Mother Nature has a lot of readily available home remedies to offer that are very effective first aid responses for the treatment of burns. Carry on reading this article to learn all these wonderful natural burn remedies.
Apart from third degree burns that might require immediate medical attention, small household burns are easy to take care of.
The following are a few tips on how to treat burns using what is readily available in your household. Remember, the immediate action that one takes after a burn makes a whole lot of difference in determining how well and quick the skin recovers from a burn.
Home Remedies and First Aid
Cold Water on Burns
Cold water is one of the most popular and most commonly used immediate first aid for burns. Immersing a burnt area in cold water for about 15 minutes immediately after a burn helps in easing the burn and relieves the pain. Alternatively, you can also hold a wet cloth or use water compresses over the burnt area for a couple of hours. Cold water works by drawing heat out of the burnt area and hence minimizes or prevents damage to the inner layers of the skin. However, one should take care when using ice or ice cold water to avoid ending up with ice burns.
Aloe Vera for Burns
Aloe Vera is undeniably one of the most effective home remedies that Mother Nature has to offer. Cutting off a fresh Aloe Vera leaf and exposing the gel from the inside of the leaf by rubbing it or laying it and holding it gently on the burnt area produces a very relieving effect for a burn. This method has been found to work more effectively than using over-the-counter products.
Potato Juice
Raw potatoes work superbly as a home remedy in treating burns. Simply take a juicy potato and slice it into pieces and then apply its juices on the burnt area. This should however be done immediately after the burn since the longer one takes in applying this method the less effective it becomes. The acid from a potato helps in relieving pain as well as prevents the occurrence of blisters.
Toothpaste on Burns
Tooth paste is also another very commonly used burn remedy. Other than merely helping in protecting bleeding gums and cavities on teeth, toothpaste helps in cooling of burnt skin surfaces as well as prevention of blisters.
Honey for Burns
Honey has been proven to be another very effective home remedy. It helps in relieving the pain from a burn wound in addition to promoting faster healing. However, one is advised to be careful when using this method as it could attract a colony of bees or ants to the honey smeared skin.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E for burns is also proven to be effective tip. The most common type of application of vitamin E in the treatment of burns is breaking a few vitamin E capsules and applying them directly on a burnt skin. Alternatively vitamin E creams and oils can be applied in a similar manner.
Mint
Due to its cooling qualities, mint can also be used as a remedy. This can be through chopping a few leaves up and then applying them directly on the burn surface. Alternatively you can hold an entire mint leaf in place over the burn area. This helps in easing the pain.
Calendula
Calendula gel can also be applied on the burnt surface. The gel helps by supporting the natural moisture layer of the skin after severe damage and drying out as a result of a burn. Calendula can also be used as razor burn treatment.
Witch Hazel for Burns
Witch hazel also works great in taking care of burns. Simply dab enough of this natural remedy to cover the burnt surface and frequently reapply it severally on the burnt skin to help ease the pain.
Whole Milk for Burns
Soak a clean non fluffy cloth or gauze in cold whole milk and then gently apply it on the burnt skin for at least 15 minutes. The oil from the milk helps in moisturizing the burnt area which helps in relieving pain as well as promoting faster healing.
Soy Sauce for Burns
Soy sauce is another surprisingly effective home remedy especially for treatment of first and second degree burns. When applied generously over the burnt surface for about 30 minutes, it helps in easing the pain as well as preventing blistering.
Onion Juice
Onion juice is another remedy which is readily available in most households. Most professional kitchen staff and chefs have attested to it effectiveness in the treatment of burns. Simply take some slices of a fresh onion and squeeze their juices onto the burnt area. This helps in easing the pain as well as reducing the chances of blistering. However, ensure that the onion is very fresh. Otherwise, an onion that is not fresh will have lost all its soothing effects.
Egg White for Burns
Egg white also works miracles in treating burns. Simply soak or coat the burnt surface in egg white. The wetness from the egg white helps in relieving the skin from pain. However, when it dries up, the pain eventually return and hence it is advisable to keep of reapplying a flesh egg white immediately it dries. Egg white not only eases the pain but also promotes healing in addition to preventing scarring from the burn.
Lavender Essential Oil for Burns
Lavender contains painkilling properties and is hence very effective in easing out the pain from a burn. It promotes faster healing and also reduces the chances of scarring. If the burnt area is large, pour lavender oil on a clean cloth or gauze and then apply it directly on the burnt surface. Replace the gauze or piece of cloth with a fresh one after every couple of hours.
Tea Bag
For first degree burns, tea bags can be combined with cold water for treatment of burns. However, for second degree burn, this method is only effective when the wound from a burn starts to heal. Simply soak the tea bags in cold water for a couple of minutes and then hold the burn area in the cold tea for a couple of minutes. Later, the tea bags can also be held gently on the burn surface. The tannic acid contained in black tea seriously helps in reducing the pain.
Vinegar for Burns
Dilute vinegar acts as a pain killer and also helps in relaxing the skin tissue. Dilute the vinegar with cold water and then soak a clean cloth into the solution. Cover the affected area with the soaked cloth and replace the cloth with a fresh one every time the pain returns.
Closing Thoughts
In conclusion, any time you get a burn when at home, rather than rushing to the doctor or to get over the counter treatment, stop first and think of how to treat burns using the most readily available home remedies. Any of the remedies and tips discussed above should be your immediate first aid response, even for some third degree burns, before you can get to the doctor for medical attention.
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December 5, 2012
I was surprised that no-one has mentioned treating small burns with honey. Whenever I have had a burn from the stove, etc. I have immediately dabbed honey on the burn and in no time the stinging stopped and healing began. Honey has been known as being used in Egypt at the time the pyramids were being built and grains and other seeds etc. covered in honey at the time have remained in a perfect state up until recent times when discovered.
February 16, 2013
Hi Milly,
Thanks for commenting. Yes indeed honey is amazing. People often don’t realize the medicinal properties that honey has.. it is simply miraculous stuff.
December 5, 2012
Herbal ointments are the best kind to utilize in case of burn, cut or such. I have found calendula gel or crean to be very helpful. For cleasing, witch hazel is great.
The pharmecuetical brand ointments are harmful and will create sensitivity to skin if not more. Further more, it will delay the process of healing, even making it worse.
Funny thing about it though, is that in some individuals, it helps for few times…..as we are all different. But over all it is harmful rater than helpful.
online pharmacy
February 16, 2013
Thanks for that information Kelly!
December 11, 2013
Nice article Sam! There goes aloe vera again. It keeps popping up as a home remedy.. I absolutely love aloe vera…
June 29, 2015
next time for the pain and before the blistering.. try coconut oil for up to 2nd degree. It really keeps the skin soft and the pain way down.
I recently burned my hand pretty badly by doing something stupid with a car radiator. It exploded onto my long sleeved shirt and down my arm… two seconds and I was a mess of burn, i ran for the ice immediately (was at a garage sale) and this lady said to immediately put coconut oil on after the ice cools it off for the pain.. it worked. I know enough not to put butter on it.. but coconut oil is different, it absorbs into the skin, reduces the infection grababilty and soothes the burn…. So ice it, no#1.. and when you think you had enough ice.. use the coconut oil, specially at night.. it helps you sleep.