Today I want to share about using essential oils for healing minor cuts, scrapes, bites, stings, burns and in other situations where you might need a little first aid. Hands down, apart from diffusing, this is my favorite (and the most common) way to use essential oils. I’m constantly in the kitchen mixing up something – a healing salve, hand sanitizer, pain cream, or something similar. Just this past week, my husband was replanting a cedar tree from our front yard to the back and ended up with an area of cedar rash on his back. I quickly made a roller bottle with Simply Earth’s Bumps & Boo-boos blend mixed with Trauma oil. He had relief immediately from the itching and within 3 days the rash was all dried up.
Let’s explore a few of the common essential oils used in this manner and why they are so great.
The most recommended essential oils for first aid include:
Lavender is your essential oil first aid kit must-have. Known as the “Swiss army knife” of essential oils, it can be used to disinfect wounds and burns, promote healing, and reduce scarring. Lavender is commonly used to help with inflammation from bug bites, bee stings, and sunburns, and is known for its antihistamine properties.
Helichrysum is another first aid essential oil must-have. It is commonly used as a painkiller due to its analgesic properties and is particularly helpful for treating bruises, sprains, and swelling. I have used it to stop bleeding in seconds, and have reduced bruising remarkably several times by applying it as soon as I was injured.
Peppermint can aid in healthy digestion, soothes nausea, and helps relieve discomfort associated with muscle aches and pains, headaches, and fever. Truth be told, peppermint, coupled with rosemary and eucalyptus, is one of my very favorite oils for migraine relief, especially for the accompanying neck and should pain I often get.
Tea Tree oil has been used throughout history because of its amazing anti- fungal, antibacterial, and anti-viral properties. Tea Tree oil helps disinfect skin irritations and supports a healthy immune system. I was introduced to essential oils through tea tree when my son came down with chicken pox. It dried up those pox and relieved his itching. I was sold by it on the healing benefits of essential oils.
Frankincense is a great oil to use in blends because it can help enhance the properties of other essential oils. It is also commonly used for skin issues. I apply this oil to my face every night by mixing it into my moisturizer. It works equally as well for other skin issues. I never want to be without frankincense.
Citronella is a well-known insecticide and insect repellent, but it can also be used as an analgesic, disinfectant, and astringent. I love it’s lemony scent!
Lemon is not just for lemonade (or cleaning), it’s a great essential oil for your first aid kit. Lemon essential oil is antibacterial, can help with breathing issues during cold and flu season, and is great for reducing the inflammation associated with muscle and joint pain.
Other commonly used essential oils for first aid use include lemongrass, oregano, rosemary, thyme, eucalyptus, myrrh, and chamomile.
One of our favorite first aid blends comes from Simply Earth. A combination of Helichrysum, Lavender, Tea Tree, and Lemon, Bumps & Boo-boos is a must-have for any first aid kit, especially if you don’t wish to carry a large selection of oils.
Essential oils for first aid can be used in many ways. Making salves, creams, sprays, or simply diluting with a carrier oil and applying to an area of pain or swelling are a few ideas. One of my favorite ways to use essential oils for first aid is in a salve that can be applied to minor cuts, scrapes, or burns, or rubbed into a painful or swollen joint. The following recipe is one that I make and keep on hand at all times for these purposes.
DIY First Aid Salve Recipe
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup beeswax pellets
1/4 cup shea butter
15 drops Lavender
10 drops Tea Tree
5 drops Helichrysum (may substitute Frankincense)
a few drops of Vitamin E oil (optional)
Melt the beeswax and shea butter in a glass jar placed in a pan of hot water. Add the coconut oil and vitamin E and stir to combine. Remove from heat and stir in the essential oils and stir. Pour into individual storage containers (this recipe will make a total of 8 oz of salve). Allow to set up for 12-24 hours. Placing in the refrigerator will speed up this process. Be sure to label your containers.
This salve can be used for many purposes, including insect stings or bites, cuts and scrapes, itchy or chapped skin, minor burns, and sunburns. Apply a thin layer 2-3 times a day as needed.
