The age of the internet has brought with it a host of scams, rip-offs, and fake products that make snake oil salespeople of the past look like saints. But the silver lining is that we are developing a thicker and thicker skin to their methods, with the result that we often misidentify real products as illegitimate.
So a netizen asked the people of the internet to share their wisdom on what things that appear to be scams actually work pretty well. There was a pile of interesting suggestions, so get comfortable as you read through, make sure to upvote your favorite examples and comment your thoughts and experiences below.
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Many people can't believe this but: Vaccines are actually Safe and Effective!
Vinegar and news paper to clean windows.
I thought the ink would come off and make an even bigger mess.
Almost turns the window invisible.
I tried this on my big bathroom mirror today and was shocked at the effectiveness vs that of using windex or other glass cleaners with a dry rag
Vitamin D supplements. it's much more important than any of us realized.
The original snake oil, while not at all functional, wasn’t intended to be a scam, at least as far as we know. Chinese traditional medicine posits that oil taken from the skin of a Chinese water snake may have some medicinal properties, and was likely brought into the English language through Asian railway workers in the 19th century.
Interestingly, oil taken from a Chinese water snake has a particularly high concentration of omega−3 fatty acids, more than salmon and the fish oils many people use as supplements. While just omega-3 fatty acids aren’t magic sure, they are not harmful and do have some health benefits. However, the real scams began when salespeople in the US, unable to procure Chinese snakes, turned to using rattlesnake oil.
The whole "hold your breath to get rid of hiccups" trick.
Thing is, most people just don't know the proper way to do it or why it works.
It's got nothing to do with simply holding your breath. It's got to do with using your lungs to hold down the diaphragm and stop it from spasming.
You breathe in until you cannot fit literally anything else into your lungs. When your chest is as full as humanly possible **then** you hold it and within about 15 seconds the hiccups are gone.
I take the deepest breath possible, hold for 10, then without exhaling I take one more breath in (obviously smaller) and hold for 5! Almost ALWAYS works. I learned this when I was about 14 and as someone who experiences very very painful hiccups it is a wonderful relief when this little trick actually works!
Taking magnesium. It really can cure some joint, nerve, muscle, heart and breathing problems.
Of course, the only one it can cure are ones that are caused by a magnesium deficiency which a surprising number of people have.
Some life events that can rapidly use up magnesium in the body are pregnancy, surgery, viral illness and major period of stress.
I've been taking magnesium supplements for a while now, and it is one of the main things that helps with my chronic pain
Good posture.
I had chronic back pain for years. Then, just a few years ago I slept on my neck wrong and had neck pain that wouldn’t resolve; I saw a physical therapist and the first thing she did was look at how I sat and how I stood and walked. She told me nicely but essentially that my posture was horrible, affected by years of slumping in my seat and also being told continually by my mom “suck in that tummy!” when I stood or walked, which led to me thinking a pelvic tilt was necessary for good posture.
The therapist showed me how to sit and stand with a straight back, my chest up and forward, and my back keeping a healthy lumbar curvature. Let me tell you, it was HARD. My shoulder/back muscles were not used to it and I had to train them like any muscle is trained, with a posture bra and also using a long sheet tied like a strap around my neck, arms, and waist. It also felt so unnatural at first to be sticking my chest and butt out, like I was looking for attention—which is part of the reason people have such terrible posture; we feel that’s “immodest.”
No lie, 3 weeks later all my back pain symptoms were gone and haven’t returned. I can do some slumping when I sit with no great penalty now, but when I walk, or when have to stand for a duration, or sit on something backless, I use my good posture and I am pain-free.
Trying to spread the word on this makes me feel like a 1950s health movie (“Posture Pals!”) but it’s so effective I can’t stop sharing. Years of chronic back pain completely eliminated by just a few weeks of good posture training.
There is a possible, secondary European connection, as some folk medicine recommends viper oil to treat certain conditions. This doesn’t really have any basis in reality, plus there is the additional risk of needing to harvest oil from a venomous snake. Nevertheless, up until the mid-19th century, snake oil was commonly bought and sold, including by William Rockefeller Sr., the father of John D. Rockefeller, who technically was a literal snake oil salesman.
