Next to the regular cotton balls, Band-Aids, bandages, and gauzes it is important to add some essential oils to your first-aid kit for their versatile healing properties. Essential oils, when stored in a dark glass bottle, don’t go rancid and can be stored for ages.
They can be very useful for stress, cuts, scrapes, bruises, stomach aches, headaches, cramps, nausea, toothaches, and many more non-life threatening conditions. And as a big bonus… they smell great!
Here are my favorites found in my family’s natural emergency kit.
1. Lavender
Lavender is the most versatile oil of them all. If you are planning to only buy one essential oil then you should opt for lavender. Lavender is great for burns, cuts, bruises, spasms, allergies, acne, headaches, insect bites, lice, inflammation, skin irritations, insomnia, anxiety, stress, and depression.
2. Rose
Rose essential oil can be used to treat burns or sunburns. Mix a few drops with a little coconut oil (or any other oil of your liking) and rub onto the burn (after cooling it with water). It gives instant relief and speeds up the healing process.
3. Roman Chamomile
The best oil to relieve rashes caused by poison ivy and poison oak. Some studies found that it is more effective than hydrocortisone cream. Next to soothing an itchy skin, roman chamomile can also be used to relax and promote sleep. You can add it to tea and/or add a few drops on your pillowcase.
4. Peppermint
Peppermint is great to treat digestive issues such as nausea, indigestion, heartburn, cramps, and bloating. It is also effective to treat menstrual problems, colds, fever, allergies, headaches, muscle aches, shock, and promotes focus and alertness. For a quick headache relief, rub peppermint essential oil on your temples, back of your neck, and forehead.
5. Lemon
Works antimicrobial and clears the mind. It is great to treat gout, colds, acne, flu, sore throat, stress, fatigue, motion sickness or nausea. It helps to cleanse liver, gall bladder, and kidneys. It can be added to natural bug repellants as well.
6. Grapefruit
Grapefruit has similar healing effects as lemon. Grapefruit is the best choice for people that are exhausted or dealing with a jetlag.
7. Clove
Clove works as a natural painkiller and helps to detoxify your body. This oil treats toothaches, headaches, nausea, or constipation.
8. Tea tree
One of the best oils to treat bacterial or other microbial infections. It can be used to treat scrapes, minor cuts, infected areas, cold, flu, sore throat, skin fungus, athlete’s foot, eczema, psoriasis, blemishes, and acne.
9. Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is the oil if you struggle with a respiratory condition. It clears your nasal passage and helps you to breathe more easily. It also works as a natural bug repellent and relieves sore muscles and itchy insect bites. Never ingest or use undiluted as it can be irritating. Dilute with water (for steam inhalation) or a carrier oil such as coconut, jojoba, or sweet almond oil.
10. Wintergreen
Wintergreen is nature’s natural aspirin. It consists of 85 to 99 percent methyl salicylate, which is the main active compound found in aspirin. It does a great job in relieving pain, inflammation, spasm, and achy joints.
11. Geranium
Geranium is one of the best oils to treat minor cuts that don’t need stiches. Apply a few drops on your bandage or Band-Aid to disinfect the wound, stop the bleeding, and speed up healing. For wounds that need stiches, apply a few drops of geranium on a cotton ball or gauze and press on the wound to stop the bleeding.
12.Myrrh
Great to treat infections, open wounds, and works as a natural painkiller. It reduces swelling of cuts, wounds or bruises.
13. Frankincense
Can be added to many other essential oils to enhance their effect. It heals minor cuts and bug bites. It strengthens the immune system and can be used to treat inflammation, reduce stress, depression, hyperactivity, and restlessness.
Always make sure to buy the real thing! Look for 100% pure essential oils or therapeutic grade, especially for the ones that can be used internally. This should be mentioned on the bottle. I often buy my oils on amazon because they are inexpensive, pure, and most importantly, they work! My favorite brands are Now Foods Essential Oils or Eden’s Garden.
Most oils can be used undiluted or diluted in water or a carrier oil such as coconut, jojoba, or sweet almond oil. When you use the oils undiluted, first check for allergic reaction on a small patch of skin before applying it on larger areas.