene, a carotene that is known to have a sun protection factor (SPF) of 3. Cooked tomatoes have a higher concentration of lycopene than raw tomatoes, and you'd have to eat a lot of either version to get full protection so you certainly can't count on tomatoes alone as your sun protection (especially when outdoors) but adding them to your diet regularly will help defend your skin against the sun's rays.

Read More: 5 Fun Ways to Stay Hydrated (Besides Water)

2. Grapes

The flavonoids in grapes have been found to stop the formation of harmful molecules caused by UV rays which cause damage to the skin.

3. Strawberries

Recent studies have shown that the anthocyanins that make strawberries red decrease the amount of damage to skin cells when exposed to the sun with higher concentrations of it seeming to create a stronger defense.

4. Yellow Onions

Foods such as yellow onions, which are rich in polyphenols have been found to not only prevent DNA damage to skin cells caused by UV rays, but also help to repair it.

5. Coffee

While some doctors may tell you to curb your caffeine intake, researchers have found that caffeine can reduce your risk of developing basal cell carcinoma by as much as 20 percent, and found that the more you drink the more you reduce your risk of developing the disease.

6. Unprocessed Chocolate

A number of studies demonstrated that regular consumption of a chocolate rich in flavanols like raw cacao, offers significant sun protection and therefore protects the skin from the harmful effects of UV rays. Note that processed, conventional chocolate does not have this same effect.

Editor's Note: Here at Naturally Savvy, we turn to Goddess Garden for a natural, organic, non-toxic sunscreen, when we are looking for protection from the sun.