The development of modern medicine is a recent fact in the history of man. Since man became an organized community, natural medicine was the way to treat diseases. Although antibiotics and vaccines have brought great advances, there are many disorders that can be treated as effectively or better, with natural medicine and homeopathy than with the drugs we get in the pharmacy and generally don't have any side effects.

The return to nature
Natural medicine treats ailments and illnesses from a different perspective to that of traditional medicine, using techniques and remedies that have been applied by different cultures before the medicine traditional doctors practice nowadays. Natural medicine treatments use plants, herbs and natural remedies
There are different types of natural medicine: naturopathy for example uses plants to cure or prevent diseases, traditional Chinese medicine has its own system, that may include acupuncture and other natural treatments and homeopathy, one of the most popular branches of natural medicine, treats illnesses with very small doses of medicinal plant extracts.

Homeopathy
Homeopathy is one of the branches of natural medicine with more tradition. The term homeopathy comes from the Greek "homeo" that means “similar to” and "pathos" meaning “illness”. Homeopathy is a natural and alternative medicinal treatment.

Homeopathy was discovered at the end of the 1700's by the doctor and chemist Samuel Hahnemann. At that time there were no drugs as we know them today. There were very few drugs and the regular treatments consisted of bleeding a patient or administering mercury or sulfur. Hahneman wanted to find a less aggressive way to treat ailments.

The basic principle of homeopathy is that an illness can be treated with plants which theoretically would make the patient worse. In this way, for example, you would treat vomiting with a plant which induces nausea.

Very small doses
Homeopathy uses extremely small doses since it is believed that when you extract a substance and dilute it, it still retains it properties and so there is no need for higher doses. The idea behind these doses is to try to improve or stimulate the natural defense mechanisms of the body, both to solve a problem and to prevent it.

To prepare the doses, the natural substances used in homeopathy are dissolved following a series of steps. According to this science, even the doses that are very diluted still retain their healing properties.

Another characteristic of homeopathy is that each treatment is customized for each patient. A field in which homeopathy is very effective is in the treatment of chronic diseases.

Homeopathic treatments are regulated by the FDA as all other drugs are.

Would you like to have a facial but don't have time to go to the beauty salon? Is your skin very sensitive and are you afraid to use products that may damage your skin? Or do you often suffer from allergic reactions when using cosmetics?
You may find the solution to these problems in plants. More and more, plants are becoming part of cosmetics partly due to the increasing stigma of using animal products for beauty purposes. The truth is that botanicals have been used for millions of years by all cultures for cosmetic treatments.

Dry skin
Many people suffer from dry skin, especially as we age and skin renewal slows down. There are several plant extracts that have been used traditionally for millions of years to solve these problems. Some of the most effective plant oils to treat dry skin are coconut oil, olive oil and Castor oil. They have all been used for ages showing excellent results.

Irritated skin
Sensitive skin tends to become irritated, becoming red and flaky. In some cases these it can become itchy and cause discomfort. To treat this:

• Turmeric. It soothes the skin and balances the skin. It can even be used in seriously irritated skin or on mosquito bites. You can also mix it with coconut oil for best results.

• Witch hazel. This plant is soothing and can treat skin irritation and rashes.

• Aloe. This plant is a very good anti-inflammatory and if you have this plant at home and you suffer from a burn, you can break off a leaf and apply the gel it has inside directly on the burn.

• Chamomile is one of the most popular plants due to its soothing properties and the variety of uses. It has a soothing and anti-inflammatory effect on dry skin.

• Marigold has anti-inflammatory properties and is also perfect to treat diaper rash in children.

Acne
When sebaceous glands become obstructed they can become infected and thus develop an infected pimple. Acne generally appears on the face. Common remedies to treat it:

• Birch. The bark of this tree, which is applied as a balm on the affected areas, is one of the best natural remedies to fight acne.

• Rhubarb. This plant, besides treating acne, soothes irritated and itchy skin.

• Rose hip is a regenerating and healing oil that aids the treatment of acne.

List of cosmetic plants
The list of plants with cosmetic properties and plants which treat skin infections is long, but adding to the ones mentioned above, these are some of the most commonly used to regenerate the skin, nourish it and soothe irritation.

• Agrimony
• Poplar
• Privet
• Elderberry
• Horsetail
• Everlasting
• Beetle juice/carmine
• Running club moss
• Marshmallow
• Chamomile
• Pennyroyal (mint plant)
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Pigweed