Simple Home-Made Antiseptic & Painkilling Wound Treatment

I've been using this wound wash for years on my poultry but recently I had occasion to use it on myself and find out first hand how good it was! Normally if I was using a very sharp blade like this sickle, I would wear thick leather gloves but on this occasion I didn't. I was also listening at the time to Andy, who had just said; "Be careful of that blade, I've just sharpened it"! I ended up with a deep cut. It was both bleeding and painful so I used a warm water bath into which I added two essential oils, which I always have on hand in the kitchen in case of emergency.

Andy, my husband, is trained in first aid but if you are at all unsure about the nature of a cut or wound seek medical attention. In the case of an apocalypse, you'll just have to use your own judgement but I've seen and now experienced how these oils work on cuts and wounds so many times, that I know what I'd choose. It is easy to make and also just as importantly, easy to source, as the essential oils used here are two of the commonest. Like all essential oils there is a protocol for keeping and using them. They need to be kept away from direct light and in a coolish place. I use several makes of essential oils but I really like the ones above as they are doubly secured in a metal capsule, which can be reused for all sorts of purposes after the bottle is empty. All oils unless otherwise specified should be used in dilution.

Make sure you buy pure essential oils, as a simple rule, a good oil will leave no stain on fabric or paper.

As an added bonus, even when organically certified, these two oils are still inexpensive, both costing under 8 dollars and as each contain 250 drops per bottle and I only use a few drops per treatment, this is not only an effective but also a low cost way of cleaning wounds, stopping pain and healing skin.

Step 1: ​Two Essential Oils - Must Haves for Your First Aid Kit & Other Materials

True Lavender - Lavandula angustifolia

Properties:

Powerful healer, for wounds, burns, cuts, abrasions and other skin conditions,

painkiller,

prevents scarring

antiseptic/antibacterial,

antispasmodic

immune system support,

calming.

Tea Tree - Melaleuca alternifolia

Properties:

Powerful broad spectrum anti-bacterial,

pain-killer,

anaesthetic - (I use it on ectoparasites, such as ticks, on my pigeons)

immune system support

fights skin infections.

fungicide

Materials and Quantities

A small bowl of warm distilled or mineral water

5 drops of Essential Oil of True Lavander +

2 drops of Essential Oil of Tea Tree

Microporous tape

Organic cotton wool (25% of the World's pesticides are used in the production of cotton)

An ice lolly stick or short piece of fruit crate wood

Step 2: TREATMENT METHOD

Drop the essential oils into the water and as oils will naturally remain on the surface, swish the water around to cause them to break up.

Place the finger, in the water for a minute or so. In the case of larger wounds you can gently dab the area with a piece of cotton wool dipped in the wash.

For an added pain-killer and disinfectant, add one drop of lavender from the bottle straight onto the wound. Lavender being one of the few essential oil which may safely be used neat. I do not exceed 3 drops per day.

Cover with a cotton wool pad and if like me you have a wound that may come open with movement, then make a splint to support the wound using an ice lolly stick.

Fix the whole dressing together with a length of microporous tape.

In my case you will see in the film above, how the essential oils dealt with the pain and cleaned up the wound.

If you want to see my use of this treatment on poultry then you can visit my blog The Holistic Hen