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Creating a Natural First Aid Kit

In this area, you will find the herbs needed to use for first aid and what they are used for.

Cuts/Bleeding/Shock

Yarrow – This pretty little herb is a styptic, which means it has properties that promote clotting to stop bleeding. I keep yarrow flower in a small bottle and shake it onto cuts, then apply pressure with a bandage of some kind. The bleeding stops very quickly. I also infuse yarrow into ointment for the same effect.

Antibiotic ointment – Many herbs offer powerful antibiotic properties (many are antiviral and anti-fungal as well). I keep a healing balm on hand that also acts as an antibiotic ointment. You’ll find the recipe below.

Homeopathic arnica – This is a great remedy to use in many first aid scenarios, including sprains, strains and exhaustion. Homeopathic arnica can even be used to help treat shock, which can happen with uncontrolled bleeding. It’s recommended to take some with any first aid incident.

Burns

Aloe vera – This plant is great for soothing sunburns and other minor burns. I like to snip off a piece of my plant for burns but store-bought aloe vera gel is also very soothing and will keep longer in your first aid kit.

Lavender essential oil – I first read about this remedy a few years ago and unfortunately have been able to test it many times since then. It works. After I get a burn, typically on my fingers while cooking, I quickly apply lavender essential oil, which helps relieve the pain. I then apply some of my healing balm, which has arnica, for pain relief.

Bites/Stings

Frankincense essential oil – I love this essential oil for bites and stings! I’m allergic to mosquito bites and frankincense helps control the itching and swelling. It also quickly relieves the pain of a bee sting.

Plantain weed – Plantain, one of the most wide-spread “weeds” in the world, is an herb that is used to soothe the skin and sore throats. It also provides great relief for bug bites and stings because its astringency creates a cooling effect. You might not always be able to find fresh plantain nearby, so I recommend keeping dried plantain leaves in your first aid kit.  All instances I’ve read about using plantain leaf involve chewing on the leaf and applying it to the affected area. If you don’t want to chew it, I imagine you could squish it up a bit with your fingers and get it wet before applying it.

Allergic Reaction

Apis 12c – This homeopathic remedy is recommended as an anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine. It is useful for many symptoms brought on by allergies, including:

• Cough
• Swelling of tongue, lips and eyelids
• Sore throat
• Hypersensitive and anaphylactic shock from allergens including chemicals, antibiotics and certain nuts
• Adverse reactions to insect bites and stings

Pain/Bruising

Arnica balm – I have a confession. I like bruises. I think they’re cool. I even wanted a black eye as a kid. (Ok, obviously I didn’t think about how I would have to get that). But when I accidentally pulled over several sheets of RV paneling onto my leg, I figured I needed to do something about the bruises or they’d be there for a long, long time. Enter arnica balm. Arnica montana is great for relieving pain and helps bruises heal very quickly.

Activated Charcoal: For acute use in  intestinal illness, vomiting, diarrhea, ingestion of toxins, etc. Also keep the local poison control number on hand in case a child ingests a toxic substance and immediately take a child to the hospital if he/she has swallowed a battery or magnet!

Arnica– Topical creme used for muscle pain or injury, bruises or any type of trauma. We’ve found that it greatly reduced healing time or bruises and sore muscles when used topically right after injury. Not for internal use or use on open cuts.

Cayenne Powder– Though this is a good addition to many foods, it is even better to have in a medicine cabinet. I keep a few cayenne capsules in my purse as well. Topically, cayenne powder helps stop bleeding rapidly. I’ve read cases of it being taken internally during heart attacks to increase blood flow and help clear blockage, though thankfully, I’ve never had to test this one. It is also a useful remedy to take internally during illness as it increases blood flow and speeds recovery.

