Anyone got a good burn treatment?

Hi there! Normally I just read others posts but....unfortuntunately i havent done much reading/investigating into herbal and homestead type medicine yet and am  wishing i had! I splashed oil on my arm making dinner and two hours later i cant take off the ice water or its unbearable!
I'd so appreciate it if yall shared your herbal recipes for burns!
I did a search and thought for sure thered be a post already but nope! So i made one, sorry if its in the wrong place!
Also, whats everyones favorite source of information or book on this topic?
thanks for reading!

We have found over and over again that the best treatment is to keep the burn immersed in cool water until it doesn't feel "hot" when you take it out. Sometimes this can take hours and hours, or even an overnight.  But it works for us; it seems the damage continues long after the initial burn, and the cooling lessens it.

This applies to simple burns; anything really serious deserves medical attention.

Katerina, ouch! This past summer I spilled an entire canner of boiling water all over my bare feet. Like you, as soon as I took my feet out of cold water, the pain was unbearable. Here's what brought instant relief.

1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
2-3 drops each of these essential oils: peppermint, lavender, and tea tree

Seriously, as soon as I applied it, there was an delicious cooling effect. Every time it would start to burn again, I would slather on some more. And amazingly, my feet never blistered! The skin remained bright pink for several weeks and eventually it peeled, but it never blistered. I was even able to put on my socks and Sloggers that evening for chores. It was uncomfortable, but at least I could do it.

Peppermint and lavender are anti-inflammatory & analgesic. The aloe vera and tea tree soothe burns, and the tea tree oil also fights infection.

There are other essential oils that help; these were what I had on hand. I can't recommend the combination enough.

Leigh Tate wrote:Katerina, ouch! This past summer I spilled an entire canner of boiling water all over my bear feet. Like you, as soon as I took my feet out of cold water, the pain was unbearable. Here's what brought instant relief.

I'd be getting those bear feet seen to by a professional as a matter of urgency.



In all seriousness - keeping it cool, and allowing time seems to be about all that works. I've not found a way to shortcut the process.

Once cool if the skin isn't broken we always did aloe vera, we always had an aloe plant in a pot growing up. Break off a piece and put the inner gel on there.

I burned my arm on the tractor muffler a few months back, a buddy gave me an aloe stalk I used.

No clue if it works or if it was just time healing the burn.

Lavender essential oil is one of the few uses of oils I'll stand behind as "magic cure." But I believe it only helps immediately after a burn, before blistering. In my experience with small burns, a little lavender applied quickly after the initial cold water treatment prevents blistering.

i'd also go with aloe vera (cut off a branch, split it in half, tape it on) or, that lacking, lavender oil. I burned my hand pretty badly with smoking lard in March and while it hurt like mad, it healed up really well with just aloe.

That said, oil burns can be really nasty if they're on a tender place. My hand has been burned hundreds of times, but had the lard hit the soft inside of my arm I think it would have been a different story. A good friend of mine managed to slip when taking a pork roast out of oven and splash the hot drippings all over her inner elbow and it was really, really bad (like skin grafts bad). hopefully your case is someplace that will heal up in no time.

The cold water is key, for initial treatment, I prefer a running tap (I know...) for a minimum of ten minutes. Soaking in ice water for as long as it takes to stop actively feeling like it is on fire.  What others have said about Aloe and peppermint and lavender (that one is a yuck for me as I can't stand the smell) is great for minor burns.

The above information is for minor burns only, and I am ASSUMING THIS IS NOT A SERIOUS OR OPEN BURN. IF there is any depth to the burn, aside from the epidermis or very top layer, do not attempt to self treat, EVER. Risk of infection with a serious burn is simply not manageable or safe at home, and anything you apply, aside from water, will be excruciating when the have to REMOVE it at hospital to ensure sterility.

It may be worthwhile to truly have your burn "rated" as to first, second or third degree. IF this is third degree or often even second, the seeking of professional medical help is crucial and critical as long term complications of infection and contracture are serious, dangerous and can require hospital and surgery if not tended promptly.

