Traditional Mexican Remedies
My maternal grandma lived to the age of 98 years old. She lived a long and healthy life. I never heard her complain of any aches and pains. She was a very strong woman.
Whenever I was sick as a child, my mother did not take me to the doctor. Instead she took me to grandmas house to care for me. My grandma would diagnose me and heal me with natural remedios (remedies).
These are my grandma’s home remedies, I’d love to hear your own home remedies in the comments below.
Vicks VapoRub
If I had a cold or a fever she would smear Vicks VapoRub on my chest. She would also spread vapor rub on the soles of my feet and have me wear socks to bed.
Homemade rubbing alcohol
If I had a fever she would soak a towel with a homemade green rubbing alcohol and placed it on my forehead. The homemade alcohol had floating herbs inside the bottle including romero (rosemary) and marijuana (interesting, right?!).
Hot Herbal Teas
If I had a stomachache she would either brew some manzanilla (chamomile) or hierbabuena (mint) tea. The herbs she used were fresh from her garden — she never used tea bags.
Té de manzanilla (Chamomile Tea)
There’s just something soothing about chamomile, and it’s not just an old wives’ tale.
Té de manzanilla (chamomile tea) brings back so many warm memories. My grandma grew chamomile in her backyard and she always made me a warm cup of manzanilla if my tummy hurt or before bedtime.
I continue to drink chamomile at night to wind down and, when my children have a tummy ache I make this chamomile tea for them. Even when they were babies I’d make them some té de manzanilla sweetened with honey and gave it to them in their baby bottle. A warm cup can be just the ticket to calming your child.
This is a great tea to drink after dinner, before bedtime. Chamomile tea has soothing, calming, and relaxing properties. You can either use dried chamomile flowers or chamomile tea pouches. Chamomile is best served hot and is delicious with a bit of honey.
Hierbabuena (Mint Tea)
Mint relieves digestive symptoms, such as gas, bloating, and indigestion (read more science-backed benefits).
Té de Oregano (Oregano Tea)
If I had a cough or a sore throat, she would make me Té de Oregano (Oregano Tea) made of dried oregano and would have me gargle with salt water, and for dinner I knew delicious caldo de pollo would be on the menu.
Té de canela (Cinnamon Tea)
Both my grandmothers drank té de canela (cinnamon tea), as well as used the aromatic spice in savory and sweet dishes. After researching, I realized there are surprising health benefits and unique healing abilities associated with this beloved spice.
Evil Eye
Sometimes if I was sick for no apparent reason she would say, “Alguien te dio el mal de ojo” (Someone gave you the evil eye).
She would sweep an egg over my body and begin to pray, then she would crack the egg in a glass of water and place the glass on the floor under my bed, and in the morning she would say the evil eye was gone, and magically I felt better.
Empacho
There were other times that she blamed illnesses on empacho, literally meaning an impacted stomach. She would crack a fresh egg (over-easy style) on my tummy and roll the yolk back and forth until it broke. Then she would smear Vaseline on her hands and massage my legs to work out any knots. It was a deep tissue sobada (massage) that was quite uncomfortable as a child.
She especially did this if I accidentally swallowed my chewing gum because she would say the gum would go down to my legs and needed to be worked out before it caused other stomach issues.
More home remedies
Then there were the common cuts and scrapes that were treated with fresh aloe vera squeezed from her aloe plant accompanied with “sana, sana, colita de rana…”
Of course, if I was really sick like when I had the chickenpox in the second grade then I was taken to the doctor. I remember the doctor recommending some pink calamine lotion for my itchy body. My grandma ended up making her own concoction that relieved the itching far more than the pink stuff. I’m not sure how she made it, but it worked.
No matter what remedy grandma tried, I knew she would always make me feel better. As a mother I make herbal teas for my children and rub their chests with Vicks, and make them homemade chicken soup if they are sick.
I even bought my children some evil eye bracelets to keep el mal de ojo away. I’m all about trying the tried and true first before running to the doctor. My children love the extra attention and I prefer to try simple old-fashioned remedies first.
I’ve always thought that I could write an entire book on the home remedies grandma had for any ailments. She was such a wonderful healer in more ways than she knows.
Check out more home remedies
- 16 Cross-Generational, Home Remedies Mothers Swear By
- Survival Healing: Traditional Mexican Remedies
- Home Remedies – Herbal Home Remedies – Natural Herbs
If you have natural home remedies that work for you, please let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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Photography by Raemi Vermiglio
76 Comments on “Traditional Mexican Remedies”
Brings back memories! My grandmother, whom we called Mama, also used these common herbs to treat common ailments. She would always invoke the name of the Lord when one drank an herbal tea. For example, if one was drinking manzanilla tea, she would say, “Di en el nombre sea de Dios y da un trago. Hazlo tres veces y luego tomate todo el te.” I would feel better instantly, both literally and figuretively. The fact my Mama had made me one of her teas gave me a warm feeling because it also made me feel loved. My grandmother left us more than forty years ago, and there have been countless times that I have wished she was still around making her teas!
You gave me some wonderful memories to remember. My mom did all of these remedies and I still use a majority of them. My siblings and I laugh about those “messages” on our legs that would turn us into fish flailing out of water.. Boy did they hurt! Hahaha. Thank you for reminding me! :0)
When the babies had colic , Mom would rub their bellies with warm Olive Oil and salt, then wrap their bellies with a diaper.
