My Herbal First Aid Kit

I have been enjoying the book Mom gave me, pictured here. "Gentle Healing for Baby and Child" by Andrea Candee. Andrea is an experienced herbalist, and mom as well, and this book is a treasure! It is easy to read and is full of time tested, chemical free remedies for just about any kind of ailment imaginable. The author is careful to give the reader a criteria for judging when medical help is necessary, but this book can save countless trips to the doctor's office, as well as many nasty side effects of conventional treatments and over the counter drugs. Andrea also places a lot of emphasis on the emotional aspect of wellness, which I very much appreciate. For instance, she recommends Bach flower essences and chamomile tea for soothing troubled nerves that accompany injury or illness. She has also had much sucess in using imaginative visualizations to aid the body in it's healing ability. Even minor trauma, such as the sight of blood on a cut, is given consideration- Andrea suggests using a red wash cloth to clean the wound, so it doesn't show up. Kind of reminds me of that joke about the pirate captain who started wearing a red shirt during battle in order to keep his men from losing heart when he got wounded. Hmm, maybe I should also keep a brown wash cloth for those really dire emergencies, lol!

There is so much information in this book that will take time to implement. I chose to begin with a first aid kit. My kids get booboos far more often than they get sick, so this seemed the most logical place to start. I tried to keep it simple and small, so it can easily travel with us in the diaper bag (don't ask me where I'm going to put the diapers now). And since the diaper bag hangs high on a hook when we are at home, it is the perfect medicine chest. This way we only need one kit. Well, two, because I fixed one up for Luke to keep in his work truck.

Here is a list of the contents:
1. Rescue Remedy pastilles- made from Bach flower essences. For stress relief from injury or whatever. Available from iherb.com
2. Herbal Savvy- by Country Comfort. An all purpose skin salve with comfrey and aloe. There are no ingredients that you can't pronounce or find in nature. Also available at iherb.
3. Ground Cayenne Pepper-This amazing substance is far more than a seasoning. 1/8 -1/4 tsp. mixed with an ounce or two of water and swallowed can stop a nosebleed in less than 10 seconds. It can stop a bleeding cut and hemmorhage as well and packed directly onto a wound. I have used it as a gargle for instant relief from a sore throat, which it also cured in less than a day. It also clears congestion. I plan on keeping it nearby, along with my shepherd's purse, for my home birth this summer.
4. Tea Tree Oil- Three drops added to 4 oz. of water for an antiseptic wound wash. Also drops can be placed on insect bites.
5. Peppermint Oil- can be inhaled to relieve headaches, congestion and nausea, or one drop added to hot water to make a soothing tea. Diluted, it can be dabbed on the temples for further relief. I bought both of these oils also from iherb.
6. Emergen-C- for an energy or immune system boost for occasions when exposed to or experiencing symptoms of any illness. I got this at Earth Fare on sale, but Walmart has it too.
7. Clear Surgical Tape
8. Roller Gauze
9. Cotton Balls
10. Spray Bottle-for mixing the antiseptic wash. These last four items I bought at Walmart.