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Seeds for Change Wellness
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Summer First Aid: Herbal Essentials for Outdoor Living
Summer First Aid: Herbal Essentials for Outdoor Living
Source Author: Michael Vertolli May, 2007
Now that the warm weather is here most of us will be spending more time outdoors, playing, working or just
hanging around. All of this outdoor activity is not without its perils. Cuts and scrapes, bites and stings,
bruises and strains, sunburn; you name it, it’s bound to happen at some point. This month I will focus on
some of the herbal essentials that everyone who enjoys the great outdoors should have on hand.
When it comes to first aid, it is important to be prepared. Healing will occur much more quickly if we begin
treatment immediately. The longer we wait, the less effective the treatment. As a result, I recommend that
everyone keep most of the following remedies on hand.
Wound Healing – There are many different brands of natural creams and ointments available in retail
stores. It is best to use those for which the proportion of herbs is high. Many commercially available products
are quite dilute. This is almost always the case with creams as consumers have come to expect a nice
creamy white colour. They would be quite brown if they had a high herb content. Ointments are generally
better. If they are sufficiently potent they will be relatively dark in colour and have a strong ‘herby’ odour. The
better ointments will have a very simple base as well, usually some kind of vegetable oil, beeswax and a
natural preservative such as vitamin E or benzoin.
It is preferable to use ointments made primarily from whole herbs rather than essential oils. Some of the
better herbs that are readily available in ointment form include yarrow (Achillea officinalis), pot marigold
(Calendula officinalis), purple coneflower (Echinacea spp.), St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum), lavender
(Lavandula angustifolia), German chamomile (Matricaria recutita), plantain (Plantago spp.), heal-all (Prunella
vulgaris), goldenrod (Solidago spp.) and common comfrey (Symphytum officinale). Ointments that contain
comfrey should not be used by pregnant or nursing women, or children under three years of age.
It is best to allow a wound to dry out before applying an ointment, otherwise it will be washed away by blood
or lymphatic fluid. Apply the ointment two to six times per day depending on the severity of the injury, less
often as it heals.
Most of the above herbs grow locally. If we know how to recognize them we can use them on the spot when
injuries occur. This can be really helpful when we are out hiking in the woods and don’t have any first aid
products available. The best way to do this is to pick a bunch of leaves and chew them until they are well
masticated. Don’t mix them with lots of saliva because they will be too runny. When they are sufficiently
chewed, plaster them on the wound so that it is well covered. If it is an open wound it should be cleaned off
first. If you don’t have bottled water, water from a creek or lake will do if it’s not too polluted. The general rule
of thumb is, if you wouldn’t swim in it (assuming it was deep enough), don’t use it. If you don’t have water use
saliva, preferably from the person who is injured. After cleaning the wound, wipe it off with some dry clothing.
Then apply the herbs. When herbs are applied this way it is not necessary to wait until the wound dries up.
Of course, don’t attempt this unless you are 100% positive that you have accurately identified the herb.
Bruises, strains, sprains and rheumatic conditions – In these cases, it is preferable to use ointments or
liniments containing essential oils. This is because essential oils contain small, highly lipid soluble
constituents that are better able to penetrate deep into our tissues. There are many excellent liniments
available. It is also easy to make our own. To make a liniment we need an oil base. I usually use sweet
almond oil or a 50/50 mixture of almond and olive oils because these oils are relatively stable. I also
recommend adding vitamin E as a preservative. Use the contents of one 400 IU capsule for every 50 ml of
carrier oil. We add our essential oils to the carrier oil at a ratio of one drop of essential oil for every milliliter
of carrier oil. Therefore we will need 50 drops of all of our essential oils in total if we want to make 50 ml of
liniment (not 50 drops of each essential oil).
