Light & Shadows of Chalandor

Important Announcement

The MSN Groups service will close in February 2009. You can move your group to Multiply, MSN’s partner for online groups. Learn More

This thread is for all concoctions

to naturally aid

in the relief and healing of:

Aches, Pains, and Owies

Herbal First Aid Kit

A great first aid kit, would handle more than just cuts and scrapes. Ideally, I would not include any chemical preparations. The medicines can be all-natural, and will be potent and effective.

1. Antimicrobial healing salve. A comfrey based salve, including herbs such as plantain, St. John's wort, calendula and echinacea, will soothe, accelerate healing, and disinfect. Essential oils such as lavender and rosemary strengthen the effects. Use for any breaks in the skin and for burns. (Do not use initially on puncture wounds,
use an antiseptic such as echinacea tincture instead). Gaia makes a good commercially available preparation.

2. Insect repellant. Essential oils (lavender, citronella,
eucalyptus, cedarwood, lemon grass, pennyroyal) suspended in a base
of water and alcohol, are pleasant smelling to humans and noxious to
bugs. The combination works better than the single oils. Make your
own or use the all-natural commercial preparations. Note that eating
sugar and sweets increases your attractiveness to many insects!

3. Muscle aches and pains liniment for external use: Arnica, witch
hazel and St. John's Wort tinctures in combination and essential
oils of camphor, eucalyptus, rosemary and clove bud are all
excellent. Note that some people are sensitive to arnica: STOP if
adverse symptoms result. Do not use arnica on broken skin.

4. Poison Ivy and Poison Oak liniment for external use. Jewelweed
(impatiens) neutralizes the Rhus toxin and works well. Use fresh or
tinctured, but jewelweed can be hard to find. Other remedies include
grindelia, combined with echinacea, calendula and white oak bark.

5. Echinacea tincture. Don't leave home without it. Internal and
external antibiotic, provides temporary boost to the immune system.
Good in case a cold threatens. Antidotes poison.

6. Ginger capsules. Great remedy for upset stomaches, including
motion sickness, morning sickness and gas. Helpful for menstrual
cramps. Alternatives: fennel and peppermint.

7. Bentonite clay or charcoal tablets, for diarrhea. These are to
assist with detoxification, in case of poisoning. (Of charcoal, take
4 every hour, of bentonite clay, take 1 teaspoon in water, 3-4 times
per day). Drink a lot of water.

8. Meadowsweet tincture. Fast acting, anti-inflammatory, pain-killer. Willow bark tea works well.

9. Thyme essential oil. A "must bring" for camping. Two drops in 4
ounces of water for mouthwash for toothache or sore throat. Same
recipe used externally for crabs, lice, and all external parasites.
Three drops placed in recently boiled water, inhale the steam for
cold, flu, or bronchitis.

10. Rescue Remedy. Outstanding emotional support for all trauma.
Very safe. Don't leave home without it.

11. Cayenne capsules. Proven styptic. Open and apply externally to
stop bleeding. (Yes, it does burn, but it works). It will also warm
cold feet, sprinkled inside your boots. Alternative styptics:
comfrey and yarrow. Comfrey is perhaps the finest internal anti-
hemorrhage we have and is great externally as well, but it recently
has come under FDA criticism (read some good herbal texts and decide
for yourself.) I prefer to use "Yu nan bai yao" available in
Chinatown" .

12. Bug bite and itch relief. Witch hazel, plantain, grindelia,
comfrey and St. John's Wort all provide relief from insect bites and
general itching. Tinctured combinations of these seem to work best
and are applied directly to the skin. Lavender essential oil may be
applied directly to the skin and works well. It enhances any
tincture combination.

13. Relief from bruises. I think of these as wounds where the skin
is unbroken, often accompanied by discoloration. Useful herbs,
typically applied topically in tincture form, include Tienchi
ginseng, hyssop, myrrh gum, prickly ash bark, cayenne, calendula,
comfrey and arnica. Make your own, use the all-natural commercial
preparations, or obtain a "dit dat jao" from a Chinese herbalist.
Helichrysum italicum essential oil, applied neat, works very well
and is non-irritating. Application of the tincture combination, jao,
or essential oil immediately following the bruise may prevent the
bruise from forming. Do not use these remedies on the eyes or mucous
membranes and wash thoroughly after use.

