The following three hangover cures are meant to address hangover misery before it even occurs – before you drink! Whether they’ll work for you can only be determined by a little experimentation. Cheers to that!

The holidays season is in full swing, which means there’s ever the more reason to let loose and enjoy family, friends, and the accompanying debauchery. If you are anything like me, you tend to drink (read: guzzle) alcohol a lot more than you’re used to during holiday season. This year, don’t just expect and embrace the morning after hangover, defeat it. Add the following three hangover cures to your arsenal and be in better spirits for the next festivity, sans the pounding headache and queasiness aftermath.

3 Natural (and Weird) Hangover Cures

1. Prickly Pear Cactus

Say what? That’s right: prickly pear cactus. I didn’t say this would be your average hangover cure list! Raid your local health food store until you find prickly pear cactus extract. If you can’t find it locally, it’s available online. One study found that when you take the extract a few hours before drinking, it alleviates symptoms such as dry mouth, nausea, and the sick-to-your-stomach feeling. Sign me up.

2. Olive Oil

Olive oil is useful at any stage in the buzz-turned-hangover story line. Before you drink, throw back a shot glass filled with olive oil. Myth has it that the greasiness of the oil lines the stomach wall and thus alcohol takes longer to absorb into the bloodstream. If the folk remedy turns out to be ineffective and you wake up with a hangover, go back to the olive oil. This time, drink a spoonful of the olive oil followed by a glass of water with lemon. Olive oil contains the compound oleocanthal (aka: natural ibuprofen!). Meanwhile, the lemon water hydrates your body with much-needed electrolytes.

3. Ginger, Tangerine Pith, and Brown Sugar

I swear I am not making this stuff up. This odd combination is actually a traditional Chinese remedy for hangover symptoms. It was further investigated in a study, in which researchers tested for its effectiveness in treating discomfort and the cold sensation in the abdomen after the ingestion of large amounts of alcohol. Researchers witnessed a significant decrease in the severity of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea among subjects who consumed ginger, tangerine pith, and brown sugar prior to consuming alcohol.

You don’t have to bite into an unpeeled tangerine to get the benefits of the pith. Instead, zest as much of the pith as you can stomach into a glass of water that also contains ginger and brown sugar. Bottoms up!

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Ok, so you’ve overdone it. How to detox your system fast, and look your best, post sugar, junk food, or boozey binge.

Girls night, weddings, birthdays, Sundays…we overdo the junk. And reap the consequences afterward in the form of puffiness, sallow complexion, dark circles, and bloating.

You may have to suck it up and suffer through some of it for a few days, but there are ways to get your skin back on track fairly quickly. And we are not just talking cover-up here.

How to Detox Fast and Get Back to Looking Your Best

Hit the ice. Too much salt, sugar or alcohol can leave you just a pinch on the puffy side. To reduce swelling, put your face on ice. An ice cube smoothed over skin calms swelling. A swipe or two will do.

Cool as a cuc. Cucumber is cooling and also helps to reduce swelling and inflammation. Drink a glass of water with a few slices of cucumber to get the soothing started from the inside. Keep 100% Pure Organic Aqua Boost on hand, and spritz face several times throughout the day to hydrate and revive. Or make your own cucumber face mist.

Vinegar for vigor. Apple cider vinegar is good for boosting lymph drainage and detoxing the system. It also helps to balance the body’s pH, which will make your skin look better. Add a tablespoon of Bragg’s Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar to a glass of water or buck up and down a shot.

H2O yes. The best way to flush your system, reduce swelling, revitalize the complexion, and hydrate the body is by drinking water. Bust out your bkr bottle and get some agua flowing, pronto.

Exorcise through exercise. Get rid of those toxic demons by moving some muscle. Whether you opt for light yoga or go for a hearty run, getting blood pumping helps to expel toxins and regulate digestion. It also makes you feel good.

Lay off the hard stuff. This probably goes without saying, but steer clear of sugar, junk, and alcohol for a few days after indulging. Sugar can be especially hard to steer clear of post binge. Opt for fresh, healthy foods and those cravings will dissipate in a day or two.

Hey, no one is perfect. Take these steps to getting yourself back in check and you’ll be looking and feeling better quickly.

*Disclaimer: Help support EcoSalon! Our site is dedicated to helping people live a conscious lifestyle. We’ve provided some affiliate links above in case you wish to purchase any of these products.

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Image of tired woman trying to exercise via Shutterstock

The post How to Detox Your Skin Fast After a Sugar, Salt, or Alcohol Binge appeared first on EcoSalon.

