Guava Leaves for Skin Problems

In Hawaii, we are so lucky to have an abundance of tropical fruits and flowers right in our backyards. Many of these fruits are not only a good source of food, but also a great resource for medical conditions. 

In Hawaii, it is also very normal to live with extended family members. I was lucky to grow up around my maternal grandparents on the same property. My grandmother was an avid holistic practitioner, which she learned from her family growing up in Southeast Asia. For example, my great grandmother was a midwife and would massage the bellies of pregnant mothers with coconut oil (which I will have to blog about later). However, being that my mother was a nurse and practiced  primarily western medical practices I often did not take the holistic approach as seriously as I should have, until recently. 

About a year ago my mother suffered from a rash under her foot and on different parts of her body. We went to the dermatologist twice and she applied the prescription topical ointments like she was supposed to, but it didn't get any better. We waited a couple months to give the medicines enough time to work and it just seemed to prolong the problem with little significant progress.

Taken at Dr. Stella Matsuda's office at Kuakini Physician's Center

I finally told my mom that we should try my late grandmother's home remedies of soaking skin problems in guava leaf tea (she would have us kids soak in a bathtub of warm guava leaf tea for rashes, chicken pox, etc.). So, we cut down a bunch of branches from our yard and boiled a large pot of guava leaves with water until the water turned brown like tea. Then my mom soaked her foot in the pot while she watched t.v. When she was done she noticed that her foot did not have an itching sensation anymore and the next day it literally healed by 50%. By the end of a week it had completely cleared up. I was amazed and became a total believer. And, to think of all the money and time spent on medication and doctor trips and agonizing prolonged pain!

If you are suffering from skin issues, guava leaves are a great way to naturally rid yourself of all types of skin rashes and irritants.  Give it a try!

Ingredients:
-Fresh guava leaves (a lot!)
-a pot big enough for your ailment or bathtub.
-hot water

Recipe:
-boil the guava leaves in a pot with water or fill your bathtub with hot water and soak the leaves until it turns brown like tea. 

Instructions:
-soak your body part with the rash in the guava tea for at least 30-45 minutes a day until gone. 

*Guava leaf tea is also beneficial when you drink it. It's effective for weight control and reducing body fat because it inhibits the absorption of glucose into the body and the conversion of glucose to body fat. 

Guava Tree

Guavas & Guava Leaves