Ingrown toenails and warts can be painful, embarrassing, and difficult to get rid of. However, an easy homemade remedy using common ingredients you likely have in your kitchen right now has been gaining attention recently for its ability to safely and effectively treat these conditions – a turmeric and oil paste.
Turmeric, a bright yellow spice commonly used in Indian cooking, contains the active compound curcumin which boasts impressive anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-oxidant properties. When combined with an oil like coconut or olive oil, the paste can be directly applied to irritated skin areas on toes or hands to provide relief. The oil helps drive the curcumin into the skin, while the turmeric gets to work reducing swelling and redness.
In this article, we’ll explain how easy it is to whip up this all-natural, herbal paste at home. We’ll also provide instructions on how to properly apply it to ingrown toenails or warts to reduce pain, fight infection, and accelerate the healing process. With consistent use, many people find this safe, chemical-free paste effective at completely removing warts and getting pesky ingrown toenails growing back normally again. Ready to learn this simple trick using ingredients from your kitchen? Read on to give your feet some TLC!
Medicinal Benefits of Turmeric:
- Anti-inflammatory – Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, is a potent anti-inflammatory. It works by lowering histamine levels and reducing inflammatory markers like COX-2. Multiple studies have shown turmeric’s efficacy in treating inflammatory conditions like arthritis, ulcers, and other chronic inflammatory diseases.
- Antioxidant – Turmeric contains antioxidants that can help neutralize free radicals and boost the body’s natural antioxidant defenses. This may support overall health and protect against certain diseases like heart disease and some cancers.
- Improved liver function – Research indicates that turmeric can help stimulate bile production and improve overall liver function. This can boost liver health and may even protect against liver damage.
- Reduced heart disease risk – The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of turmeric can promote cardiovascular health. Studies show it may lower cholesterol and triglycerides while reducing atherosclerosis and risk of heart attacks or strokes.
- Pain reliever – Curcumin has been shown to activate natural opioids in the body that can dull pain signals. Applying turmeric topically or taking it orally has been researched for pain relief from injuries, osteoarthritis, postoperative pain, and more.
- Wound healing – Early research indicates that turmeric may accelerate wound healing time due to its antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. More human research is still needed.
Other Ingredients In The Turmeric Paste:
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is well-known for its antimicrobial properties. It contains antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal compounds that make it effective at treating a variety of conditions caused by pathogens. Research shows that tea tree oil can help fight acne-causing bacteria, skin infections, candida overgrowth, toenail fungus, and even respiratory conditions like bronchitis. The antimicrobial effects also support faster wound healing – tea tree oil can disinfect minor cuts, burns, bug bites when applied topically to prevent infection and reduce inflammation.
In addition to fighting infection, tea tree oil provides anti-inflammatory benefits that alleviate skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis flare-ups. By calming inflammation and reducing itchiness, tea tree oil brings relief to irritated and inflamed skin. The anti-inflammatory properties also aid in healing cold sores faster when applied at first onset.
Tea tree oil can also be inhaled via steam inhalation to provide respiratory relief.Components in the oil can help open up sinuses, loosen mucus, and relieve coughs and congestion often associated with colds, allergies, and bronchial infection.
Overall, tea tree oil makes an excellent natural remedy to have on hand due to its multitude of medicinal uses. However, it should always be diluted before applying directly to skin, as the oil can cause irritation when used in concentrated form.
Eucalyptus Oil
One of the most well-known benefits is congestion relief. The compound cineole found in the oil functions as a decongestant that can break up mucus and open up sinus passages or chest airways when inhaled as a steam or vapor rub. This makes eucalyptus a key ingredient in many over-the-counter cold medicines and chest rubs. The antimicrobial properties of cineole may also fight bacteria and viruses associated with respiratory illness.
In addition to respiratory benefits, eucalyptus oil can treat inflammatory conditions when applied topically or taken orally. Studies indicate the oil has anti-inflammatory properties that provide relief from swollen bug bites, muscle soreness, arthritis pain, and other inflammatory issues. The oil may also accelerate healing from wounds or burns when applied topically.
Some research has uncovered pain relief benefits as well – diluted eucalyptus oil seems to have mild numbing effects that dull nerve pain from conditions like sciatica or neuropathy when used topically. The antimicrobial properties lend its use to oral care products as well, fighting germs that contribute to cavities and gingivitis.
Finally, simply inhaling eucalyptus has cognitive benefits – promoting alertness, concentration, and mental clarity. This makes it useful for boosting energy and attention span when studying, working, or doing any task that demands focus.
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Mixing The 3 Together To Make A Ingrown Toenail Fighting Paste
Now that you understand the individual benefits of turmeric, tea tree oil, and eucalyptus oil, we can look at how to properly combine them into a powerfully effective paste. By tapping into their collective antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, and pain-relieving properties, this all-natural mix can provide immense relief for even the most stubborn, painful ingrown toenails.
You likely already have turmeric powder in your kitchen spice rack. Choose an oil you have on hand as well, whether eucalyptus, tea tree, olive, or coconut, that can help drive the turmeric into the nail bed. Mix a teaspoon of turmeric powder with just a few drops of the oil – enough to form a thick paste. Apply directly onto the irritated, inflamed area using a cotton swab or clean fingers.
Be sure to get the paste down along the sides of the nail into the nail fold – that’s where the healing ingredients can work on easing inflammationallowing the nail to grow out properly again. The oils will immediately provide anti-inflammatory relief and pain relief while the turmeric gets to work attacking infection. This helps reduce swelling and sensitivity so you can finally clip away ingrown edge pieces that may be digging into the skin.
For especially troublesome nails, apply the healing paste 2-3 times per day. Cover treated toes with a bandage before putting socks and shoes back on. After a week you should notice significantly less redness, swelling, and pain around the nail. The turmeric will also help accelerate skin healing if there are any open sores. With consistent use, the simple homemade mix can provide full relief allowing proper nail regrowth.
In Conclusion:
While ingrown toenails and warts can certainly be pesky, painful issues, you don’t need harsh chemicals or a trip to the podiatrist to find relief. As we’ve discussed here, natural ingredients like turmeric, tea tree, and eucalyptus oils contain compounds that can provide powerful medicinal benefits right from your kitchen.
It just takes making a simple paste by combining turmeric powder with one of these healing oils – like the Anti-Fungal Ingrown Toenail Relief Paste we outlined above. Applying it directly to irritated areas on the skin and around the nail softens skin, delivers antioxidant and antimicrobial benefits, and fights swelling and inflammation causing you trouble.
Within a week, most people find their ingrown toenail swelling, soreness, and redness significantly improves or resolves fully allowing proper regrowth. Warts begin drying out and shrinking as well with regular application. When made part of your daily hygiene routine, this all-natural paste offers a safe, inexpensive way to get stubborn skin and nail issues under control.