5 of my favourite oils – for first aid uses

When you’re out and about, do you, your partner or your kids get tummy upsets, travel sickness, breathing congestion, coughs, cuts and bruises, muscle aches and sprains or insect bites. Then, here are some great ways to help

1.  Peppermint Oil:

• Great for tummy upsets – just smelling it can help. Or you can add 1 drop into warm water (with a touch of honey) to ingest it. Or rub it, diluted in a carrier oil on the tummy to help reduce stomach and intestinal spasms
• Helps for
  • Travel sickness
  • Bloating
  • Nausea
  • Indigestion
  • cramps
• With a carrier oil, turn it into a chest rub for nasal and/or chest congestion related to respiratory illnesses
• Use it on wrists and feet (in a carrier oil) to help reduce the intensity of fevers
• With a carrier oil, turn it into a muscle rub for sore and tired muscles and feet

2. Lavender Oil:

• Perfect first aid for burns – place it directly on the wound (without a carrier oil is ok if necessary, otherwise a diluted version is great) – wash the burn with cold water, then add the oil and leave it. Re-apply as required – based on pain
  • This reduces pain, inflammation and speeds healing. The number of times I have been sure I was going to have a blister and the next morning there was no trace except maybe a slight skin tenderness, I am amazed every time!
• Great for sleep issues (add a drop to the pillow)
• Great to reduce stress (and even depression) – just smell the bottle or diffuse into the air
• Use in a spray for a natural hand sanitiser and for a wound anti-septic spray (vinegar, water, lavender and tea tree; or lavender, tea tree and water with a touch of glycerine)
• Great to help soothe any skin irritation
• Mix with aloe vera for sunburn relief (or make a spray)
• Soothes insect bites
• Mix with a carrier oil and Peppermint oil and use to reduce headaches

3. Tea Tree

• Is a powerful anti-microbial, you can use it topically to f=treat fungal infections and also to treat viral cold sores
• It is great alone, or with Lavender as an anti-septic spray
• Use with peppermint in a chest rub to reduce sinus and respiratory congestion, place around the back of the neck to help soothe coughs
• Diffuse (or smell the bottle) to help sinus/respiratory congestion, great as helps kill viruses, the cause of most coughs and colds and flus. (can use in boiling water and breathe in, but need to take care with this – the boiling water can burn the nasal lining if too close, the oils can sting the eyes, so keep closed, and obviously boiling water cannot touch you/you don’t want to drop it…)
• For coughs, use lemon juice or oil and honey to help soothe the throat and reduce coughs (if you have eucalyptus, you can add a drop of that too)
• Tea Tree should not be ingested and shouldn’t be used in pregnancy
• Diffuse to help reduce respiratory and sinus congestion (lemon helps too)

4. Frankincense:

• Add to muscle rub – as helps reduce inflammation and minimise bruising
• Use on strains and sprains – to minimise bruising
• Use on cuts and wounds to help as an anti-septic and anti-inflammatory
• Use with Lavender for skin irritations and insect bites to soothe and reduce redness

5. Geranium:

• Add to eucalyptus and lavender to help repel insects (especially helps repel ticks)
• Use on cuts as it may assist in blood clot formation – be aware that the cut may increase bleeding initially as the wound “cleanses” itself
• Great to add to skin irritations for soothing due to its anti0inflammatory and astringent qualities
• Can assist headaches, reduce anxiety and help balance hormones

Do you want a few simple recipes to help you use the above oils easily and effectively, without having to mix up something when you need it?

Watch out for my next Essential Oil post and recipe ebook