Your First Aid Kit--Ditch This 1 And Get These 2!
Three people came in last week reporting that they'd taken tumbles and been treating some minor cuts and scrapes.
It's time for a reminder of the 1 thing you shouldn't use on broken skin and 2 things that should ABSOLUTELY be in your first aid kit!
Ditch: hydrogen peroxide
Peroxide is a great disinfectant for things like countertops (I use it monthly to clean my Ooler) and a stain remover, but keep it away from wounds.
It irritates the skin and can prevent the wound from healing, doing more harm than good. That bubbling you see may be healthy tissue being damaged.
The best way to clean a wound is with good old-fashioned soap and water. Or just let water run over it for about 5 minutes. Then apply an antibiotic ointment and cover it with a bandage.
Get: Manuka Honey Wound Gel
A couple of years ago I sustained a serious burn on my arm from...ahem... my curling iron..........so embarrassing.....
When I realized how bad it was, I researched how to treat it and the consensus was "Keep it moist and watch out for infection."
It hurt a LOT!
It blistered, then the blister popped. I watched redness spread around my arm, hoping it was due to inflammation, not infection.
Bandages kept coming off so I made a pilgrimage to the drugstore, where I stumbled across boxes of Manuka honey wound gel.
It has a 5-star review on the CVS website
Honey is known for being naturally antibacterial. I have one client who puts honey on every cut and scrape.
Manuka honey is produced by bees in New Zealand who pollinate the Manuka bush. The active ingredient is Methylglyoxal, which is probably responsible for its extraordinary antibacterial properties.
Manuka honey has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant benefits. It
speeds up healing and prevents infection.
can protect against dental plaque buildup
is good for sore throats and decreases strep bacteria
helps with ulcers--both gastric and skin
is fantastic for burns!!!!
My arm was dramatically better overnight. The redness was gone!
It was WAY more effective than the Neosporin I'd been using.
The only downside is that, since it's honey, it's a bit sticky. That's how I discovered Tegaderm bandages.
Get: Tegaderm bandages
It's a myth that wounds need to "air out."
They should be kept covered to prevent infection and scabbing, which creates scarring.
Burns, in particular, shouldn't be allowed to dry out.
They're notoriously susceptible to infection and leave serious scars.
I found a bandage that stays put for days on end--after trying several that didn't.....
These don't just work great, they're invisible!
Just put it on and leave it alone and let your body heal itself.
My burn was at least a 2nd degree burn but it healed beautifully and you'd probably never notice the scar.
Keep these two products at hand so you'll have them when you need them.
Be like a scout and "Be prepared"!