DIY Restorative Burn Salve

We recently had a burn scare in our home when our sweet little toddler burned her finger on a pan cooling on the stove. She had a little blister that popped up, but thankfully it wasn’t as bad as it could have been (Praise the Lord!). Burns happen, and all mom-guilt aside, it is important to know exactly how to handle them and when to seek medical care. For more information on caring for burns and when to seek medical care, read up on our burn post! But, since this was just a small burn that only covered one side of one of her little fingers, I felt completely comfortable treating it at home with our restorative burn salve recipe. 

Before covering a burn with salve, it is important to cool it immediately. Run the burn under cool (not cold)  water for at least 10 minutes. If cool water cannot be tolerated, use a cool compress. Do not submerge the burn in water or use ice to cool the burn. This can actually damage the tissue further. Next, clean the burn. Use a mild soap and cool water to gently clean the wound. Do not break blisters if they are present! This can increase your risk of infection. If the blisters do break on their own, carefully remove the dead skin to decrease infection risk. A health care provider can do this for you if you are uncomfortable. Finally, cover the burn. Copy our salve recipe or modify it to better suit your needs. Then, cover the burn with sterile gauze. 

For second-degree burns, it is important that you do not use coconut oil. If the burn is a minor second-degree burn, you can still use aloe vera and calendula oil to help heal it. For more severe burns with larger blisters, you can use manuka honey, colloidal silver gel, or CBD oil instead. 

• Manuka Honey is a powerhouse ingredient to have on hand. It has strong antibacterial and antioxidant properties, it enhances wound healing, speeds up the regeneration of tissues, and it can decrease the pain of the burn.​
• Colloidal Silver Gel can be used to keep your burn clean and free of infection while also reducing pain and inflammation.
• CBD has been used as a traditional ointment for first and second-degree burns and the pain that accompanies them. It contains unsaturated oil that has both cooling and pain-relieving benefits, and its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties help to keep your wound clean and help it heal faster.
• Frankincense Essential Oil has strong antiseptic properties and helps to heal wounds faster. It can reduce scarring and can help with sun-damaged skin by promoting circulation and the restoration of skin cells.
• Lavender Essential Oil helps to calm and soothe the burn! It is antimicrobial and works to keep the burn free of harmful bacteria. It has the added benefit of relieving some of the pain that is accompanied by sunburns.
• Helichrysum Essential Oil is the star of the show for essential oils in this burn salve recipe. It is full of antimicrobial, antibiotic, and regenerative properties that speed up the healing process and reduce scarring.
  

So, without further ado, here is the recipe we use to make our burn salve! This is the recipe that I made for use on older children and adults, but I modified it slightly with our two-year-old. For children aged 2-12, use half the amount of essential oils (10 drops total)! We recommend 2 drops of lavender, 3 drops of frankincense, and 5 drops of helichrysum essential oil.​

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After you have covered your burn with the best method listed above for your particular burn, it is important to keep it out of the sun and away from heat. More severe burns should be covered with sterile gauze and a loose bandage. Dressings should be changed twice a day to keep your burn clean and moisturized.

To change your dressing, first, make sure you have a clean working environment. Wash your hands and the surface you will be using to hold your supplies or rest your burn on. Next, carefully remove the old dressing. It is normal for some skin to come off with the dressing, or for the wound to bleed a little bit. Discard the old dressing immediately, and begin washing your burn gently with mild soap and water. Do not scrub your burn, just lightly wash away loose skin and old ointment or salve. Once your burn is clean, gently pat it dry and apply more ointment or salve. Then apply more sterile gauze over your burn, and secure it with gauze wrap or first aid tape if the burn cannot be covered with wrap.

It is important to note that not all burns are treatable from home! Natural remedies are wonderful, but severe burns require immediate medical care. Find out when an E.R. visit is necessary in our burn post! Always watch for signs of infection and watch your burn closely. If your natural antibiotic measures are not effective, you need to seek out medical care immediately.

We sincerely hope that you never have to use this recipe, but in the event that you do, we pray that it works wonders for you the same way it worked wonders for us! Burns happen. And it is important to know how to treat them effectively!

Have you ever burned so badly that you’ve blistered? How did you treat it? Let us know! We would love to connect with you in the comment section!

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