Chamomile–  Helps calm kids if they are ill or just have trouble sleeping. The tincture also works wonders on teething gums. The dried flowers can also be made into a poultice with some gauze and placed on an eye for 15 minutes every hour to reverse pinkeye rapidly (usually works in a couple of hours). Brewed as a tea, chamomile is a relaxing drink at night and the tea can be cooled and rubbed on the stomach of colicky infants to help sooth them. I sometimes add some brewed chamomile tea to the kid’s bath as it is great for the skin and promotes relaxation. I keep the tincture in my purse at all times.

Comfrey-An external herb that promotes healing from injuries and broken bones. A poultice made with plantain and comfrey that is placed on a wound can greatly reduce the healing time and help prevent and reverse infection. I make a homemade “Neosporin” with this and other herbs and use it on bug bites, cuts, bruises and poison ivy. It is available here and it is best to keep the dried herb on hand for poultices and homemade salves.

Eucalyptus Herb and Essential Oil– I keep on hand for respiratory type problems. We use eucalyptus herb in a face steam for congestion or sinus troubles..  The essential oil can be diluted with coconut oil or olive oil and be applied externally to the feet and chest to help open nasal passageways.

Ginger Capsules– Ginger is great for nausea, reflux, stomach trouble and morning sickness. I also keep some in the car for motion sickness. It helps sooth the stomach after a digestive illness or food poisoning.

Echinacea– I keep a homemade echinacea tincture on hand for severe illnesses. I don’t use it as a first resort, but it is helpful in prolonged illnesses.

Peppermint Herb and Essential Oil– Another great digestive herb. For upset stomach or digestive illness, the herb is made into a tea. The tincture can be used internally or externally for headache or digestive troubles and when combine with a few other digestive herbs, it makes a highly effective digestive aid and nausea remedy. The essential oil applied behind the ears and on the feet helps alleviate headache or nausea and a weak tea made from the herb and rubbed on the skin can help sooth a colicky baby.

Plantain–Good to have the loose herb on hand. It actually grows in most places in the summer and looks like the picture at the right. You’ve probably pulled it as a weed without knowing it.  It is a natural remedy for poison ivy, cuts, scrapes and bites. In a pinch, I’ve picked some from the ground, chewed and put it on a bee sting… it immediately relieved the pain. I keep the dried herb on hand at all times to make into a poultice for bites, stings, cuts and infection. My most recent use was on a confirmed brown recluse bite and a combination of plantain and comfrey in a poultice kept the bite from eating away the tissue and helped it heal completely.

Slippery Elm-Helpful for sore or irritated throat or when you lose your voice. These made into lozenges taste great and are helpful for kids with sore throats. The herb itself can be used in tinctures or teas for sore throat relief.

Other Remedies:

Apple Cider Vinegar– I keep a bottle of organic Apple Cider Vinegar with “the mother” on hand for digestive troubles, indigestion, food poisoning and more. Taken in a dose of 1 teaspoon per 8 ounces of water every hour, it helps shorten the duration of any type of illness, though it is tough to get kids to take it willingly.

Vitamin C– Helpful for all illnesses, but especially flu-related illnesses. I keep the powder on hand because it is additive free and can be mixed into food or drinks to get the kids to consume it.

Aloe Vera Plant-We have one growing in the house for burns and blisters.

Epsom Salt-Good as a bath soak for sore muscles. Dissolved in water, it can also be a good soak to help remove splinters.

Hydrogen Peroxide-I keep several bottles on hands at all times. Besides using in my homemade OxyClean and for cleaning out wounds, it can help prevent ear infection and shorten duration of respiratory illness. At the first sign of ear infection or illness a dropper full of Hydrogen Peroxide can be put in the ear. The person then leaves the peroxide in for 15 minutes or until it stops bubbling and repeats on the other side.

Homemade Neosporin -  I make my own “Neosporin” Healing Salve (no petroleum needed). I keep it in small tins and in lip chap containers for on-the-go size. This “boo-boo lotion” as my kids call it, is used on cuts, bruises, rashes and anything else antibiotic ointment could be used on.