How effective Medical cannabis is on Parkinson’s and MS.
You watch the videos and the effects are like the patients are paid actors before. But it’s real, and it works.
Yoga. I have severe upper back pain and went to months of physical therapy. I couldn't keep up with the millions of appointments and started doin yoga as a way to stretch my upper back instead. I was doing it for 30 mins each day and forgot that I had pain. It's so annoying that it does what people say it does because this whole time I thought they were just being annoying but they're 100% right. There's an app that is called "Down dog yoga" it's a blue dog as the logo, that's the app I really enjoy! You can Customize time and focus area so you can fit things in when you have time
Just be careful if you're hypermobile like me. I have disease called EDS, and stretching can actually make things worse in some cases. But for most people, yoga is amazing!
Sitting on your deck in summer or are you having a nice picnic when suddenly you're being accosted by the hellspawn known as wasps? Get rid of them with this one easy solution: burn some coffee!
Burn coffee? I hear you say incredulously. Yes, burn coffee! Take a little saucer, pour a little pyramid of ground coffee on in and use a lighter to light the top. It will smolder slowly and give off a smoke that smells, well like burnt coffee. It will also instantly get rid of any wasps that are bothering you. No idea why, they absolutely hate the smell.
Some people also dislike the smell of the burning coffee, I understand this. But ask yourself this important question while the smell is annoying you: what do you dislike more; wasps or the smell of burning coffee? I know what I would pick.
If it's early summer, leave a plate with a very small piece of sausage on it. They are gathering food for the larvae. If it's late summer, they (the workers) are no longer behind fed, and are dying. Put a saucer of sugary water out. In both cases, they will be attracted to what they are looking for and leave you alone. 🐝🐝🐝
In an even more convoluted twist, one of the original snake-oil salesmen, as we think of the term today, was a man named Clark Stanley, sometimes called the "Rattlesnake King," who sold, you guessed it, what he said was oil from rattlesnakes, which was supposed to cure all sorts of ailments. He was exposed as a fraud in 1916, which is likely the reason we still compare scam products to snake oil.
Weighted blankets. My partner has anxiety disorder (I don’t) so I bought one for her as a gift while we lived apart. I didn’t think they would make any difference to me. She moved in, and I slept under it for the first time… I can’t get a good night of sleep without it now. It’s literally a 10x improvement to my sleep, and I discounted it because I thought it wouldn’t do anything
I guess you could say I slept on it for too long 😎👉👉
Meditation. When I was an alcoholic and drug abuser, my friend use to tell me about meditation to help with anxiety and stress. I thought “b***h we use Xanax around here, no one’s got time to meditate” we no longer use Xanax, and have the time to meditate:)
If you have some spare time do 5 minutes of meditation. If you don't have spare time do 20 minutes of meditation.
I had a weird smelling basement. Someone said to get aromatic cedar blocks, sand them down and leave them there. I thought, no way this could work. But it did. The smell is totally eliminated.
In a twist that shouldn’t surprise any 21st-century person, Clark Stanley’s rattlesnake oil didn’t even contain any snake oil. On the one hand, the presence of snake oil wouldn’t have made a lick of difference, but it seems like a colossal risk to sell a fake product that doesn’t even have the magic ingredient it’s marketed for. His reputation was destroyed when this uncomfortable fact was discovered and he was fined $20.
Does a dog thundershirt count? Had an anxious dog with storms/loud noises, got him one, and while not perfect, he did seem to calm down with it on more often that not.
It absolutely works. My two dogs become much calmer when the thundershirt is on.
Daylight lamps. Someone mentioned melatonin, so it reminded me of the opposite lol. Bought a daylight lamp last winter because I get depressed when it’s dark outside for long periods of time. Got one off amazon for 40€ and now I can’t live without it in the winter. Thought it was a sham initially. The light basically imitates the wavelengths of light emitted by the sun (bar the UVs) and inhibits the production of melatonin. Not only that, but it also boosts my mood and morale. You just have to be careful because it’s difficult to fall asleep for a couple of hours after using it.
Yeah I know its a common treatment for seasonal depression. I haven't tried it but I've heard good things!
