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Homemade creams have a big advantage: you know their exact composition. If you prepare them from the right ingredients, they will surprise you with their great effectiveness. In this article you will find a recipe for a chestnut cream that helps against varicose veins, but also acne. It is also suitable for cases when you are troubled by pain. You make the cream once and, with proper storage, it will last for a long time.
How can the power of the chestnut be used?
The chestnut contains a number of active substances that are beneficial to the human body. It also offers a wide range of uses. It is used mainly externally, specifically as a cream, paste, gel, decoction or in the form of a compress or bath.
The horse chestnut from the Aesculus hippocastanum tree can also be found in almost every park. Ripe dark brown chestnuts are collected in the autumn months. They are not meant for classical consumption like edible chestnuts, but they can be excellently used in creams and similar preparations. Not only the fruits can be used, but also the flowers, bark and leaves.
Preparation of chestnut tincture
The tincture contains the concentrated power of the chestnut together with alcohol. It is suitable for rubbing tired legs with varicose veins and for swelling. With regular use it supports strong vessel walls. It can also be used for problems with arthritis. However, because it contains alcohol, without which it is not possible to make the tincture, it slightly dries the skin, so it is advisable to combine it with olive, coconut or another oil or a rich nourishing cream.
What you will need for the chestnut tincture:
- Chestnuts
- 70% alcohol
- A suitable screw-top bottle
Procedure for preparing the chestnut tincture:
The chestnuts must be fresh because it is necessary to remove their tough brown shell. Cut the white interior and place it into the prepared bottle. Pour over with alcohol of at least 70%. The more chestnuts you use, the stronger the tincture will be. Carefully cover the prepared mixture and store it in a dark place. Shake the bottle roughly every 3 weeks. After the first 3 weeks you can already pour off the first part of the tincture, which you place into a sealable container and use as needed.
Homemade natural chestnut cream against varicose veins
The second recipe is for making your own cream. If you prepare it yourself, you have complete certainty that it will not contain unsuitable chemical substances and the like. You choose the ingredients entirely according to your preferences. The cream prepared this way you can either use yourself or it can be an original gift that will please lovers of natural cosmetics.
What you will need to make the cream:
- Previously prepared chestnut tincture
- Gelatin powder
- Lavender oil
Procedure for preparing the chestnut cream:
Take three sachets of gelatin and let them melt in a pan. While melting, help yourself by stirring continuously. When you start to notice the gelatin thickening, add about 150 ml of the prepared chestnut tincture. To that add 5 drops of lavender oil for a pleasant scent of the cream. Continue stirring for a while until it thickens to a creamy consistency. Carefully transfer the resulting mixture into a prepared, ideally screw-top bottle and close it tightly.
Tea from chestnut leaves
When collecting chestnuts for the cream and tincture, also pick a few leaves. A tea can be prepared from them that is suitable for cough problems. It also works very well to improve the mucous membranes during a cold. Be careful with dosing, however, because the chestnut contains mildly toxic saponins.
The decoction easily treats skin prone to acne, or it can be used as a rinse for a healthy scalp. A stronger decoction of the leaves is added to a bath as a help for varicose veins or for relief from arthritis. Fresh and dried leaves can be used, so it is worth collecting and drying some to have in reserve for the winter months. You will see that when you need the healing power of the chestnut, they will come in handy.