14. The hardware: "Band Aids", Bandages, 1/2 inch surgical tape,
small scissors, single edged razor blade, tweezers, cold pack (cools
on impact), ace bandage, bandana. Eye cup (or shot glass). Carry
case (soft sided, waterproof for the kit.

15. Snakebite: Echinacea, taken freely in large doses.

If you are sensitive to any of the suggested remedies, don't use
them. Read, listen to your body, and educate yourself. Use common
sense and seek additional assistance when necessary.

For colds, flu or other viral infections, take a warm shower and follow it with a gentle whole-body lemon-oil treatment before going to bed. Combine one cup of sunflower oil and 20 - 30 drops of lemon oil and rub this mixture evenly over your skin. Wrap yourself up well in towels or blankets and go to bed. During the night the oil will be absorbed by the skin's pores and will deploy its antiseptic properties.

St. John's Wort Healing Teas

Tea for nervous tension:

Natural Alternatives for Insect Repellants

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY:

"Catnip Repels Mosquitoes More Effectively Than DEET"

CHICAGO, August 27, 2001 �?Researchers report that nepetalactone, the essential oil in catnip that gives the plant its characteristic odor, is about ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET �?the compound used in most commercial insect repellents

Nepetalactone is about 10 times more effective than DEET because it takes about one-tenth as much nepetalactone as DEET to have the same effect. Most commercial insect repellents contain about 5 percent to 25 percent DEET. Presumably, much less catnip oil would be needed in a formulation to have the same level of repellency as a DEET-based repellent.

Why catnip repels mosquitoes is still a mystery, says Peterson. "It might simply be acting as an irritant or they don't like the smell. But nobody really knows why insect repellents work."

More tips
The following essential oils have been found to have moderate to high effectiveness in keeping various insects away from you.

To repel mosquitoes: Basil, Cedarwood, Citronella, Geranium, Juniper, Rosemary

To repel house flies: Citronella, Geranium, Juniper

To repel ants: All Mints

To repel fleas: Cajeput, Lemon, Pine

Try Lemon Eucalyptus- E. citriodora, as a bug repellent this summer. Due to it's high percentge of citronellal it's quite effective. It's lemony scent makes it pleasant to use. Unlike most Eucalyptus ... it's scent is relaxing.

EYEWASH and EYE REMEDY

Conditions that affect the eyelids and tear glands may be treated herbally. The perfect herb for this is EYEBRIGHT ‘euphrasia officinalis�? It can be used internally and externally in all eye problems, and will help the eyeball and the surrounding tissue. It can also be used with other herbs when treating styes, inflammation of the eyelids or other infections such as conjunctivitis, it is best to treat the problem both externally and internally. Internally the herbs should be anti-microbial, detoxifying and toning for the whole body, to strengthen it to the point where it can ‘throw off�?the infection itself. A good example of such a combination would be:

BLUE FLAG 1 part

CLEAVERS 1 part

ECHINACEA 1 part

EYEBRIGHT 1 part

POKE ROOT 1 part

A cup of this should be drunk three times a day.

Externally, an eyewash or a compress may be made with EYEBRIGHT. Put one tblsp. Of the dried herb in one pint of water, boil it for ten minutes and let it cool. Use it as an eyewash or apply it as a compress by moistening cotton, wool, gauze, or muslin in the warm liquid (the warmth is soothing to the eyes) and placing it over the eyes for about 15 minutes. This should be repeated several times a day. Other remedies that may be used in a similar way externally are ‘marigold�?and ‘golden seal.�?/FONT>

Another simple remedy for an eye wash, (from the eye institute) is three parts distilled water and one part (or just till it turns a light shade of yellow) of baby shampoo. Place on a very warm damp washcloth and apply on eyes try not to rub gently wash eye, you’ll be surprised how soothing this is, and quite effective.

Followed by applying a thin line of POLYSPORIN on the eyelid before. This will not sting but will make the eyes blur. So it’s best to do this before bed or rest. This is great for red eye also.