Salt water swish and gargle for toothache and sore throat (as long as it’s not something like strep). Source: currently have strep and ain’t nothing working. Otherwise even the dentist tells me to salt water swish if I get tooth pain or something stuck. Total relief.
While snake oil might be on the decline, there is no shortage of modern quackery, from medicinal Tibetan singing bowls to expensive dietary supplements that have minerals and vitamins found in the most basic veggies and fruits. These days, there is less pressure to persecute these salespeople, because, let’s face it, a fool, and their money will be parted pretty quickly anyway.
wearing sunscreen / spf everyday is the simplest, cheapest and very effective anti-ageing.
yet a lot of people still ignore, prefer overpriced overrated cream, facelift and some invasive surgery.
I was suffering with plantar fasciitis for over six months. I tried new shoes, new insoles, pills, and physical therapy but none those things fixed it. A friend kept suggesting I try these gel toe separator things like they wear when painting toe nails. I thought it was silly but they were only $10 on Amazon, what do I have to lose? I wore the neon blue gel thing at night feeling very silly. After The first night my foot hurt like hell but after the 2nd it felt a whole lot better. I wore it for two weeks straight and plantar fasciitis was gone. Those things were like magic.
I've not heard of this one - I've had pf in one foot for over a year and it's excruciating - tried arch supports, insoles, massage, PT tape, night brace, arch strengthening exercises - it all works a little bit for a little while but nothing substantial - I'll give anything a go at this point.
Exercises that use just your bodyweight, like push-ups, bodyweight squats, stuff like that. Can legit be done in place of weight training if you're not just trying to get large.
Calisthenics ftw! Have you seen how ripped gymnasts are?
This is going to sound ridiculous, but infrared light therapy. I have an autoimmune disorder and some old injuries from childhood, so I’ve struggled with chronic pain and moderate-severe fatigue for most of my life.
After my first experience in one of those beds, I spent the next week or so with no pain and the energy to actually get stuff done without being even a little tired afterward.
I have no idea how it works, I just know that I don’t hurt now and my inflammation numbers have been cut in half. That doesn’t even happen on my immunosuppressant.
This is interesting! I have chronic fatigue, so I'd be willing to give it a try.
Neti pot aka nasal saline douche is amazing if you have seasonal allergies, a cold or a sinus infection. Anecdotally it can also help reduce severity of COVID infections.
Also, if you have frequent nosebleeds. I have had periods of time where I have nosebleeds nearly daily, some lasting for hours. Saline washes once a day stopped the nosebleeds. Of course, this won't help with ALL nosebleeds - it depends on the cause. But if your nosebleeds are from dryness or using nasal spray for allergies, this will probably work.
If you have a fireplace with a glass door. Wet some paper towel and dip it in the wood ash. Then wipe it liberally onto the glass so everything has a thin amount of ash paste on it, then scrub it and wipe it clean with another wet paper towel. Rinse and repeat for dirtier sections.
My wife and I spent hours trying to clean it before with detergents, vinegar, etc. But this had it completely cleaned and crystal clear in maybe 10 mins.
Breathwork.
I know I know you're like "Consciously breathing is stupid." But we unconsciously do it our entire lives and rarely think about it. Our breath changes based on our moods, thoughts, and actions. Have you ever forgot to breathe when you were lost in thought or worried? When you're angry, do you notice that you probably take shallow breaths in your chest? Our breath is the mind-body connection and can change our moods and minds in just a few minutes.
You don't have to go full Wim Hof, but these are great:
+ psychological sigh (2 count nasal inhales, long slow mouth exhale)
+ box breathing (inhale 4 count, hold 4 count, exhale 4 count, hold 4 count, repeat)
+ bedtime breath (nasal inhale 4 count, hold for 7 count, mouth exhale for 8 count)
Edit to add:
I love the free app Unwind. It’s simple, no sign ups, with 3 great timed breathwork options.
Epsom salt baths. They rapidly help recovery and I don’t know why I ever believed people saying it’s an old ‘wives tale’.
During the pandemic I rode my bike ~150+ miles a week, each day id do an Epsom soak for 15mins and I’d be good to go the next day.