Witch Hazel– I keep a gallon on hand for use on cuts, scrapes, and in cosmetic uses. It makes a great skin toner and is good for postpartum bottom

Gelatin– I take gelatin regularly for its health benefits, but I also keep it on hand for first aid and illness. The natural gelatin in homemade chicken soup (from the bones and tissue) is one of the things that makes it so nourishing during illness. During any type of illness, the afflicted gets gelatin in various ways: in food, homemade jello, smoothies, in hot tea, etc. After surgeries or when there especially bad cuts that might scar, I also give gelatin to speed skin healing. There is evidence that it is also effective in improving blood clotting when used externally on a wound, though I have not tested this.

Baking Soda-Also a good remedy to keep on hand. For severe heartburn or urinary track infections, 1/4 tsp can be taken internally to help alleviate quickly. It can also be made into a poultice and used on sider bites.

Probiotics-These are the strongest probiotics I’ve found and we use them during any illness and after the illness to repair gut bacteria. I’ve seen clients improve skin conditions with regular use of probiotics, and I especially recommend them to pregnant mothers, as newborn babies receive their gut bacteria from their mother and this can make a tremendous difference in if baby will get ear infections or illness in the first months. For children who get constant illness and ear infections, probiotics can also really help.

Coconut Oil– I’ve said it before, but I am to coconut oil as the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding is to Windex. From skin salve, to diaper creme, to makeup remover, to antifungal treatment, I use coconut oil for everything. I keep some in the first aid kit to add remedies to to take internally, to use to apply tinctures and help absorption externally and for dry skin and chapped lips. There is also growing evidence that daily consumption of 1/4 cup or more of coconut oil can help protect against Alzheimer’s and nourish the thyroid.

Bentonite Clay - Following exposure to snake bites, activated charcoal will only be useful for the first four hours.  Following that, bentonite clay should be applied directly to the wound site, because it has a remarkable ability to draw out toxins.  The Internet is riddled with people who have testified to having had amazing results with bentonite clay following snake and spider bites, but of course, results will vary with each case.  Buy it now, because it is cheap, but it can be difficult to obtain.

Ginger - Nausea and vomiting can make some of the most basic tasks extremely difficult, and of course, it causes seemingly endless suffering.  It occurs more often in the wild as a result of food poisoning. Preventing nausea often means preventing dehydration, so ginger is another life-saver.  It is now recommended as a 'complementary' therapy for those undergoing chemotherapy, in order to quell nausea.  Thus ginger's efficacy has been well proven.  Ginger can be held in the mouth for rapid absorption.  This is a useful technique whenever nothing can be retained in the stomach.  Ginger can also help to stop diarrhea.

Colloidal silver - Silver is undoubtedly one of the best anti-bacterial and anti-viral substances available.  It can therefore be used to make water safer to drink, without causing major arterial damage like chlorine.  Be aware that it will not kill most parasites.  For emergency water, a water filter designed to remove parasites can be used, and then silver should be added to the filtered water 15 minutes before its use.  Of course, we always recommend boiling the water if at all possible, and it is also wyze to make a large amount of safe water beforehand, in case there is an emergency.

Colloidal silver will also help anyone who has become sick with almost any illness.  Take 2 tablespoons every few hours. It is better and safer than antibiotics in every category.

Colloidal silver is the best burn remedy in existence.  It is for this reason that it is still used in burn centers.  Its usefulness extends to sunburns.  Using a cotton swap, rub colloidal silver over the burnt skin, and wait for it to absorb.  Read our sunburn article for the best combination to eliminate sunburns within hours.

Mix colloidal silver with a small amount of sea salt inside of spring water to make an effective eye wash.  The salt will make the silver solution closer to that of human tears, and therefore, it will minimize burning sensations.  It needs to be made in a dropper bottle beforehand, because there is no time in an eye emergency.  We always keep some ready in our house, and it kills pink eye in a matter of minutes.

