When I say we're more than a deodorant company in some of my videos, I really mean that. Often, I field questions from customers regarding areas other than their 'pits. The latest question asked about ideas for getting rid of plantar warts. Boy, do I have a bevy of suggestions. First, let me say that I am not a doctor and don't play one on TV, but I have come across a wart or two in my day. Paul Simon told us about 50 ways to leave your lover, I'm going to share 13 ways to leave your warts. I can't promise all or any will work for you, but, hey, when faced with an intrusive wart, it could be worth a try. 

1. Urine: Yup, good ol' urine. You've probably heard of it being used to combat stingray and jellyfish stings; well, when I was coming up, the elders used it to treat oral yeast infections, ear infections, fungal infections, and, yes, warts. You can do a foot soak using urine or soak a cotton ball in urine, place it over the wart, hold it in place with duct tape. Change this about twice a day. Did I say duct tape? That brings me to number two. 

2. Duct Tape: Is there anything you can't use duct tape to hold together and make, in the case of warts, disappear? Place a piece of duct tape over the wart, being sure to seal it all around. The duct tape basically starves the wart, since it needs its own oxygen supply. Okay, I could be a little extreme here, but, seriously, it needs air. Duct tape prevents it from getting the air it needs. You can also add a cotton ball soaked in urine or castor oil, before sealing with the tape. 

3. Castor oil: I actually gave number three away, so I'm just going to say see number two for castor-oil application. If you happen to not have a roll of duct tape laying around--who doesn't?--you can substitute medical tape. I want to know you if you have medical tape laying around, but no duct tape. I really do. Hit me up. 

4. Oregano oil: Listen to any herbalist talk for a minute and oregano oil is bound to come out of their mouth at some point. Why? Because it's so daggoned indispensable. Using the same "sealing" methods above, apply oregano oil daily. You can either apply directly to the skin or soak in a cotton ball. Do keep in mind that oregano is a hot oil, so you may want to dilute it first. Olive oil is a good choice for dilution. You could also use it in combination with castor oil or coconut oil. 

5. Coconut oil: This anti-fungal, antiviral wiz has rightly earned its reputation. Apply religiously to the wart. Some people have had immediate results; others, report seeing improvement within a couple of weeks. I would say it's location dependent. A wart on the hand may take longer, since you're more likely to wash your hands often. At least, I'm hoping you do. 

6. Garlic: Crush a clove of garlic, place on wart, cover with your never-ending supply of duct tape, medical tape or a bandage large enough to seal away everything. Note: You may taste the garlic in your mouth, but that's okay. Hey, if nothing else, it proves that some things do permeate the skin and enter the mucus membranes as well as the bloodstream. Garlic is one of these. It bears saying, please, do not use garlic on your face to get rid of a wart. You may end up doing more harm than good. Stick to the feet with garlic. 

7. ACV: I have never used apple cider vinegar, but I've heard the rants and raves from those who have. A few people have noted that it burned a bit, so do take heed to that. Soaking it in a cotton ball and covering the wart or doing a foot soak would probably be the best methods. If you've tried it and had good results, fill us in! 

8. Ammonia: I'd rather the ammonia available in urine (go back to numero uno). I don't consider a bottle of ammonia to be "natural" in this context, but I said I would share, so I'm sharing. 

9. Tea Tree: Ahh, tea tree. Sing this to the song "War": What is it good for? Absolutely everything! You can apply tea tree the same way you would all the others. Soak a cotton ball and cover with duct tape, medical tape or a bandage. Mind you, tea tree is an essential oil, so practice caution applying neat (without dilution). Bonus: Out of tea tree? Try lemon essential oil.

10. Green banana peels: You should have known I would suggest such a thing. Banana peels are the bee's knees for bee stings (how fitting), wasp stings, mosquito bites, sytes, rashes AND warts. Apply the inside of the peel to the wart, using any assortment of coverings mentioned above to hold it in place. Change daily. 

11. Dandelion and fig milk: The milky substance in the stem of the dandelion is not just the milky substance in the dandelion stem. Rubbing it into a wart works well to make them disappear. Contrary to what weed-control "specialists" might tell you, dandelion has earned its reputation for being more than an invasive weed. The beauty of dandelion is that you can use the whole thing, so all is not lost. You can eat the greens, infuse the roots to use for liver health, harvest the seeds to plant more dandelion (the furry "flower" is the seed). Same goes for the milky substance in fig stems. If you have gotten hold of a fig stem, you probably also have possession of a fig. Eat it. Toss in: Since we're on the subject of "milk," I've heard milkweed works just as well. Rub the sap onto the wart. 

12. Vitamin E: The raves about vitamin E have quieted a bit, but it still remains a wonderful alternative to so many conventional methods. Removing warts is one of them. You can either rub the oil into the skin often throughout the day and wear socks or use the same cotton-ball and covering method noted above. Be sure that the vitamin E you use is non-GMO, if at all possible. If you are allergic to soy, you may want to verify the vitamin E's source, since the majority is soy based. You can also double the benefit of the vitamin E by taking it internally. 

13. Eat the wart: I know, I know, what the hell are you talking about? I was introduced to this vomit-inducing remedy (vomit-inducing, on my part, really) when I was about 10. A neighbor sent over her daughter who had hands and feet covered in warts. My grandmother, bless her heart, said, "That's too many to use the other stuff. Hold on." She cut off one of the warts and told the child to swallow it. Of course, we thought she was joking. We wanted her to be joking. But she wasn't. Somehow the little girl got down the wart. I don't know how long it was, I was 10, after all, but my thinking in child's time, it was about a week later that she had no more warts. My grandmother said they used this with the cattle that had warts. Feed them one and the warts went away. Yeah, I'm still puzzled by that one, but think it might have something to do with eat the cure or eat the vaccine or something. You don't have to try this one at home. I'm just sharing the remedies I remember or have heard about through the years. If you try it, can you video it for me? 

Keep in mind that warts can be contagious and may proliferate in those whose immune systems are compromised. Reestablishing good gut flora, amping up the immune system and, overall, eating cleansing foods and herbs, especially those that are antiviral and antibacterial in nature, can help suppress and prevent future outbreaks. I've heard from many that ingesting oregano oil helped ensure the warts did not return. Oh, and don't go into strange showers without flip-flops. 

Now, it's your turn. What natural remedies have you successfully used, seen others use or heard of others using? Don't be shy. I shared my pee and "eat the wart" story with you, after all.