Nature’s Aid – the remedy for…everything

When a friend reached out today through the resource that is Facebook asking for diaper-rash remedies, I was inspired to write. She said she’d tried Burt’s Bees and Sudocrem – which happens to be a personal fave – but neither worked. So I sent her a link to Nature’s Aid.

About a year ago, I suffered a horrible allergic reaction to…something. My face was so swollen that I could barely see through the slits my eyes had become, I had patches of red bumps on every conceivable body part and the itching was out of control. Have you ever been so itchy that it was actual pain? That was me. Plus, I looked just awful. And I’m pretty vain, so my ego took a hit, too.

I went to my family doctor, whose first prescription was for hydrocortisone and the second, prednisone.  I tried the former but it did nothing – nada! I was too scared of the side effects to try the latter, plus I’m a nursing mother and the effects of prednisone on breastmilk are still unclear.  I also got a referral to an allergist but the appointment was months away.

After a couple of truly terrible days, I remembered a cream that Big B brought home for Miss Q the last time he’d been to the States. I ran to her room. It was California Baby’s Calendula Cream, and the label noted that it was for “mysterious rashes.” I slathered it on like butter. Instant relief on my face but my body still itched like crazy. And I’d used half the jar. (Incidentally, I later discovered that a rebranded version of the same California Baby product was reformulated and now contains sodium benzoate, so I no longer use or recommend any California Baby products.)

I went to my local health food store. The sales girl took one look at my Phantom of the Opera-shaped face swelling and the rash on my arm that I didn’t conceal and led me to Nature’s Aid. She said she’d never seen another product like it, and other customers had experienced amazing results using it on everything from psoriasis to burns to strange rashes of unknown origin like mine and, yes, diaper rash. I first bought the trial size, just $3. I used it when I got home and again before bed – I was able to sleep almost the whole night without waking up to scratch and there was a noticeable difference on every rash by morning.

SOLD! I returned the following day to purchase the biggest size available.

I applied it several times a day and religiously before bed, and the rash disappeared. I also noticed that the skin on my face had never looked better. I still use Nature’s Aid after washing my face, before I put on moisturizer. You know, when I have time and remember to wash my face and moisturize.

A few weeks later, Miss Q had a red bum with a few tell-tale bumps that meant a diaper rash was on its way. I put some Nature’s Aid on after her bath, let it dry completely, then applied some Sudocrem. By morning, there wasn’t a bump or a patch of red in sight.

Since then, we’ve used our ginormous bottle of Nature’s Aid on bruises, sunburns, scrapes, sprained ankles and razor burn.

THE GOOD

Made in Canada with just five ingredients: witch hazel, vitamin E, aloe vera, rosemary and tea tree oil. No fillers, no preservatives. When so many products call themselves “natural,” this one actually is.

So many uses (this is a product for your whole family); here are just a few:

• Soothes swelling & itch from insect bites
• Stops minor external bleeding
• Regulates oil secretions
• Treats fibromyalgia & sciatica (pain in muscle & nerves)
• Stimulates the growth of new tissue
• Soothes irritation from cancer treatment

Easy to apply. Absorbs quickly.

It’s not goopy and if you have leftover gel on your hands after the application, it’s only a few seconds before it’s dry. Or just wipe your hands on a towel. It’s colourless so you don’t have to worry about it staining anything.

It works – on everything, every time.

THE GAFFE

Thirty-three buckaroonies for 500 ml does mean that some families will need to think twice before buying Nature’s Aid. But the stuff lasts. We’ve had our bottle for a year and made nary a dent.

I don’t see an expiry date anywhere on my bottle. Maybe there isn’t one, but without any preservatives, it raises an eyebrow. Well, really only an eyebrow hair.

THE GEARS

4.5/5

So…where can you buy it?

• There’s a complete “where to buy” list here
• Feel Good Natural Health Stores (buy $60 worth of products and enjoy free delivery in Ontario and Quebec; a bit more and you can get free delivery across the country and into the U.S. as well)

Do you have a miracle cream, too? What is it?