Some facial skin fresheners are heavy cream, mashed strawberries or 1/2 banana. Either strawberries or banana can be mixed into the heavy cream and used as a skin freshener.

Yucca:

The best part of the Yucca to use medicinally is the root. Pound the root into a mild soap. This is good to cleanse cuts, scrapes, etc or for washing your hair or bathing. Make a poultice of the soapy root for skin rashes, boils and poison ivy.

Poison Ivy or skin rashes: Boil the twigs from a Black Birch Tree. Make a strong tea out of it and then let it cool. Apply it to the affected area, repeating several times after it dries. The young leaves used fresh and the bark of the twigs are the main medicinal parts of a black birch. Drying the leaves for later use does not work unfortunately. I have only known this tree to work when the parts are used fresh.

Sedative: Make a strong tea from the leaves and twigs and drink when stressed and needing sleep. It induces a good night’s sleep and calms the nerves.

Pain: Boil the bark and twigs to release the oil and apply this to sore muscles and strains to relieve pain.