What Essential Oils should be in my First Aid Kit?

by Penny Keay

Yes, essential oils are an important part of any first aid kits and in your storage case too.

A list of basic essential oils for any one just starting out will include many of these essential oils to begin with.

Without a doubt, number one on the list is Lavender. Next should be Tea Tree. Peppermint, Roman Chamomile, Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Thyme, Lemon, and Clove bud.

Personally, I would also suggest adding Helichrysum.

A quick list of why each oil is useful follows. This list is just the most common reason or uses. There are certainly many, many more uses of each of these oils.

Be sure to get a good book on Aromatherapy. One good book is Valerie Ann Worwood's book - The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy.

This book provided some of the information for this article. See our Book Review page for other excellent aromatherapy books.

Lavender:

Stings and bites, burns, bruises, scrapes. It has analgesic, antiseptic and more properties to help heal wounds. Not to mention the calming effect it will have to the person affected.

Tea Tree:

Good for all types of infections. It is antifungal, antiviral and anti-bacterial. Good for all kinds of skin wounds and irritations from sunburn, to acne, athlete’s foot and more.

Peppermint :

Known for its anti-nausea and indigestion relief. Peppermint also helps with headaches, sinus congestion and even for painful joints!

I recently read where adding a few drops to some calamine lotion, helps relieve and heal Poison ivy lesions more quickly!

Oh and if you are camping, Peppermint will help keep the ants away from the picnic table, the mice out of your tent and other unwanted pests away too! (Al just mentioned that if you go camping in bear country, you should be cautious about using any essential oil as some bears are easily attracted to sweet scents.)

Roman and/or German Chamomile:

Excellent to help you and your children relax and fall asleep more easily after a day of excitement. Of course, they also have anti-inflammatory properties and are helpful for burns, bee stings nettle rashes, and other injuries.

Eucalyptus :

Best known to help relieve congestion from coughs and colds. But did you know that it is also an excellent insect repellent? Especially Eucalyptus citriodora (Eucalyptus Lemon).

Eucalyptus has great antiseptic and antiviral properties. It is anti-inflammatory and a mild analgesic (relieves pain). There are several varieties of Eucalyptus and any of them would be a great addition to your kit.

Rosemary:

This wonderful stimulating essential oil is great to use on long road trips. It will give you a pick me up and will be great after a long and tiring day. Rosemary is also one of Al's recommendations along with Peppermint to use for those headaches that can pop up out of nowhere.

Just a drop or two mixed with a little carrier oil and rubbed on the back of your neck and shoulders will relieve those headaches within a few minutes. Use Rosemary on painful muscles and joints too!

Thyme:

This is a superb antiviral essential oil. It also has great antibacterial and antifungal properties. Please do not OVER use this oil. It is very potent and should not be used on an ongoing basis. It should be used diluted only. Use when needed and do not use beyond where you are healed and well.

Lemon:

Best known for its antiseptic and disinfecting properties. Lemon will freshen and clean most all surfaces. Can be very effective on insect bites. Some folks have found headache relief from using Lemon oil too.

Clove bud:

Antiseptic, antibacterial, analgesic are the most important properties held by Clove bud oil. It is great for toothaches and other pains, such as painful joints and muscles. Be sure to dilute with a carrier oil before applying to the skin. It is one oil that could cause a skin reaction (burning sensation).

Helichrysum :

great analgesic, antibacterial and helps if uses on bruises shortly after they occur. It will reduce the discoloration and help heal the bruise very quickly. Because it has analgesic properties bumps and bruises won't be as painful.

Simple First Aid Wash

Simply put several drops of Lavender essential oil in a small basin of tepid water. If the body part that needs cleaning is easy to submerse, simply swish around in the water for a few minutes. If the body part can not be submersed, then use a wash cloth and gently wipe or sponge water over the area.

The natural antiseptic properties of Lavender may help fight any infection and its analgesic property will help with any pain or discomfort.

Use this wash for scrapes, bug bites and any other bump or bruise!

We carry essential oils with us wherever and whenever we travel.

★ Please, do not leave your essential oils in your car. ★

Ideally, if you have a small insulated bag, or cooler, your oils will be much happier in that!! Protecting them from sunlight and excessive heat will prolong their effectiveness and extend their shelf life.

For use in Hotel rooms:

Don't forget to take along a small diffuser or two. The TruMelange fan diffuser or a Scentball are small and easy to use in any guest room or suite.

Have a safe and fun time while you travel or when you are at home too.

All the products listed in the article are available at our Shopping Site.

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