Herbal Remedies

Dixya Poudel

Lately, herbal remedies are growing in popularity in place of allopathic medicines as the latter is more likely to incur side effects. Particularly, social media has been used to champion the greater benefits of herbal remedies. Influencers are seen jostling online for users’ attention with click bait approach towards their health posts in social media. Reels, videos and posts perpetuate a healthier approach to life online as influencers compete to attract the attention of viewers.

Often those who resort to herbal remedies have exhausted through most health options. After going through numerous allopathic treatments that only end up depleting their bank balance without any results, people turn to alternative forms of treatments as a last resort. And herbal remedies tend to be natural, mild and holistic in nature. Made with natural herbs or plant based extracts that are free from side effects, herbal products are all the rage today.

Herbal remedies that make rounds in social media mainly tend to focus on skin and beauty. It is unsurprising because people are likely to be more conscious of their appearances. Especially the beauty industry is driven by girls and women who are particularly susceptible to trends in beauty. As of writing this, there are numerous skin and beauty trends that tend to be over one’s budget. But the beauty (the pun intended here) of herbal products is that they are more within budget. Thanks to them, skin, body and hair care routine is quite affordable. It especially applies to the ever persistent and aggravating problem of acne and acne scars which doesn’t just scar the skin but also the psychology of person, particularly the young adolescents. And acne woes could even continue to adulthood.

Today, internet has become a haven of herbal remedies for acne. People proudly present their healed face along with tips such as homemade concoctions and masks. They include natural ingredients such as neem, chickpea flour, yogurt, rice water, lemon juice, tomato juice, etc. Along with such natural masks, there are recipes for health drinks which could be used for a juice cleanse. The results may or may not be effective, but people persistently Google the best juice cleanse for a clear skin.

One of the best things about herbal remedies is that they can often be made with homemade or natural ingredients. They can heal even if they take their sweet time as compared to allopathic medicine and are also gentler. Effective Ayurvedic products are made with medicinal plant extracts along with minerals and metal extracts. Ayurveda includes a broader holistic approach that focuses on mental and spiritual wellbeing along with physical health i.e. it seeks a balance of the mind, body and soul. It aims to treat the whole person and not just the isolated symptoms as they consider the entire aspect of health such as emotional, physical and spiritual health.

 As a traditional system of medicine used in Southeast Asian nations like Nepal and India, Ayurveda is gradually getting the global attention that it deserves. Next time you are in the supermarket aisle don’t be surprised by the sheer number of herbal products. Except for grave health concerns, herbal remedies are an effective holistic form of treatment that don’t dent the pocket and show wonderful results.