Herbal First Aid Kit!

As a child I remember my mother’s huge metal, red and white, first aid kit that hung on the wall in the kitchen. Inside you would find everything from medical tape to icepacks. I am pretty sure the herbal first aid kit would fit perfectly inside one of those if you still have one on the wall but if not and you want to keep all of your first aid supplies together use an old messenger bag or plastic container; you could also dedicate a single kitchen shelf to your first aid supplies so they are always on hand and your family knows where to find them. Unlike my mother’s first aid kit all of these remedies are 100% safe for children. If you need to use these on toddlers my only advice would be to administer a third of the recommended amount.

So without further delay, lets get started preparing our herbal first aid kits!

Sterile Items, no recipe required:

-cotton swaps, also known as q-tips.

-Band-Aids, or off brand version

-gauze pads

-medical tape

-small pair of scissors

For these items I personally use off brand products, with my natural Neosporin (healing salve) recipe I rarely use any of these items; but they are important to have on hand for extreme situations.

Healing Salve:

-This recipe has to be the most used recipe I have made thus far. This ointment is so versatile it will actually cut out several products. When you have healing salve in your first aid kit you no longer need disinfectant, Neosporin, sun burn cream, burn cream, bug bite/ sting ointment, or rash cream. Healing salve will reduce a lot of first aid kit clutter and quickly become a favorite amongst your family, trust me!

This recipe includes lavender essential oil which is a natural disinfectant. Frankincense which heals old scars and prevents the formation of new ones.  Tea tree (also known as Melaluca) essential oil among other healing properties relieves pain which can be very useful. For more information about why each ingredient in my healing salve recipe was chosen please check out this link, I have detailed information about each ingredient along with the recipe.

Two tips which can be helpful with the healing salve; first if you want a thinner consistency use less beeswax when making the recipe, second make sure to either wash your hands or grab a cotton swab to apply. I keep mine in a container with a lid that is easy to use, I can simply squeeze out the amount I need and close it without contaminating the entire jar.

Muscle aches or sprains:

This recipe is very simple, only two ingredients are required. Dandelion infused oil (we call it “dandy oil”) has amazing healing properties. I use this anytime I have a muscle ache, sprain, and surprisingly any time a member of my family has a toothache (rub on the outside of the check where the pain is). As long as the dandelions in your yard have not been sprayed with any chemicals one of the ingredients will be free for you! You can use any type of carrier oil you like for this recipe (sunflower oil, extra-virgin olive oil, jojoba oil, etc) but the dandelion heads will need to infuse the oil for a few weeks so I like to stagger the production at our home. This is simple if you think about it, before you mow your lawn in the summer grab a cup or two of the bright yellow dandelion heads, when I plan it this way I have a fresh batch that I can pull off of the window sill every other week during the summer. 

Natural Pepto-Bismol:

I don’t currently have this recipe on my website but I am willing to share it because it is so amazing, and simple. For this recipe you will need extra-virgin olive oil and rosemary essential oil. Mix 5 drops of rosemary essential oil with every tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and shake. Rosemary is beneficial to every part of our digestive tract, from our esophagus to the lining of our stomach, and colon care. I’m sure you have seen the pepto commercials nausea, heartburn, upset stomach, diarrhea… well a tiny rub of this mixture helps all of that plus gallstone pain*, constipation, gas, ulcers, acid reflux, and food poisoning. I keep my mixture in a glass bottle with a cork; I simply remove the cork, place my finger where the cork was, and shake the bottle. I use the oil that remains on my finger once I have shaken the bottle and no more. It works very fast and has been a miracle recipe in my home.

Natural Vicks:

Using coconut oil, 1 drop of peppermint essential oil, 2 drops of winter green essential oil, and 2 drops of eucalyptus you can make a natural version of menthol rub. Mix in a small jar and apply by hand to the chest. Applying a hot wash rag over the mixture will enhance the experience!

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