Kitchen Cupboard Cosmetics & Medicines: Honey First Aid

Honey is a natural antiseptic with analgesic properties, making it well suited for taking care of cuts and scrapes. Unlike over the counter antiseptics honey also allows the skin to breathe and forms a protective layer over the wound, stopping bacteria from entering in the first place. Honey is also thought to speed wound healing itself too.

It is such a successful agent that it is now being placed into dressings for the medical industry after several successful experiments have proved its usefulness!

Sea salt water mimics the saline naturally found within your tissues allowing an exchange to take place through the cell walls. This helps to draw out any excess fluid, reducing swelling. Sea salt also contains calcium and magnesium which are needed by cells to help rebuild tissue.

Sea Salt and Honey Wash

Ingredients:

• 2tbsp honey – ideally organic.
• 1/4 TSP sea salt – not table, rock or Epsom. 100% pure is best.
• Boiling water
• Cotton buds
• Cotton pads
• Paper towel or kitchen roll.

Instructions:

• Place 1\4 teaspoon of sea salt into a coffee mug of boiling water. Stir in 2 tablespoons of honey and leave to cool until bearable to touch. (Do not let the water cool completely, it needs to be warm) Stir well.
• Soak the wound into the cup or another container or use a cotton pad soaked in the mixture (and kept warm by redipping) for around 5 mins.
• Pour half the cup over the mixture and then use a cotton bud dipped in the solution to clear away any debris.
• When clear, pour the rest of the cup over the wound and rinse with plain warm water.
• Dry the wound on something clean and disposable (avoid cotton wool as it may leave behind fibres).
• If the wound is in an area that’s likely to come in contact with a lot of dirt (ie hands or if you have an outdoors job) cover it with a dressing when dry.

Recipe supplied by Lara Roberts, Clinic Practitioner.