Honorable second mention: Win Hoff method. Ice baths suck a*s. But they do your body wonders. I couldn’t get used to it, and bitched every time. But dammit do they help recovery time.
Epsom salt plus baking soda plus scent. Epsom salt for muscles, baking soda for smoothness, and scent for relaxation.
Cranberry juice. At the first sign if a UTI I drink a bit of natural cranberry concentrate in a big glass of water. I get immediate relief.
Sleepy time tea. I always thought it was just a tea that’s nice to drink before bed but sleepy time extra actually puts my d**k in the dirt. Chamomile and valerian root are legit natural sedatives.
Hot water, baking soda, and aluminum foil to clean tarnished silver. I was amazed when I dropped in a piece and watched the tarnish disappear almost instantly.
Aloe vera for burns and skin conditions. Also, ginseng.
Isn't aloe Vera kinda common? Like, pretty much everyone I know knows it's good for sunburn
Tea tree oil for skin tags. Cover in tea tree oil using a cotton ball - you can tape the cotton ball over it too. In a couple of days it shrinks, dries up and falls off.
EMDR therapy for PTSD
Sounds like total b******t - and it actually works
Also for more complex subconscious memories - like early childhood core memories, there are reprogramming methods to change those entirely as well, but these require a lot more work with a specialized psychotherapist.
The human mind is highly pliable, the negative experiences of our past can be molded like putty into a new positive experience
My therapist sister tried for years to get me to do EMDR. I resisted because it sounded like hocus pocus to me. Now I swear by it. Things I haven't been able to even think about, I now openly talk about without repercussions
Not sure if this is mainstream now but air fryer
Game changer and so much better than cooking in the grill or oven
I don't really care that you don't use oil I just like how easy it is
I don't have kids but I'd like it even more if I did, it's so good at stuff like frozen chips or chicken nuggets
An air fryer is just a smaller convection oven. They use the same process of circulating hot air with a fan.
Hopping on the opposite leg when you have water in your ear after swimming - works every damn time
I have serious, lifelong, horrible insomnia. I’ve tried every non-narcotic (and some narcotic) sleep aid you can imagine, melatonin is spotty and only works in the right conditions/makes me so groggy for 24 hours, benadryl is pretty terrible for you long term, etc. etc. etc. I tried valerian tea and it tasted like socks and did nothing. Then I learned that valerian takes a high dose to be effective, so I tried it in pills, and it seemed to help but it gave me a stomachache. Then a friend created a high dose valerian tincture for me. I swear on everything a dropper of that under the tongue for 2 minutes has almost the exact benefits as taking a xanax. You can properly feel it kicking in and you just drift off to sleep. There’s a reason they call it nature’s valium.
WD40 cleans candle wax off your living room carpet. If ever in doubt, consult an old housewife.
I had a couple mouth surgeries and was told putting a tea bag in my mouth would stop the bleeding. Bled non stop til I had a brew going on in my mouth
Talking to a therapist. With symptoms like IBS, insomnia, anxiety and depression it's really close to those "cure all" promises. And all that just by talking.
Only works if you also remember to rule out the purely somatic issues. For example I thought for years that my acid reflux was an anxiety symptom. Turns out no amount of therapy will help when the underlying cause is a hernia that's preventing the stomach from closing properly.
Placebos are shockingly effective.
Not great, but larger than zero.
Dry needling.
The idea that you can stab me in select nerves with a needle and it will suddenly “fix” everything sounded like the epitome of b******t. However, I had a bad shoulder from my football days and it always was sore.
I went to a physiotherapist in Canada and they suggested dry needling + “the tumbler” (a high-intensity vibrating massager). I was skeptical, but I was losing mobility in my right arm; didn’t really have anything to lose.
I was converted after the first session. I recovered almost all my mobility in 2 session. The clicking in my shoulder stopped. It didn’t hurt to stretch anymore.
I don’t know who I could endorse this service for, but for me, it was a game changer and any time I hear someone talking about a shoulder pain, I point them towards this combination.
Is dry needling the same thing as acupuncture? Because if so, I absolutely second this.