Your phone starts ringing loud enough to wake the dead. Despite the intense collection of rocks stationed on your forehead, you reach out and silence the noise. Sure, you silence it by throwing your phone into a laundry pile which you will frantically tear into later, searching for your phone. Then you turn your aching eyeballs to your nightstand, where a full glass of water sits within reach. It mocks you like the vodka you kicked back just a few hours before. That’s when you realize with the regret of a thousand tequila shots: the hangover has cometh.

From the occasional imbiber to the hard-partying, most of us who partake in the spirits have gone a tad overboard at one point or another. And what comes next is, shall we say, not pretty. Putting all unpleasant bodily feelings and functions aside for Web MD, let’s talk about what our face is doing. (Besides vomiting. Thanks, Web MD.)

Hangover face, like ex-boyfriends or bedbugs, manifests in different ways. Some of us have dry, papery, wrinkly skin around the eyes which are simultaneously puffy and dark-ringed. Others wake up coated in a grease slick to rival a mechanic’s garage floor. How best to fix hangover face? Here are a five solutions to feel better.

1. Puffy eyes and dark circles, ahoy!
For some, a night of drinking results in a curious morning mask, and I’m not talking about the one you wish you were wearing during your walk of shame. Puffy eyes or dark circles make an appearance, sometimes delightfully conspiring to do so at the same time.

For puffy eyes, or fluid trapped under your eyeballs, consider this home remedy. Grab two organic tea bags, steep in hot water, and let them cool. (If you know thyself and thy drinking habits, consider having steeped tea bags on standby.)

Then spend a few minutes relaxing with them over your eyes. Black tea is great for caffeine, which can reduce redness by restricting blood vessels. Herbal tea, like chamomile, works well to sooth redness and inflammation. Both often contain tannins, which help get the blood flowing.

You can also considering a product like Yon-Ka Phyto-Contour ($47.00), containing 94 percent natural ingredients. It offers rosemary extracts to help reduces puffiness and dark circles. Gently massage this fragrant cream below your eyes with your fingertips.

2. When your morning glow outshines the sun.
Hangover face can involve waking up with skin so oily it looks like it should have a congressional hearing to determine who is at fault. (Also see: sleeping in your makeup.) With sebum production in overdrive, consider a gentle, natural cleanser to restore your face to normal. Avoid harsh exfoliates or anything too stripping, as your body is already focused on hydrating and healing.

A great gentle cleanser to consider is John Master Organics Linden Blossom Face Cream ($22). Made with some certified organic ingredients, it contains soothing aloe vera and rose water.

3. Your skin is red and blotchy.
Another unfortunate side effect of alcohol can be red and/or blotchy skin, similar to the look of rosacea. Since alcohol causes the blood to flow closer to the skin, expanding small capillaries and already-visible veins, you make look as if your lipstick has traveled up over your nose and cheeks. It’s especially common in the fair-hued, which is why the Irish call it “drinker’s nose.”

Aloe vera is a great soother for red and inflamed skin. If you have some pure aloe vera, massage some into your face. You can also consider this Soothing Serum from Juice Beauty ($36.00). Containing organic aloe vera and white grape juice, this product contains certified organic ingredients.

4. Water, water everywhere—especially on your face.
Your parched throat isn’t the only part of your body screaming for water after a night of drinking. Your dry skin might look like it has been hanging out on a clothes line in the dead of winter. Hopefully you remember to down at least one glass of water before you collapsed into bed the night before. If not, drink up. You need to rehydrate on every level, and the free stuff coming out of your faucet is your best bet.

Also, be sure to spritz. I’m an established groupie of Thayer’s Rose Petal Alcohol-Free Toner ($9.95), which I keep in a water spritzer by my sink. This product contains tannins of witch hazel and offers an immediate, protective layer on your skin. And the best part? You don’t even have to raise your head if you have it stashed by your bedside. Which is a plus when your brain feels like it’s made of bowling balls.

5. Moisturize and moisturize.
Last, but certain not least, be sure to treat your face to a repairing moisturizer. Yes, you aptly tended to your insides with many glasses of H20. But once you’re up and about, previous drinks now a fading memory, remember to thank your skin for putting up with your shenanigans.

Take this time to indulge in your favorite moisturizer. You can also consider the Herbal Hydration Complex ($47.00) from Farmaesthetics. Made with organic shea butter and witch hazel, it’s a cooling mask designed to quench your skin in moisture while calming irritated skin.

photo credit: sidewalk flying via photopin cc,  Svadilfari via photopin cc

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Got milk? You don’t have to just drink it. 

Love it or hate it, milk has a place not only in your diet but also in your tool box and cleaning closet as well as among your toiletries. Raw goat milk, in its unadulterated and probiotic-heavy state, is the best to use. But seeing that unpasteurized milk is outlawed for sale almost everywhere in the U.S., pasteurized goat milk is second best. While not all milks are created equally, you can use any animal milk to successfully benefit from these tips. From curing a hangover to tending to those stained linens, milk has got your back.