In hospital, for cooling, they place sterile cloths, and pour on sterile saline to continuously cool the burn site - as mentioned this can take hours and hours.

Covering the sterile area with (I know, I know) plastic wrap/cling film keeps out airborne infection AND stops damaged nerve ends from being assaulted by air - this serves to prevent infection and lesson pain, significantly. Placed atop a good slathering of aloe would be my choice, for minor burns.

The key to pain and infection control is a very thin, lightweight, airtight covering that clings and forms to the affected area, then sealed with tape to be airtight as possible. The clear film allows you to SEE the progression of the burn also, making it obvious if infection is occurring.

The cling film (saran wrap type stuff others use to wrap food in) is so critical for burn management, in my opinion, I highly recommend keeping a roll in the linen closet or near the first aid supplies, for emergencies. It's also great as a dressing for large or long injuries as a sterile-ish covering for serious wounds or injuries; holding pressure bandages on tightly; or for emergency containment and sealing of penetrating wound contents (intestines etc.).

The exclusion of air also prevents moisture loss that can lead to skin tightening (contracture) that can be painful and mobility limiting.  There are commercially available burn gel strips that do a similar thing.

The exclusion of air over damaged nerve endings is the key to pain control. Think of a silly paper cut, and how that is so painfull. It is because the nerve cells have been damaged, not cut. Damaged cells hurt far worse than severed nerve cells. So Macgyvor what ever you can to literally seal the area from air, and continue to ice.

Wow thanks so much everyone! This is so much good information!
Leigh Tate, thats so awful, I think the feet would be the worst place other than your face! I ended up using honey and lavender oil, but next time i'd do aloe and your trio of essential oils. I'll also be quicker with the lavender and longer with the cold water and see if that prevents blistering; mine is very raised and oozing water, gross!


Tereza Okava, I'm glad you healed well and I hope your friend is doing okay, that's a horrifying story and I cant imagine the pain! Luckily mine is on my outer forearm and its not bad, only a line as thin as a crayon. Did you use soap to help get off the oil quicker or is only water better?

Lorinne Anderson, thats super helpful! thanks! Never thought of using cling wrap but it is basically what the commercial strips are!

honey is a good call too, i know my dermatologist was always glad to hear I was using honey.
Glad it was a small burn, Katerina. I went right for the faucet, no soap, just water, didn`t really think about it. And as it healed I kept up the aloe, even after the scabs came off.
(and my friend is fine, this was a few years ago, she got some funky tattoos to cover since the scars were pretty obvious, figured she would just go for it.)

I find a combination of aloe and comfrey works wonders on burns. Burt's Bees has an "after-sun" burn lotion that used to contain both, but they changed their recipe and it doesn't work as well anymore. But if you can get both aloe and comfrey, mix them together and apply to the burn, then cover so it has time to soak in. It not only soothes the burn itself, it also stimulates the skin underneath to grow faster to replace the damaged layer.

This is for emergency reference only.

I've treated a 2nd and 3rd degree burn with immersion in ice water, then cover in honey, then immerse in ice water.  The honey will come off and the water heat up, and we re-applied it, over and over all day and night long.  This is an exhausting process.

The injury was on the back of the hand and up his arm to the elbow from a gasoline explosion.  His face was also burned and his eyelashes singed off, but that was thankfully minor.  After a couple days of the honey/ice water treatment, the skin all peeled off in patches. He had some scarring later, but it was a faint soft mottled pattern.

This is of course, at one's own risk.  This was a boyfriend of mine who had an incredible pain tolerance, beyond most people's.  And this injury tested his self control to the max.  He absolutely refused to go to a hospital.  I learned good deal of emergency medicine in that relationship, as he was an adventurous dude who'd dealt with a lot of injuries in his young life.  Risk-taker type.

I learned the honey method reading about how hospitals in China treated burns.

Very sorry to hear about your arm. I would do aloe vera and broadleaf plantain salve applied topically. Hope you heal soon!