One combination that I like to use is lavender, marjoram (Origanum majorana), black spruce (Picea mariana)
and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) in a ratio of 3:2:2:1. It works best if the essential oils are added to a
carrier oil that is infused with leopards bane (Arnica spp.) and/or St. Johnswort. I will sometimes add other
essential oils for specific purposes. Black spruce is a bit difficult to find. You can use other spruce species, fir
(Abies spp.) or pine (Pinus spp.) as a substitute. Other essential oils that can be used for this purpose aside
from fir and pine include frankincense (Boswellia carteri), Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile),
camphor (Cinnamomum camphora), lemon (Citrus limon), blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus), German
chamomile and peppermint (Mentha x piperita).
There are also a number of homeopathic and other ‘energetic’ remedies that are useful for wounds and
injuries. Homeopathic Ledum (Labrador tea) is helpful for any puncture wounds, including stings. Apis
(honey bee venom) is also good for stings. Arnica is recommended for the first day or two after any traumatic
injury. If the injury stiffens up and feels worse when we rest it, but better when it limbers up from moving
around, it will respond better to Rhus (poison oak). Poison ivy will also respond to this remedy. All of these
can be taken in a 6x, 12x, 6c or 30c potency, three to twelve times per day depending on the severity of the
symptoms. Three to four doses per day is typical for minor complaints.
There are also some excellent complex remedies that are very versatile. Traumeel is an excellent complex
homeopathic remedy beneficial for both traumatic injuries and infections. There is a combination of Bach
flower remedies, marketed as Rescue Remedy or Tromos, which is also beneficial for traumatic injuries as
well as for acute stress and anxiety. Traumica contains the Bach flowers from Rescue Remedy along with
Arnica. This makes it more effective in some situations.
Burns – are a bit different than other wounds. As I mentioned above, they should not be treated with oil-
based preparations. There are two readily available remedies excellent for burns, including sunburn.
Probably the most effective is lavender essential oil. If applied immediately (i.e. within a minute of getting
burned), it will usually prevent blistering altogether. Lavender is one of the few essential oils that can be
applied neat (undiluted) and this is how it should be applied for treating burns.
The second most important remedy for burns is aloe gel. It is significantly more effective when fresh. This
means we have to grow it ourselves. I recommend growing Barbados aloe (Aloe vera) as Cape aloe (Aloe
ferox) is much more prickly and harder to work with. The aloe plants that are sold almost everywhere are
Barbados aloe.
When applying aloe gel to a burn, it must be rubbed on fairly thick and allowed to dry on your skin. If fresh
aloe is not available, the next best choice is the food grade aloe gel. This is a bit more difficult to work with
because it is a lot more watery. The only other option that I recommend is to use the organically grown
stabilized 99% aloe gel. As with lavender essential oil, the sooner you apply it the better. Within seconds is
best.
There are other important uses of lavender essential oil and aloe gel. Lavender essential oil can be used on
its own or in liniments for wounds and injuries as indicated above. We can massage it into our temples, neat
or in a carrier oil, for headaches. It can be infused through the air to help reduce stress and anxiety. For
those particularly stressful days, add some to bath water and relax in a nice hot bath. Aloe vera gel also
makes a great aftershave. Simply spread a thin layer over your skin and let it dry.
Bug Repellants – The warmer months of the year always come with their fair share of biting insects.
Commercial bug repellents are extremely toxic to us and the environment. Natural alternatives are readily
available, but we must accept that they don’t work quite as well as products that contain DEET and must be
applied more often. Natural bug repellents usually come in either an oil or oil/alcohol base, or an alcohol
and/or glycerin with water base. Even though the effect of the former usually lasts a bit longer, I don’t
recommend these products because putting oil on our skin (unless it contains a sunscreen) can increase the
likelihood of sunburn. It also stains our clothes. The active ingredients in natural insect repellents are
essential oils. They can’t be added to pure water because they are not water soluble.
You can make your own insect repellent by adding essential oils to a base of two to three parts water to one
part vodka. I have found the following to be an effective combination. It consists of four parts.
The first part is a lemony fragrance such as lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla), lemongrass (Cymbopogon
citratus), citronella (Cymbopogon nardus), lemon or lemon balm (Melissa officinalis).