Oh yes, bringing back so many memories of aches, illness and remedies. My Abuela , when I had an ear ache I felt my ear plugged up, she would put some herbs and alcohol on a cotton ball..then in my ear. Was that planta ruda? How about a bad sore throat…mash ripe tomatoes, heat on stove apply to soles of feet with rags before bedtime. I somewhere read Evelyn Winter wrote Mexico’s Ancient and Native Remedies .
To this day I equate the smell of Vicks Vapo-Rub with being loved and taken care of. Even though I am in my 60’s now I still rub Vicks under my nose before I go to sleep because I associate it with love, comfort and healing.
Yvette you write the truth about what our mothers (and abuelitas) knew that worked better than over the counter pills and ointments. All of what you described is how my Mama cured me. I used to have toncilities multiple times a year; and she would place very warm banana peels with coffee grounds on the bottom of my feet as well as my armfold. I would wear these wrapped tightly until the heat turned cold. Eventualy, I had to have my toncils removed due to severe infections. But the warm banana peels and her love always made me feel so much better.
Yvette, Everything you wrote about home remedies, was exactly what my mom did for me too.
I’ve tried these remedies on my daughter too now.
Thanks for putting this out there.
Adriana Esposito
Yvette thanks for showing this my grandmother my mother used it I thought it was just them using it. I need to show it to my daughter my granddaughters and great granddaughters to keep it going thank you . I also love your recipes.
Please do NOT, repeat DO NOT give honey to babies under the age of one year old. Current medical practice is quite clear on this, as it may cause botulism:
Occasionally, honey contains bacteria that can produce toxins in a baby’s intestines, leading to infant botulism, which is a very serious illness. Don’t give your child honey until they’re over 1 year old. Honey is a sugar, so avoiding it will also help prevent tooth decay.
Other than that, loved your article and grew up with many of these remedies.
Yup! Same in south Texas. My mom also brewed fresh orange leaves for cramps. Good times. My kids love the ‘Sana, Sana, and now my grown daughter will do that to her Alabama husband’s boo boos!
Oooh, you mean “Beeks” vapor rub? lol I can hear my grandma saying it now!
I remember my mom and grama using these remedies. I would like to buy some of these books of Mexican remedies where can I get them?
Your grandmother sounds like my mom, we didn’t go to the doctor unless major illness or accident. I try to remember the remedy for things. but you got the most important ones. Thank you so much.
I love this! My grandmother did almost exactly everything your grandmother did. She raised me in San Fernando Valley, CA. I especially hold dear to me the sana sana colita de rana, for whenever my 5 yo daughter gets a booboo. I have your book and enjoyed following you on IG. But I had to stop because I remember sometime last year you were starting to make me feel bad about being republican. I have many Democrate beliefs and I love and respect all walks in this world. My own children, grandchildren, family and friends are from all over this world with different colors. I guess what I felt was that you made me feel like I was a horrible, heartless person. Which is not the case. All I feel is that there should be laws in place to protect our children and our citizens. And it seems like those simple rules are being changed. Anyway, I’m sure you don’t like people who break the law too but it just felt like you were supporting it and made me fear your train of thought. I’m probably wrong but that’s how it felt. I just wish all people would just meet somewhere in the middle and stop putting others’ thoughts in the shame pile.
Ps. I have your book and still use your recipes and get your emails. I even still share your recipes. I’m not expecting nor asking you to change anything. I just wanted you to know how me and maybe other followers felt.
I married into a Hispanic family and did not believe in the magic of Vicks… until I had children. My mother in law would have me put Vicks on the bottom of their feet when they were sick. It REALLY DOES WORK! I don’t know how, but it does!
I so enjoyed reading this! I used all the exact same remedies from my mom. I later became a licensed massage therapist. Interesting fact, the vicks on the feet works because your skin is the largest organ in your body. And we have pores on the bottom of our feet so the vicks is immediately absorbed into our body!
As a massage therapist we used essential oils. And how about peppermint is used for upset stomach! So many of the herbs are the exact same in the oils and used for the same purpose. So the women in our lineage were on to something long before medicine evolved!
Just thought I would share that!
Blessings,
Lisa Flores Maldonado
Born and raised in San Antonio we did the same,We had several Boticas we also visited for herbs,My mother raised in Laredo had many recipes, passed down from my Grandmother.
Yes Mom always had a remedy for what ailed us
I dont really remember going to the doctor, when I was a child. The cure was in our backyard and our kitchen.
I never knew what asparin was. Hard to believe, right?
What she used to use for your itches from the chicken pox was cornstarch, mija. Which was also used for diaper rash.
Love your pictures and this information. Mija.
Brings back a lot of great memories of my childhood, especially of mi Mama, your Grandma. Im so proud of you in doing this, love you Mijita.
My grand mother Carmelita took care of us the same way!!! Vick vapor rub, with the same Sana sana colitis de Rans!!!!!chicken soup,te de hierbabuena
If we had fever she would slice potatoes,
Dip them in vinigar and place them on our forehead
And she gave us hot coco❤️❤️❤️ I miss her every day and I’m 72 years old. They also believed in the evil eye!!!!
I love using natural medicine to this day and enjoy increasing my knowledge on what works best. I incorporate Mexican natural healing together with modern day natural healing with essential oils. It definitely makes healing my kids by giving them the best I have to give. My oldest (almost 7) calls me Dr. Mommy.
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Hi my Abuela used the same kinda herbs when I was little, out of her garden in Puerto Rico
I would like the recipe for the vicks please, Thanks for sharing your story!!
This reminded me of my grandma. She also used mud for bee stings.
Omg I love this. Reminds me of my childhood.
I still do the same thing for my children and grandchildren. There times when they have gone to the doctor and still come over for me to do the egg over them.