Skin is the largest organ in your body. It protects you from infection and functions as your armor against a host of microbes that are trying to invade your body. Normally it does this job quite well, but anything that compromises the integrity of your skin can be a potential source of disease or infection. Here are 3 types of things to keep in your first aid kit for your skin.
1.) Bug Spray. It sounds like such a minor thing but I live in an area where Lyme disease and Alpha-Gal are real concerns. I’m also severely allergic to mosquito bites and develop a rash that can easily turn into a secondary infection. I have to keep the bugs away and that’s why I keep bug spray in my first aid kit. I also keep an anti-itch stick to keep the bug bite from turning into a huge rash. It really helps with the itching! You can purchase Bug Spray from me or use this recipe to customize your own.
Bug Spray
- 4 T distilled water
- 2T vodka
- 5-6 drops EO
(The oil floats on top of the water, make sure you shake this well before each use.)
EOs for mosquitos: EOs for ticks:
- Peppermint, Rose Geranium
- Sage Sweet Myrrh
- Lemongrass, Tansy
- Lemon, Eucalyptus
- Thyme,
- Lavender,
- Sage
2.) Wound Care: Cleaning
Antimicrobial Herbs to forage:
- Dandelion (leaf and root)
- Yarrow (aerial parts)
- Yellow Dock (root)
- Oak (bark)
- witch hazel (leaf and bark)
- plantain (leaf)
Once you have your antimicrobial Herbs you can tincture them by steeping them in alcohol (vodka) or witch hazel. I like to keep mine in a small spray bottle and I use 8 different botanicals soaked in witch hazel with a small amount of alcohol added. You can buy mine here:
3.) Wound Care: Healing
Herbs to speed healing:
- Calendula (flower)
- Hops (strobile)
- Myrrh (resin)
I make a calendula salve that you can purchase in a tin or in an easy-to-use chapstick form. I love it for bug bite relief (anti-itch stick) and minor cuts and abrasions (skin-soothing salve)
Bonus:
In a pinch, if you find yourself without any supplies at hand look for pine sap. Pine trees are easily identified by their clusters of needles that grow from a single clump. Their sap is anti-microbial, anti-fungal and it’s what the tree uses to protect itself when it gets injured so when harvesting the sap you need to leave some for the tree! It’s also very sticky so if you can use a twig to scrape some onto a leaf it will adhere the leaf to the skin like a band-aid – it is very difficult to get off though so if you can make it into a salve by adding beeswax and plant oil, you will have an easier time using it and keeping your wound clean.
Thorn and Thistle Apothecary 