The second part is an evergreen such as fir, spruce or pine. For the third part choose one of cypress
(Cupressus sempervirens), blue gum, hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), lavender, peppermint or spearmint
(Mentha spicata). Finally, for the fourth part, if your intended pest is black flies use French basil (Ocimum
basilicum), if it is mosquitoes or other biting flies use catnip (Nepeta cataria).
Combine these four parts equally using an overall proportion of one drop of essential oil for each millilitre of
base (e.g. 50 drops of all essential oils combined in 50 ml of base). Put it in a pump spray bottle. The best
way to apply it is spray it on your hands and rub it on your skin. Make sure you spread it everywhere, the
bugs are great at finding the spots you missed. As I mentioned above, your repellent will need to be applied
regularly, usually every 30-60 minutes.
Keep in mind that natural repellents work partly by disguising our smell. Since everybody’s skin smells
different, it may be necessary to experiment a bit in order to find a blend that works for you.
Natural Sunscreen- The last thing you will need to equip yourself with for the outdoors is a good natural
sunscreen. In general, it is best to use low SPF sunscreens that contain zinc or titanium compounds that
reflect sunlight rather than substances that absorb sunlight, as the latter are probably more dangerous than
the sunlight itself. The better products will have other ingredients that benefit our skin such as lavender
essential oil, aloe gel, vitamin C, vitamin D, etc.
Because of our thinning ozone, it is still best to minimize exposure of our skin to direct sunlight between 11
am and 3 pm. We should use sunscreen if we are outside for any significant period of time during that part of
the day. It is also a good idea to get some sun exposure without sunscreen before 10 am and after 4 pm to
allow our body to utilize its own natural sun protection methods: producing vitamin D and melanin, our natural
skin pigment.
There you have it, a summary of the basics of natural summer first aid. Remember that it is best to be
prepared. Stock up now so you don’t regret it later. And don’t forget that one of the most important
prescriptions for healing is having fun!
Michael Vertolli is a clinical herbalist practicing in Vaughan (just north of Toronto). He is the Director of
Living Earth School of Herbalism which offers introductory classes, certificate and diploma programs. For
more information contact: Living Earth, 10971 Jane Street, Maple, Ontario L6A 1S1, phone 905-303-8723,
website: www.livingearthschool.ca
Source Author: Michael Vertolli May, 2007
Now that the warm weather is here most of us will be spending more time outdoors, playing, working or just
hanging around. All of this outdoor activity is not without its perils. Cuts and scrapes, bites and stings,
bruises and strains, sunburn; you name it, it’s bound to happen at some point. This month I will focus on
some of the herbal essentials that everyone who enjoys the great outdoors should have on hand.
When it comes to first aid, it is important to be prepared. Healing will occur much more quickly if we begin
treatment immediately. The longer we wait, the less effective the treatment. As a result, I recommend that
everyone keep most of the following remedies on hand.
Wound Healing – There are many different brands of natural creams and ointments available in retail
stores. It is best to use those for which the proportion of herbs is high. Many commercially available products
are quite dilute. This is almost always the case with creams as consumers have come to expect a nice
creamy white colour. They would be quite brown if they had a high herb content. Ointments are generally
better. If they are sufficiently potent they will be relatively dark in colour and have a strong ‘herby’ odour. The
better ointments will have a very simple base as well, usually some kind of vegetable oil, beeswax and a
natural preservative such as vitamin E or benzoin.
It is preferable to use ointments made primarily from whole herbs rather than essential oils. Some of the
better herbs that are readily available in ointment form include yarrow (Achillea officinalis), pot marigold
(Calendula officinalis), purple coneflower (Echinacea spp.), St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum), lavender
(Lavandula angustifolia), German chamomile (Matricaria recutita), plantain (Plantago spp.), heal-all (Prunella
vulgaris), goldenrod (Solidago spp.) and common comfrey (Symphytum officinale). Ointments that contain
comfrey should not be used by pregnant or nursing women, or children under three years of age.
It is best to allow a wound to dry out before applying an ointment, otherwise it will be washed away by blood
or lymphatic fluid. Apply the ointment two to six times per day depending on the severity of the injury, less
often as it heals.