Arnica gel. My daughter's stepmum (K) was struggling with a heat rash for weeks and nothing she tried had worked. I told her my gran always swore by arnica gel for that. K bought some immediately, and texted me the next day to tell me that the rash had disappeared!
Retinol.
One of the few ingredients in cosmetics that is actually scientifically proven to work. You do need to get the good stuff (depending on your country you might actually have to get a doctor's note to get the high concentration product) but it does improve your skin.
Apple cider vinegar can do a lot. There are some websites that tout it as a cure all. It's not, obviously, but things like rashes, sunburn, dry scalp or dandruff, etc, it really does work.
Tiger Balm.
You need the right of depending on purpose. The red one is warming, good for sore muscles, the white one has menthol and is good for colds and headaches.
Glucosamine supplement is my answer. I know the jury is still out on rather or not it actually helps with joint health, but I swear by it. One of my knees used to fatigue and ache super fast when I go out for a run, but after taking this stuff daily for a couple months it’s soo much better. Still sometimes I get some aches on runs, it isn't a miracle cure, but it’s soo much better than it was before.
This interesting. I give my dog a Glucosamine condroportector. I can visible notice when she takes it and when she doesn't. Just by the way she sit and lays down or get up. I give her w months then a couple of weeks break. I can tell by the 7th day of the break that she is less active, doesn't want to walk so much or need help to jump into the car. She's 14 and in the winter still can walk 14~15 km. Not bad for a 40kg dog with 3 knee operations.
that Liquid IV stuff. it's legit, it will give you a lot of electrolytes, probably way more than an average person ever takes lol. is it some sort of super energy drink or someting? nah, but if you are working out or doing some sort of a sport or a physical activity, it really does help you stay hydrated better, I personally think it's better than things like Gatorade.
Literally a lifesaver. I have a condition called POTS that causes tachycardia and frequent fainting. Drinking electrolytes/increasing your salt intake is one of the only ways to treat POTS. Plus, Liquid IV has less sugar than other "sports drinks" so it's healthier for long term use. Don't get me wrong, it still has sugar - just a lot less than things like Gatorade.
Herbal teas for ailments. I get very bad panic attacks, but drinking hot chamomile tea actually brings me "back down" when one tries to start. By the end of drinking a full cup of camomile tea, my panic attack is gone. Peppermint tea is really good for menstrual or any sort of muscle cramps (I have endometriosis AND adenomyosis and it works as well as an Advil for me). Peppermint tea also helps you sleep because it's a muscle-relaxant.
Tart cherry juice for sleep.
Hemorrhoids cream works for undereye bags just dab a tiny amount and don’t get it in your eyes. This also helps bruises go away faster.
Milk of magnesia to prime your face before foundation.. it will help keep your makeup on all day
Witch hazel is the ingredient in hemorrhoid cream that tightens tissues. I use witch hazel on a cotton ball before make-up in the morning and to take make-up off at night. Inexpensive and effective. Also helps the stop the sting and itch of bug bites
Direct Neurofeedback. Literal brainwave monitoring and real-time retraining, done subconsciously. It’s actually settled science, is being used by NASA and JPL, and is being tested on Parkinsons patients. Personally, it’s done wonders for my anxiety and depression.
Valerian is a very effective anxiolytic and sleep aid, and it's cheap and legal everywhere.
Applying apple vinegar to skin tags will result in them falling off in a couple of days.
The pain of a migraine can be drastically reduced by sitting down in the shower in the dark and letting warm water fall directly on your head.
The new electric-shock bands as treatment for travel sickness.
I have SEVERE travel sickness. Like, have had to call an ambulance before, get sick in some kinds of building, yes even if I am the one driving kind of travel sickness. I have tried every possible solution to this c**p.
A couple of years ago I found out of about the electric shock bands. The acupressure bands have always actually made me feel *worse* so I was skeptical, but I took a risk. They are straight up miraculous.
For example, my wife doesn't drive and her family live 3 hours away. Going to see them used to entail me taking medication and going immediately to bed on arrival and still feeling ill the next day. Now if I remember to keep the band on during the journey and for like an hour or so after the journey the effects are minimised so much its more like a mild headache.
Also in this category: travel sickness glasses. They look ridiculous, but they do have an effect. Not gonna stop you being sick, but they help a little.