Iodine - Iodine can be a life safer for deep wounds.  It penetrates deeply to kill all infectious bacteria.  Wound infections must be prevented, so apply iodine liberally to any injury that breaks the skin on a regular basis, until the wound has scabbed over.  The iodine will boost the immune system, and promote rapid healing too.

Echinacea - Echinacea was the very first herb to be called "snake oil", because it was known to neutralize venoms before herbs became a threat to the medical business.  Use it orally in massive doses following a venomous bite, and topically mix it into the bentonite clay that was mentioned earlier.  Echinacea can also be taken alongside colloidal silver if a member of the party becomes sickened.  It provides a boost to the immune system, and it is an effective anti-viral.

Apple Cider Vinegar - While not as vital as other items on this list, apple cider vinegar has a variety of uses.  It can quickly eliminate indigestion, heartburn, sunburns (in combination with silver), and can sometimes help with headaches.

Chamomile - This herb is ideal for quickly eliminating insect bites.  Chamomile can be purchased in capsule form, and the capsules should be opened and mixed with vodka before directly applying to insect bites.  It is an anti-histamine, and can therefore suppress allergic reactions.  Bear in mind that it is also a mild sedative, so chamomile is the Benadyrl of the natural world.  For maximum effect against insect bites, a solution of it really needs to be made well in advance, as described in the story from the above link.  Chamomile is a relative of ragweed and should be used with caution in those who suffer from ragweed allergies.  If any allergic symptoms occur, then discontinue.

Eye Drops - When an eye problem occurs, eye drops are a necessity that needs to be pre-made and ready.  the creation of safe, natural, and effective eye drops is in our recipe section.

Anti-Inflammatories - The discomfort caused by sprains and other trauma injuries can be alleviated with natural anti-inflammatories.  Devil's Claw, cherry concentrate, and MSM are the most effective for injuries.  Devil's Claw has been shown in studies to be more effective than Vioxx.  MSM is a source of sulfur that has been repeatedly shown in research to help with both join pain and injury-related inflammation.

Baking Soda and Vinegar - Wasp, hornet, and bee stings can be eliminated using one of these substances.  Natural Remedies for Bee, Wasp, and Hornet Stings for information about how to use them. Check our recipe section.

Opium, cannabis ("marijuana") - While illegal in most areas of the world, these herbs are ideal for pain relief.  As written previously, the establishment's rigorous control over these herbs is intended to keep us reliant on its system, because enough pain will force anyone to see a doctor.  Cannabis is good for mild to medium pain relief and nausea, while opium is needed for suppressing extreme pain.  It would be wise to include these pain-killing herbs into a first aid kit, but be aware that we cannot advise readers about the obvious legal implications.

Bandages - An essential part of any good first aid kit.

Needles, tweezers - These two items can help with small injuries such as splinters, and generally come in handy.

Phone Numbers - Any good first aid kit will contain phone numbers to a nearby hospital, poison control center, and any other people that you might need to contact in an emergency.

Other Supplies:

Butterfly Bandages
Gauze

Superglue– On minor to moderate skin cuts (not puncture wounds) use superglue and butterfly bandages. I’ve used this instead of stitches several times and it healed faster and left less scarring than the places I’ve had stitches. Especially good for face and other visible areas that scar easily or in hair where other bandages can be difficult to apply. I’ve also use on fingertips or knuckles (I’m infamous for grating knuckles while cooking) or other places where band aids won’t stay well.

Strips of sterilized muslin cloth in plastic bags for wrapping wounds.

Cut off wool sleeves from old sweaters to cover bandages and hold ice packs

Hot water bottle

Enema kit

Bulb syringe and Nose Frida for helping with congestion in children

Assorted bandages and gauze- An essential part of any good first aid kit.

Needles, tweezers-These two items can help with small injuries such as splinters, and generally come in handy.

Phone Numbers - Any good first aid kit will contain phone numbers to a nearby hospital, poison control center, and any other people that you might need to contact in an emergency.

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