Most of the above herbs grow locally. If we know how to recognize them we can use them on the spot when
injuries occur. This can be really helpful when we are out hiking in the woods and don’t have any first aid
products available. The best way to do this is to pick a bunch of leaves and chew them until they are well
masticated. Don’t mix them with lots of saliva because they will be too runny. When they are sufficiently
chewed, plaster them on the wound so that it is well covered. If it is an open wound it should be cleaned off
first. If you don’t have bottled water, water from a creek or lake will do if it’s not too polluted. The general rule
of thumb is, if you wouldn’t swim in it (assuming it was deep enough), don’t use it. If you don’t have water use
saliva, preferably from the person who is injured. After cleaning the wound, wipe it off with some dry clothing.
Then apply the herbs. When herbs are applied this way it is not necessary to wait until the wound dries up.
Of course, don’t attempt this unless you are 100% positive that you have accurately identified the herb.
Bruises, strains, sprains and rheumatic conditions – In these cases, it is preferable to use ointments or
liniments containing essential oils. This is because essential oils contain small, highly lipid soluble
constituents that are better able to penetrate deep into our tissues. There are many excellent liniments
available. It is also easy to make our own. To make a liniment we need an oil base. I usually use sweet
almond oil or a 50/50 mixture of almond and olive oils because these oils are relatively stable. I also
recommend adding vitamin E as a preservative. Use the contents of one 400 IU capsule for every 50 ml of
carrier oil. We add our essential oils to the carrier oil at a ratio of one drop of essential oil for every milliliter
of carrier oil. Therefore we will need 50 drops of all of our essential oils in total if we want to make 50 ml of
liniment (not 50 drops of each essential oil).
One combination that I like to use is lavender, marjoram (Origanum majorana), black spruce (Picea mariana)
and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) in a ratio of 3:2:2:1. It works best if the essential oils are added to a
carrier oil that is infused with leopards bane (Arnica spp.) and/or St. Johnswort. I will sometimes add other
essential oils for specific purposes. Black spruce is a bit difficult to find. You can use other spruce species, fir
(Abies spp.) or pine (Pinus spp.) as a substitute. Other essential oils that can be used for this purpose aside
from fir and pine include frankincense (Boswellia carteri), Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile),
camphor (Cinnamomum camphora), lemon (Citrus limon), blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus), German
chamomile and peppermint (Mentha x piperita).
There are also a number of homeopathic and other ‘energetic’ remedies that are useful for wounds and
injuries. Homeopathic Ledum (Labrador tea) is helpful for any puncture wounds, including stings. Apis
(honey bee venom) is also good for stings. Arnica is recommended for the first day or two after any traumatic
injury. If the injury stiffens up and feels worse when we rest it, but better when it limbers up from moving
around, it will respond better to Rhus (poison oak). Poison ivy will also respond to this remedy. All of these
can be taken in a 6x, 12x, 6c or 30c potency, three to twelve times per day depending on the severity of the
symptoms. Three to four doses per day is typical for minor complaints.
There are also some excellent complex remedies that are very versatile. Traumeel is an excellent complex
homeopathic remedy beneficial for both traumatic injuries and infections. There is a combination of Bach
flower remedies, marketed as Rescue Remedy or Tromos, which is also beneficial for traumatic injuries as
well as for acute stress and anxiety. Traumica contains the Bach flowers from Rescue Remedy along with
Arnica. This makes it more effective in some situations.
Burns – are a bit different than other wounds. As I mentioned above, they should not be treated with oil-
based preparations. There are two readily available remedies excellent for burns, including sunburn.
Probably the most effective is lavender essential oil. If applied immediately (i.e. within a minute of getting
burned), it will usually prevent blistering altogether. Lavender is one of the few essential oils that can be
applied neat (undiluted) and this is how it should be applied for treating burns.
The second most important remedy for burns is aloe gel. It is significantly more effective when fresh. This
means we have to grow it ourselves. I recommend growing Barbados aloe (Aloe vera) as Cape aloe (Aloe
ferox) is much more prickly and harder to work with. The aloe plants that are sold almost everywhere are
Barbados aloe.
