In this article, I will give you some alternative medical solutions,
using medicinal herbs to create your own herbal first aid kit.
I will focus on the issues we all face during summertime.
The Common Summertime Ailments
The hot summertime might be great for things like sports, parties and having fun on the beach,
But it may also bring some ailments with it if we don’t take care.
Some of these are mosquito bites, headaches, abdominal pain, and muscle inflammations.
These are the natural home remedies we can use to treat these ailments.
Mosquito Bites
The mosquitoes are no doubt the most annoying thing in the summer.
So here are some tips for keeping them away:
Citronella
When at home you can drip Citronella essential oil around the bed,
Or add a few drops of Citronella, Lemongrass, Geranium, and Eucalyptus essential oils in a burner or diffuser.
Important note! these essential oils are not recommended for pregnant women.
Lemon
When outside,
take a piece of fresh lemon and apply its juice topically on the bites and on exposed skin.
The lemon will soothe the affected spot and will prevent more bites.
Lavender
Another way of treating mosquito bites is by applying Lavender ointment to the affected spot.
It will stop the itching and will quickly heal the skin.
Note that the Lavender essential oil is safe to use on children and pregnant women.
You can learn to make your own natural Lavender ointment, it’s quite simple.
A Synergy of Essential Oils for Your Herbal First Aid Kit
This synergy has a dominant lemon scent that repels mosquitoes and insects.
Mix 5 drops from each of the following essential oils: Citronella, Tea Tree, Geranium and Lemon Grass, with a carrier oil, like cold-pressed Sweet Almond oil.
Apply to the skin.
Relieving Headaches Using Lavender
Massage the forehead and temples with the Lavender ointment,
or add a few drops from a Lavender infused oil in a burner or diffuser.
It will soothe, cool, and ease the pain.
Lavender is a medicinal plant – a must in your herbal first aid kit.
The plant has a cooling effect, it is soothing and excellent for headaches.
The Lavender has anti-spasm and antidepressant properties, as its smell directly affects the nervous system.
It is good for flu, colds, and coughs and is effective for treating stings and burns.
Chamomile for Treating Abdominal Pain
During the summertime, there’s a tendency for stomach viruses to thrive.
Therefore, first of all, it is important to pay attention to where we eat.
Home cooking is the best as there we can be sure what the ingredients our food is made of and can monitor how long it stayed outside the fridge.
When eating in a restaurant you have almost no control of what is inside your meal and of what’s going on in the kitchen.
A massage with Chamomile infused oil or drinking Chamomile tea can help reduce the following ailments:
stomach pain, cramps, nausea, and most of the things related to intestinal problems.
Chamomile is an analgesic and antiseptic herb.
Therefore, it is good for migraines, abdominal pain, and menstrual cramps.
Actually, I use chamomile infused oil as the basis of the ointment for relieving menstrual pains that I make.
It is soothing, carminative (antioxidant), and good for treating digestive disorders.
Chamomile is also safe to use on small children and pregnant women.
in the case of gases or spasms, apply the oil topically and massage in circular motions.
For these reasons and more, you should add chamomile infused oil to your herbal first aid kit.
Muscle Aches
Muscle aches are common during the summertime, especially muscle cramps.
They are usually caused as a result of the sharp transitions between the cold and heat.
Meaning, staying in air-conditioned spaced and then moving to the hot air outside,
Or sweating outside and then entering cooled space again.
A Simple Herbal Medicine You Can Make for Your First Aid Kit
Mixing warming and sedative essential oils with carrier oil will create a strong and effective herbal medicine for treating muscle aches, that you should add to your first aid kit.
Ingredients
- A few drops of essential oils such as peppermint, eucalyptus, camphor, and cajeput.
- Carrier oil such as Sweet almond or Sesame cold-pressed oil.
Mix the ingredients well in a bowl and move to a bottle you can close tight.
Apply this mixture topically to the affected area and massage it until it’s absorbed to the skin, to warm, wheeze, and soothe the pain.
Read this post for natural ways to treat sunburns and jellyfish stings.