I will add my endorsement of lavender oil. I had a friend that burned the back of her fingers with hot oil resulting in mostly 2nd degree burns with a small (1/4 inch) area of 3rd degree burn. She was allergic to sulfa so couldn't take the prescribed antibiotics. I suggested lavender oil since I'd had good results with it and it is antibiotic as well. Her burns healed without any sign of infection or scarring. A couple of months after the burn I asked her how her hand felt and she had to feel around the back of her hand for the numb spot where the 3rd degree burn was to find the actual burned area. Really, no scarring and no infection. Of course it couldn't heal the damaged nerves.

Large burned areas or any sign of infection are not to be messed with of course. I hope you heal well and quickly. I've burned my hand before too and the pain is crazy bad. I just wish I'd known about natural treatments when it happened to me the first time.

I'll further recommend the lavender oil.  We have it in coconut oil.  Once I dragged a roll of metal remesh across the cement at a big box store and then heaved it into the truck.  I unluckily grabbed the one spot where it was quite hot from the friction of the ground and it was in the crook of my middle finger.  Burned like hell but wasn't that bad a burn, medically speaking.  Got home in 5 minutes, put on the lavender and the pain immediately went away and never blistered or gave me any issues.

Hello everyone,

Here’s one burn remedy that I have not seen mentioned in this thread. A tincture made from St Johns Wort will soothe and heal burns. My wife makes a fresh batch each year.

Hope this helps

Hey Katerina,
I know you posted awhile ago so this might not be of any use, but honey is an amazing microbacterial ointment and treatment for burns. Hope you healed ok!
Gabe

A salve I made on the base of Olive Oil infused with Comfrey(Leaf) and Calendula (flower)  helps me every time. I have to keep reapplying throughout the day to make sure there is a generous coating on it at all times and usually within a few minutes to hours all pain is gone.  I then keep reapplying to help heal for a few days.

honey is great too but I tend to use it as more so for healing wounds.

I had an experience not too long ago. it was middle of night, put a block of wood in the fire and it was buring real good, wanting to go back to sleep I thought I'd put another log in the stove and off to dreamland I'd go.
well I opened the stove and the burning block of wood fell out. without thinking I grabbed it and threw it back in the stove. my thumb and first finger just about stuck to the burning coals on the outside of this block of white oak.
man did it hurt. kept thinking what a stupid thing I had just done. I got to the freezer and found a bag of green beans. I held onto that from bag of beans for hours till the sun came up and then some. well it worked with some positive thinking and attempt to freeze my burned digits I have minimal damage and no blisters, some dead wrinkled skin, good luck getting finger prints off me.

The greater plantain is also good as it will take away the pain and it is antiseptic/ anti inflammatory. It grows everywhere (usually on a lawn). Just give it a chew to make a salve (only for yourself) and apply good for almost everything including snake bites, so I am told.

Hope you are feeling better.

bruce Fine wrote:I had an experience not too long ago. it was middle of night, put a block of wood in the fire and it was buring real good, wanting to go back to sleep I thought I'd put another log in the stove and off to dreamland I'd go.
well I opened the stove and the burning block of wood fell out. without thinking I grabbed it and threw it back in the stove. my thumb and first finger just about stuck to the burning coals on the outside of this block of white oak.
man did it hurt. kept thinking what a stupid thing I had just done. I got to the freezer and found a bag of green beans. I held onto that from bag of beans for hours till the sun came up and then some. well it worked with some positive thinking and attempt to freeze my burned digits I have minimal damage and no blisters, some dead wrinkled skin, good luck getting finger prints off me.

Reminds me of the time I was shaving with those 'old-school' shavers that use a double edged razor blade...we i dropped it and caught it by the razor part mid-air and then promptly released it again...So now I just try and school myself mentally right before engaging in such activities. ..."knife falls---jump away"."knife falls---jump away""knife falls---jump away""knife falls---jump away"..till THAT is in my mind

Positive thoughts/intentions help and its great you went in that direction mentally.