Salicylic acid is the main ingredient in Aspirin, most commonly used as an anti-inflammatory, pain reliever, and treatment for heart disease. But, its non-medicinal uses are equally impressive – from the garden to the kitchen, here are 10 ways to put aspirin to work for you!
- Treatment for insect bites / stings
Rub aspirin on insect stings or bites to alleviate itching and inflammation.
- Skin rejuvenation
The salicylic acid in aspirin treats redness, swelling, and removes the dead skin cells and excessive oils. Crush five aspirin pills. Mix the resulting powder with ¼ cup of water. Add 1 teaspoon of honey. Apply to skin for 10 mins. Rinse.
- Callus removal
Crush 5 aspirin pills and mix the powder with lemon juice. Add 1 teaspoon of honey. Apply the paste to the hard calluses on your feet and wrap the foot in a warm towel. Secure it with plastic wrap. Let sit for 10 mins, remove the wrap, and rinse feet. Your feet will be noticeably softer in just one session!
- Dandruff Treatment
Crush 2 aspirin pills into a fine powder and mix with shampoo. Apply to hair, and let sit for 2 minutes. Rinse.
- Acne treatment
While we experience the worst of our pimple breakouts during adolescence, most of us still get an occasionally pimple well into adulthood. But, before you purchase an expensive OTC treatment to combat the problem, head to the medicine cabinet to give your trusty friend aspirin a shot. Aspirin has been proven to dry pimples, and with regular use, will help you achieve a smooth, even complexion. All you need to do is crush 2 aspirin pills to a fine powder, moisten with water, and apply to affected area. Allow paste to sit for 3-5 minutes, then rinse with soap and water. The redness will be relieved and the pimple will gradually disappear.
- Sweat stain removal
Looking for an easy way to eliminate pesky perspiration stains from your clothes? Simply crush 2 aspirin pills, add the resulting powder to ½ cup of water. Soak the stain in the mixture for a couple hours, launder, and voila…your garment should be good as new!
- Remove grease from cookware
Crush 3 aspirin to a fine powder and add to 1 cup of water. Apply the mixture to your cookware, and clean as usual. You will be impressed with the results!
- Restore hair color
Few people know that you can restore natural volume and shine to hair by simply dissolving 6-8 aspirin pills in a glass of warm water, and applying it liberally to hair. Allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes so your hair fully absorbs the mixture. Rinse.
- Extend life of plants
Did you know that you can postpone your plants from withering by simply adding a couple crushed aspirin to its base? Sounds crazy, but it’s true! Several studies have shown that when plants are stressed they produce a minute amount of salicylic acid. The tiny amount helps them cope when they’re facing hardship — whether it be that they’re dry, malnourished, under attack from insects, or fighting off disease. The acid acts as an immune booster for the plant and gives it a better chance of survival. - Immune boost for vegetable gardens
Gardeners at the University of Rhode Island sprayed a mixture of aspirin water (3 aspirin, 4 gallons of water) on select vegetable gardens once every 3 weeks, while leaving the control group untreated. The results showed that gardens treated with the aspirin mixture yielded a greater quantity of vegetables, and were bigger than those from their untreated counterpart. Try it for yourself — you’ll be amazed by the results!
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