Appetite Suppressant

To prevent overeating at mealtime, drink a glass of milk 15 minutes beforehand. Milk fills you up and gives you enough protein – 1 cup of non-fat milk contains 8.26 grams of protein – to keep you feeling fuller and less inclined to go overboard when food is served.

Hair Conditioner and Mask

With its vitamin and mineral content, milk works great on smoothing and shining your hair. Rinse your hair with fresh milk and let it sit wet for a few minutes before rinsing with water. You could also mix powdered milk with water to form a paste and then comb through hair, letting it to sit for at least 5 minutes before washing out.

Hangover Cure

Milk helps to settle the stomach, rehydrate the system, and raise blood sugar levels. These make it a great morning-after hangover cure. Additionally, milk contains the amino acid cysteine, which is known to neutralize a lethal dose of acetaldehyde, which is an alcohol metabolite.

Fish Freshener

Place frozen fish in a milk bath and let sit until the fish thaws. The milk makes the fish taste fresher.

Make-Up Remover

Mix powdered milk with water until a paste forms. Apply the paste to skin to remove make up. Rinse thoroughly.

Crack Eliminator

Before you toss Grandma’s beloved china, enlist milk to the rescue! The protein in milk reacts with the mineral kaolin in china to close cracks. All you have to do is place china in a pan, cover it with milk, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer for up to an hour.

Silverware Polisher

For glistening silverware, take advantage of milk gone sour. Simply soak silverware in sour milk, cover it completely, and let it soak over night. The next day, wash the silverware as you normally would. If the milk isn’t sour already and you want to make your own, for every cup of milk, mix in one tablespoon of lemon juice and one tablespoon of vinegar and let it sit for five minutes before use.

Bug Bite Soother

Mix milk powder with enough water until it resembles a paste. Apply the paste to the area affected by the insect bite to relieve pain. The enzymes in the milk will neutralize the venom.

Facial Cleanser and Mask

Milk is a natural cleanser. It contains vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamins B6 and B12. The alpha-hydroxy acids in milk exfoliate the skin, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and discoloration. Use a cotton ball to dab milk all across your face. Let it sit for a few minutes and then wash with water before moisturizing. For a mask, take 1/4 cup powdered milk and add enough water until it becomes a paste. Mix thoroughly and apply to the face. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before rinsing.

Ink Remover

To remove ink from clothing, take the affected garment and soak it in a milk bath overnight. The next day, wash the garment as usual. The stain should be gone. To boost the milk’s effectiveness, mix two parts milk with one part vinegar as the soaking solution.

Body Skin Moisturizer

The butterfat in milk moisturizes the skin. And because the pH of milk is close to the skin’s natural pH, the skin is more receptive to the moisturizing effects of the milk. Pour a few cups of fresh milk or 1/2 cup powdered milk into your bathtub, Cleopatra style.

Dry Hands Softener

To relieve dry and chafed hands, rinse them in milk a few times a day. Over the course of a week or two, your hands will begin to feel softer and less Winter rough.

Leather Cleaner

Dab worn or dirty leather with milk and buff until clean. The milk removes debris and leaves the leather shiny and looking brand new.

Corn on the Cob Flavor Booster

Boil corn with some milk in the water – about 1/2 cup – and the corn’s sweetness will heighten and its flavors will become more developed.

Shaving Cream Replacement

Run out of shaving cream? Nothing powdered milk and water can’t fix. Mix enough water with powdered sugar to produce a paste. Apply the paste to your face, underarms, and legs and shave. This simple concoction is smooth enough to resemble the real thing.

Poison Ivy Soother

To reduce the itch from an unintended stroll through a poison ivy bush, dab fresh milk or a powdered milk and water paste on the affected area. The milk will reduce the itchiness, redness, and irritation.

Sunburn Soother

Delicately pat sunburned skin with fresh milk. The milk cools the burn and the enzymes in the milk help to offset the pain.

Fertilizer

A tip from farmers and seasoned gardeners themselves – use milk as a fertilizer. Milk has been used as an organic fungicide and fertilizer without harming the plant.

Furniture Polisher

Sour milk makes for a great furniture polisher. Apply sour milk to furniture surfaces through a disposable spray bottle and wipe clean. You can also make your own sour milk, outlined above.

Milk Carton Bird Feeder

No, we didn’t forget about offering you a way to re-use the milk carton! Here is a tutorial on how to turn the carton into a bird feeder.

Images: Muffet, Striatic, Sshreeves, Jenny Downing, Gagstreet, Markusram, Robert Benner, The Living Room

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