A first aid kit is an essential item in any home, especially when you have young children who are perhaps more inclined to get into scrapes and experience illness than the rest of us.
But what if you are a family more interested in natural health and holistic treatments than grabbing the first comprehensive first aid kit off the shelf?
Beyond a selection of bandages and plasters or Band-Aids, just what products should you include?
Read on to find out how to put together a natural first aid kit and the 5 must-have items you should include.
How to Put Together a Natural First Aid Kit
Think of your first aid kit as a capsule wardrobe that will cover all eventualities!
Your first aid kit should include all the necessary items to treat whatever ailments come up, from simple cuts and scrapes to nausea, sunburn and headaches.
You might need to treat sprains, wounds, burns, scalds, splinters and more, whether at home or on a hike or camping trip.
Even with the best planning and the most safety-conscious parents, things happen. Having all your supplies on hand to treat a variety of problems means you can get things sorted then get on with your day.
Of course, you may need to consult a medical professional for more serious illnesses and accidents, but having a well-equipped first aid kit is essential for initial treatment or assistance.
For many families like ours natural health treatments are preferable to conventional ones, so read on to find out what nature-based products, essential oils and more you should include when putting together your natural first aid kit.
5 Items You Must Include in a Natural First Aid Kit
1. Arnica Cream
Arnica cream is your first essential product. It can help to soothe the pain of bruises, encourage faster healing, and can relieve pain from injuries to the joints, tendons and muscles too.
This wonder herb grows in Europe and the US and its leaves and flowers are wonderful healers. You can use the herb on its own but an arnica topical cream is the easiest to carry around and use.
2. Homeopathy Kit
Our next go-to product is a selection of homeopathic remedies. There are a wide range of individual remedies available but a ready made kit is a great way to get a range of remedies for different problems and they're super portable too.
We love the kits from Helios which are available in many different combinations.
3. Echinacea
Echinacea boosts your immune system and can shorten the length of a cold, but for a first aid kit you can also use it as an antibiotic.
If you get a cut or scrape while outdoors and there is some risk of bacteria and infection, applying an Echinacea tincture to the area to reduce the risk of it getting infected.
4. Essential Oils
Essential oils can also be highly beneficial when putting together a natural first aid kit. Essential oils are extracted from different herbs and plants and each has its own set of health benefits.
Tea Tree Oil is a natural antiseptic. It can help when you have a blister from walking, rashes or burns, scrapes, cuts, abscesses, and fungal infections.
Chamomile Oil is soothing and relaxing. It can ease and soothe skin burns, cuts, sunburn, rashes and sprains. It can also be useful if you get a fever, muscle cramps, nausea, headaches or arthritic pain.
Peppermint Oil is good for cooling and relieving ailments like sunburns or bug bites. Peppermint can also help with nausea or indigestion, muscle pains, and muscle spasms.
You should also pack a carrier oil such as sweet almond or coconut oil. Coconut oil is also a great treatment for sunburn or dry eczema-prone skin on its own, so worth packing a tub.
5. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar provides lots of health benefits, both physically and mentally. You can use it to treat indigestion or acid reflux, just add a little to a glass of water.
It can also be used to soothe sunburn. Dilute in water and spray on the burn. Add lavender essential oil too for mroe soothing effect. You can add apple cider vinegar and lavender oil to a tepid bath to relieve sunburn, too.
It can also help reduce the pain of a burn or sting from insects, and to heal the rash of poison oak or poison ivy should you be camping or hiking an area that has it.
As well as these 5 essential items for your natural first aid kit, you will need to include some of the more traditional first aid items, such as tweezers, scissors, needles, safety pins, bandages and gauze.
Instant cold packs are another useful addition, as well as alcohol wipes and perhaps a thermometer.
Don't forget other useful items such as a torch or flashlight and spare batteries if you are going camping or hiking. Grab our handy checklist so you don't forget anything!
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