Precautions
Never use essential oils undiluted, in the eyes, or on mucous membranes. Do not ingest unless working with a qualified practitioner. Keep essential oils away from children. If applying an essential oil to your skin always perform a small patch test to an insensitive part of the body (after you have properly diluted the oil in an appropriate carrier oil).
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Simply Earth Essential Oils Recipe Box
Recently, I began trying out a new online essential oils supplier. You may have seen me mention it on Instagram and wondered . . . why would I do that when I’ve been perfectly happy with the other companies I’ve often shared with you?
Two words: Subscription Boxes
Seriously . . . I am in love with subscription boxes. So about 8 months ago, I started receiving the monthly Essential Oils Recipe Box from Simply Earth. But first, I thoroughly checked them out according to my personal rules for how to decide where to buy essential oils.
Once I felt comfortable that Simply Earth met my stringent criteria, I asked them to send the first box to me, and now 8 months later, I’m still getting them. Here’s why:
They caught my attention because their website and social media are filled with fun ideas for how to use essential oils. Isn’t that the bottom line? Don’t we all want to learn HOW to use those sweet little bottles of oil? So often I receive messages and emails from readers who have purchased essential oils (usually an expensive kit) and they don’t know the first thing about what to do with them.
And this, my friend, is what really excites me about Simply Earth and their essential oil recipe subscription boxes. Their motto is “make your home natural.” But it’s not just a motto; they actually show you how to do it.
Simply Earth has their own certified aromatherapist and features a lot of educational information on their website, and as I mentioned before, their social media. They do not recommend willy nilly ingestion of essential oils, are careful to note when oils are or are not safe for children, and give other necessary precautions. They also have a free member site for essential oil courses and recipe creation, plus, a private subscriber Facebook group where ideas, tips, and recipes are shared. They also have an active YouTube channel where you’ll meet Katie and Shylah (who are very fun!) where they unbox each month’s recipe box and demonstrate the recipes.
Oh, the recipes! I haven’t mentioned the recipes yet. They come in the box – 6 of them, every month, printed on lovely index cards. Let me tell you more about what comes in the box.
For just $39 per month, Simply Earth will send you a box with approximately $150 worth of products, including 4 bottles of essential oils (usually 15ml each), 6 recipe cards for DIY products that use the oils sent, and fun toxin-free extras you’ll need to complete the DIY recipes. They don’t include common items you probably already have in your cupboard. Each month has a theme and all of the oils and recipes focus on that theme. They even include labels for all of the recipe creations!
This is a GREAT way for someone new to essential oils to build her collection of essential oils and supplies. It’s also a fabulous gift idea for your mom, sister, daughter, niece, or best friend. It’s the gift that keeps on giving . . . every month.
Which brings me to June’s box. . . The June box will be shipping soon and it’s all about first aid!
The June “Oily Aid Kit” Box includes:
*Lavender Essential Oil
*Cardamom Essential Oil
*Timber Essential Oil
*Bumps & Boo-boos Essential Oil Blend
*6 Recipe Cards
*Recipe Stickers
*Dried Calendula Flowers
*1 oz container filled with aloe vera gel
*1/3 oz container
…all for only $39!
Plus, with your first box, they also send a “Big Bonus Box” that contains 2-4 oz bottles of carrier oils, a tub of solid coconut oil, beeswax, 6 roller bottles, and 6-5ml dropper bottles for blending, absolutely free. They replenish it all for free every 6 months as well. This box alone has a value of nearly $45.
From the beginning, you have everything you need to begin making your home more natural. There is no long-term commitment for the subscription. You can cancel at any time.
One more thing . . . if you use the code MARCYFREE label your containers, they’ll give you a gift certificate worth $40 that you can use for your box the next month (or to make other purchases in their store).
Don’t wait to make your purchase. These subscription boxes always sell out and this one is sure to be one of the most popular boxes ever. (if you happen to be reading this after June 2020, go ahead and take a look at the current box. I’m sure it will be just as special! And the MARCYFREE code works all the time, but only when you subscribe to the recipe box.