As most of you know, where possible I always try to avoid chemicals and this goes for my first aid kit as well. Almost everything we use in our day-to-day lives has a natural and healthier alternative – after all most medicines etc originally came from nature (it’s only now most of them are chemically produced in labs and factories instead). Here’s my top five natural first aid items:
1. Coconut Oil
I struggle to find something that coconut oil isn’t good for! For starters it’s a great moisturiser, make-up remover, stretch mark cream, lubricant and is thought to help with things like dementia & Alzheimer’s. But I have it in my first aid kit because it speeds healing up, eliminates spots & acne, is a strong anti-fungal, helps with chapped lips, damaged skin, burns and abrasions, helps thyroid function, is a mild sun cream & after-sun, reduces nappy rash, eczema, colds & flu, is an anti-inflammatory, alleviates bites & stings, helps ear infections/ absorption of some vitamins & minerals, is anti-aging, helps with mental clarity and reduces allergies and intolerances.
The above are just a few of the things coconut oil can help with. To me it’s an all round wonder oil! It’s also one of the few oils that keeps most of it’s nutritional content when heated, so is in my opinion is the best oil for cooking for also.
2. Tea Tree Essential Oil
I always have several bottles of tea tree oil hanging around as it’s not only a great first aid item but it’s also a great cleaner as it’s anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. So it makes short work of any mold or bacteria in it’s path.
As part of my first aid kit I use it on spots & acne, infections, head lice, yeast infections (with coconut oil for athletes foot, candida etc), decongestant, as a mouth wash, dandruff reducer, for sun burn, infections, ticks and fleas.
Tea tree oil and coconut oil together can pretty much fight most things in my opinion!
Warning – Do not take internally and be careful about putting tea tree undiluted onto skin as it can cause irritation as it’s so strong.
3. Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender is also an anti-bacterial so it’s good for some of the same things as the above two first aid items, but it’s also good for all the following as well: Promoting restful sleep & relaxation, calming, reduces anxiety & nervous exhaustion/tension, helps with motion sickness & general nausea, cuts, bites, scratches, insect repellent, pain relief, eczema & dermatitis, sunburn, chapped lips & dry skin, excessive bleeding, cold sores, helps balance hormones, reduces cystitis, helps with coughs & colds and other respiratory issues, head lice, promotes a healthy immune system, good for hair and skin, headaches and promotes good digestion.
On top of all this lavender is an anti-viral so is essential to use (in my opinion) if you’re suffering from a viral infection.
4. Arnica
Most people have heard of arnica for it’s ability to quickly heal bruises, but there’s so much more to this little herb! It can be used on burns (including sunburn), muscle aches and pains, swelling, helps circulation, rheumatic pain sprains and sore joints and swelling.
Warning – Do not use arnica long term, if you have kidney issues, or on open wounds.
5. Witch Hazel
You may have heard of witch hazel for acne and spots, it has a great reputation for helping skin complaints, but it also helps with the following: nappy rash, varicose veins, haemorrhoids & bags under the eyes, soothes rashes and skin irritations, helps chickenpox, bruises, burns, dry skin, bites, and refreshes tired eyes.
So these are my top five natural first aid items, I occasionally use others things, like other essential oils, but 90% of the time these are all I need.
What are your favorite natural first aid items and why?