We all need some tiger balm in our lives!
Most people will remember it from the days of yore, but we haven’t seen it around a lot lately: tiger balm. The salve hails from China and has been around for a almost a century and a half! It was invented in 1870 by Chinese herbalist Aw Chu Kin and it’s a true miracle product.
It turns out it’s super useful!
Tiger balm
These days, hardly anyone seems to know about it anymore, which is a real pity. When you rub some tiger balm on your skin, it creates a warm sensation, which is especially soothing if you’ve got aching arms or legs. Yet it turns out you can use the balm for much more than just pain relief. We’ve made a list!
Other uses
- Vermin: If there are places in your home where vermin and insects pop up every now and then, trying using some tiger balm. Rub the balm on the spots the creatures use to get in. The smell of the balm will make sure they stay away!
- Nasty smells: If you have a sweaty smell lingering around you, you could rub some of the balm on the smelly parts of your body. The smell of menthol will mask the body odour.
- Paint stains on your hands: No matter how careful you are, you’ll end up with a few stains on your hands if you’ve been painting. Rub some balm on them and you’ll be able to wipe the stains right off using a cloth!
- Sore throat: When you feel a sore throat coming on, try rubbing some tiger balm on your throat. You’ll notice it’ll also help you breathe more freely.
- Stuffy nose: Tiger balm contains a lot of menthol, so if you’ve got a stuffy nose, rubbing a bit of it just beneath your nose can help you breathe more freely again. Important: don’t rub it on your mucous membranes, because that might cause irritation.
- Headache: Got a headache? Rub some of the balm on your temples and you’ll notice the headache will disappear.
- Musty clothes: Place a little tub of tiger balm in your wardrobe. The balm will make sure your shoes and clothes will smell fresh again and it will also keep moths at bay.
- Mosquito bites: Have you been bitten by a mosquito? Not an issue! Rub a little bit of balm on the bite and it will stop itching!
- Diarrhea or constipation: Rub some of the balm around your navel and then cover this area with your hand for a couple of minutes. You’ll notice relief straight away.
- Removing stickers: Having trouble fully removing a sticker? Rub some balm on the spot in question and you’ll pull the sticker right off!
- Removing chewing gum: Getting chewing gum out of clothes or hair is an absolute nightmare, but not if you use tiger balm! Rub some balm on the chewing gum and wait for a little bit. You’ll be able to remove the gum very easily!
Read more: Baking spray is super cheap and these are all the things you can do with it!
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Source: Zelfmaakideetjes | Image: Wikimedia Commons, Steffen Buus Kristensen