It's called Relief Band. You use it with conductive gel. I have had mine for 15 years. I use it in the car, plane, boat and for pregnancy sickness. It is one of the best things I've ever bought.
I’m going to collect more data on this but personally for me
When I feel that scratchy feeling in my throat I drink a very small amount of everclear and avoid the week or two of coughing.
It’s worked 19 out of 19 times
Note: this post originally had 63 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
Alcoholics Anonymous. I am a recovering alcoholic and when I was still drinking people would recommend AA and I'd scoff as I didn't see how sitting in a room with other alcoholics talking about God was going to fix me. I thought it was a cult. I finally started attending in 2017 after a spell in hospital and it has been the best thing I ever did. Although God is mentioned in the meetings, it's a spiritual programme and not a religious one. It certainly isn't a cult as people are free to stop attending whenever they like and apart from a small voluntary contribution in meetings (I normally donate the princely sum of £1) towards the cost of the rent for room and tea/coffee there are no fees to pay. Doing the 12 steps makes you really work on yourself and look at the root causes of your drinking. It also allowed me to develop a support network of people who know exactly what I'm going through so I never have to suffer alone. It's not a complete 'fix' and I still have to have outside help such as antidepressants and counselling but I honestly don't think I'd have been sober for the past six years without it.
Nine years for me. I'd be dead without AA. I'm so happy you found it!
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i think some of these things, like yoga, meditation, and herbs, that have been around for SO long, are just not trusted because its linked to hypes, influencers and "anti vaxxers" ofcourse you cant cure cancer with yoga but that doesnt mean it wont help you with other things.
YES! And the fact that holistic doctors have much better bedside manner than traditional ones is part of it too. Who are you going to keep seeing, a doctor who listens and offers you answers or one who just tells you to work out more and can barely keep from rolling their eyes? I trust in traditional medicine but I get the appeal...
Load More Replies... Fennel for abdominal gas. I just swallow some seeds but you can do capsules or tea or whatever. It also boosts milk supply in new moms, as does fenugreek. Myth Busters tried out ginger for motion sickness and it worked better than OTC motion sickness pills.
I started fennel tea for milk supply, didn't work, but I love the tea and I still drink it. Tea in general is a magic potion for so many things.
Load More Replies... Alcoholics Anonymous. I am a recovering alcoholic and when I was still drinking people would recommend AA and I'd scoff as I didn't see how sitting in a room with other alcoholics talking about God was going to fix me. I thought it was a cult. I finally started attending in 2017 after a spell in hospital and it has been the best thing I ever did. Although God is mentioned in the meetings, it's a spiritual programme and not a religious one. It certainly isn't a cult as people are free to stop attending whenever they like and apart from a small voluntary contribution in meetings (I normally donate the princely sum of £1) towards the cost of the rent for room and tea/coffee there are no fees to pay. Doing the 12 steps makes you really work on yourself and look at the root causes of your drinking. It also allowed me to develop a support network of people who know exactly what I'm going through so I never have to suffer alone. It's not a complete 'fix' and I still have to have outside help such as antidepressants and counselling but I honestly don't think I'd have been sober for the past six years without it.
Nine years for me. I'd be dead without AA. I'm so happy you found it!
Load More Replies... i think some of these things, like yoga, meditation, and herbs, that have been around for SO long, are just not trusted because its linked to hypes, influencers and "anti vaxxers" ofcourse you cant cure cancer with yoga but that doesnt mean it wont help you with other things.
YES! And the fact that holistic doctors have much better bedside manner than traditional ones is part of it too. Who are you going to keep seeing, a doctor who listens and offers you answers or one who just tells you to work out more and can barely keep from rolling their eyes? I trust in traditional medicine but I get the appeal...
Load More Replies... Fennel for abdominal gas. I just swallow some seeds but you can do capsules or tea or whatever. It also boosts milk supply in new moms, as does fenugreek. Myth Busters tried out ginger for motion sickness and it worked better than OTC motion sickness pills.
I started fennel tea for milk supply, didn't work, but I love the tea and I still drink it. Tea in general is a magic potion for so many things.
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