When applying aloe gel to a burn, it must be rubbed on fairly thick and allowed to dry on your skin. If fresh
aloe is not available, the next best choice is the food grade aloe gel. This is a bit more difficult to work with
because it is a lot more watery. The only other option that I recommend is to use the organically grown
stabilized 99% aloe gel. As with lavender essential oil, the sooner you apply it the better. Within seconds is
best.
There are other important uses of lavender essential oil and aloe gel. Lavender essential oil can be used on
its own or in liniments for wounds and injuries as indicated above. We can massage it into our temples, neat
or in a carrier oil, for headaches. It can be infused through the air to help reduce stress and anxiety. For
those particularly stressful days, add some to bath water and relax in a nice hot bath. Aloe vera gel also
makes a great aftershave. Simply spread a thin layer over your skin and let it dry.
Bug Repellants – The warmer months of the year always come with their fair share of biting insects.
Commercial bug repellents are extremely toxic to us and the environment. Natural alternatives are readily
available, but we must accept that they don’t work quite as well as products that contain DEET and must be
applied more often. Natural bug repellents usually come in either an oil or oil/alcohol base, or an alcohol
and/or glycerin with water base. Even though the effect of the former usually lasts a bit longer, I don’t
recommend these products because putting oil on our skin (unless it contains a sunscreen) can increase the
likelihood of sunburn. It also stains our clothes. The active ingredients in natural insect repellents are
essential oils. They can’t be added to pure water because they are not water soluble.
You can make your own insect repellent by adding essential oils to a base of two to three parts water to one
part vodka. I have found the following to be an effective combination. It consists of four parts.
The first part is a lemony fragrance such as lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla), lemongrass (Cymbopogon
citratus), citronella (Cymbopogon nardus), lemon or lemon balm (Melissa officinalis).
The second part is an evergreen such as fir, spruce or pine. For the third part choose one of cypress
(Cupressus sempervirens), blue gum, hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), lavender, peppermint or spearmint
(Mentha spicata). Finally, for the fourth part, if your intended pest is black flies use French basil (Ocimum
basilicum), if it is mosquitoes or other biting flies use catnip (Nepeta cataria).
Combine these four parts equally using an overall proportion of one drop of essential oil for each millilitre of
base (e.g. 50 drops of all essential oils combined in 50 ml of base). Put it in a pump spray bottle. The best
way to apply it is spray it on your hands and rub it on your skin. Make sure you spread it everywhere, the
bugs are great at finding the spots you missed. As I mentioned above, your repellent will need to be applied
regularly, usually every 30-60 minutes.
Keep in mind that natural repellents work partly by disguising our smell. Since everybody’s skin smells
different, it may be necessary to experiment a bit in order to find a blend that works for you.
Natural Sunscreen- The last thing you will need to equip yourself with for the outdoors is a good natural
sunscreen. In general, it is best to use low SPF sunscreens that contain zinc or titanium compounds that
reflect sunlight rather than substances that absorb sunlight, as the latter are probably more dangerous than
the sunlight itself. The better products will have other ingredients that benefit our skin such as lavender
essential oil, aloe gel, vitamin C, vitamin D, etc.
Because of our thinning ozone, it is still best to minimize exposure of our skin to direct sunlight between 11
am and 3 pm. We should use sunscreen if we are outside for any significant period of time during that part of
the day. It is also a good idea to get some sun exposure without sunscreen before 10 am and after 4 pm to
allow our body to utilize its own natural sun protection methods: producing vitamin D and melanin, our natural
skin pigment.
There you have it, a summary of the basics of natural summer first aid. Remember that it is best to be
prepared. Stock up now so you don’t regret it later. And don’t forget that one of the most important
prescriptions for healing is having fun!
Michael Vertolli is a clinical herbalist practicing in Vaughan (just north of Toronto). He is the Director of
Living Earth School of Herbalism which offers introductory classes, certificate and diploma programs. For
more information contact: Living Earth, 10971 Jane Street, Maple, Ontario L6A 1S1, phone 905-303-8723,
website: www.livingearthschool.ca