Muscle Strain Relief

Please note:
This is a very concentrated massage blend.
Use on small areas in need of special attention.
This will help with soreness and stiffness.

12 drops Lavender
6 drops Rosemary
4 drops Juniper
3 drops Peppermint
add 2 Tablespoons carrier oil

Aromatherapy Ear Rub For Earaches

3d. Lavender
3d. Tea tree
6d. Roman Chamomile
1 ounce carrier oil

Rub around the ear and down the side of the neck. For children use half this dilution 6 drops total eo in 1 ounce carrier.

From the book Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art

by Kathi Keville & Mindy Green

http://www.aromathyme.com

Ease Stress and Muscle Pain

Try the following combination of essential oils in a warm (not hot) bath to ease stress and muscle pain:

      3 drops Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
      2 drops Petitgrain (Citrus aurantium var. amara)
      1-2 drops Frankincense (Boswellia cateri) - optional

Use only Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils.
Draw the bath first, add the essential oils, swirl them around with your foot, get in and relax. Allow yourself 10 to 20 minutes. Do not get the bath water in your eyes, as the oils will sting. Use this formula up to once a day for 3 days a week over a two to three week period.
You can also use this recipe to create a massage blend.
In one tablespoon of carrier oil (like Sweet Almond), add the above oils. (If making an ounce, then multiply drops by 2)

Muscle Soreness Massage Oil

Massage the recipe into the speciafic muscles

Grapefruit 5 drops

Rose 5 drops

Tea Tree 3 drops

Peppermint 2 drops

Massage Oil 1 tablespoon (13 ml)

Balm for Cuts and Scrapes

Ingredients:

3 ounces vegetable carrier oil such as sweet almond oil or infused oil such as calendula (infused oil of calendula can supply added therapeutic benefit).
1 ounce grated beeswax (Many herbal stores and health food stores sell pure beeswax.)
40 drops lavender oil
40 drops tea tree oil
4 ounce wide-mouth jar

Directions: Place the beeswax in a microwave safe bowl and melt in the microwave using a reduced power setting if you have one. You can also melt the beeswax in a pan on the stove using a low heat setting. Beeswax is hard to remove from pans, so please keep that in mind. In a separate pan, slowly and gently heat your carrier or infused oil. Pour the warm carrier or infused oil into a bowl, add the melted beeswax and then stir very well. Add the lavender and tea tree essential oils and again stir well. Close the jar and wait until the ointment has cooled before using. Remember that all bowl, pans and utilensils that you use will be hard to clean afterwards.

Low Back Pain

To relieve lower back pain caused by muscular strain or stress,
aromatherapy helps as an excellent complementary therapy. I
recommend the following blend:

8 drops of rosemary

8 drops of eucalyptus

8 drops of thyme

10 drops of lavender essential oils
in 3 tablespoons of fragrance-free lotion or massage oil rubbed into
the lower back.

Rose Hip Eye Treatment

Steep a cup of strong rose hip tea.

You can make the tea with your own with rose hips or use store-bought.

Do make sure it's strong.

Soak 2 cotton balls in the tea or use 2 tea bags, lie down and place over your eyes.

Make Your Own Painkiller

Soak 1/2 tsp. of dried willow bark in 2 Cups cold water overnight. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain, cool, and bottle. Dosage is 1/4 cup, to be sipped slowly as needed for pain.

This really does work. It can be added to juices or teas if you wish. Often, people are surprised that is works so fast. It's not so surprising when you remember that willow served as our first aspirin. Willow contains salicylates and was used as a pain killer until 1853. It was then taken from folk medicine and mass produced by a German chemist. In 1893, another German chemist, working for the Bayer company, came up with the aspirin we used today. (NOW DONT GET GROSSED OUT) Aspirin's ingredients now come from coal tar and petroleum products. We use about 100,000 tons of aspirin a year worldwide and it has become a favorite to treat many disorders or discomforts.

Important Announcement The MSN Groups service will close in February 2009. You can move your group to Multiply, MSN’s partner for online groups. Learn More
Light & Shadows of Chalandor	[email protected]