4 Herbal First Aid Solutions for Summer

It’s summertime! Time to soak in the sun, breathe in the fresh air and explore the great outdoors. But with all that exposure, we are also more vulnerable to sunburns, skin rashes, cuts, bruises, and insect bites. And while store shelves stock a myriad of products for these maladies, especially sun protection, there are many herbal solutions, without all the additives that are far better solutions. 

Some herbal solutions are used topically, as a salve, for muscle and joint pain and some in tincture form to be taken internally for rashes and internal healing.  Salves are herbal liniments, made by infusing herbs in a solvent and prepared to either have a heating or cooling action. The salves and tinctures are commonly applied to soothe minor wounds, injuries, bruises, poisonous bites or bug bites, skin irritations, aches and pains.

Here are two must have salves for your summer adventures:

Clear Glow Face & Body Salve can be used daily as a moisturizer and sunscreen.  A small amount goes a long way to protect your skin from sun damage and age spots, while keeping your skin soft and supple.  It is a wonderful blend of Coconut oil, Olive oil, Rose Hips (Rosa canina), Calendula flower, aka Marigold flower, (Calendula officinalis), Hibiscus Flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa), Red Clover Blossoms (Trifolium pratense), Self Heal (Prunella vulgaris), Zinc, Vit C (Ascorbic acid), Beeswax, Manuka honey, Wheat Germ oil, Aloe Vera, Vitamin E.  You can learn more about the herbal ingredients in the salves by clicking on the links.

Chickweed Plantain Salve is an effective salve for any type of itching.  I have used it for all types of rashes, scraps, and other minor wounds. This salve is a healing blend of Chickweed Leaf (Stellaria media), Plantain Leaf (Plantago major), Goldenseal Root (Hydrastis canadensis), olive oil, coconut oil and beeswax.  Throw this in your go-bag for outdoor adventures. 

Many herbs are useful during summer adventures, but two tinctures stand out:

Arnica Flower  is used externally and is beneficial for the skin. It helps soothe and renew the skin after exposure to stress, making Arnica flower tinctures are a medicine cabinet and vanity must have. The herb clears up acne and other skin inflammations. Its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects benefit those with inflammatory skin disorders.

Arnica Flower is traditionally used as a topical treatment for burns, eczema, and chapped lips, but it should not be applied to an open wound, as it could cause painful irritation. Arnica is an excellent alternative treatment for sports-related injuries. is useful for bruises, sprains, muscle aches, contusions, acne, superficial phlebitis, rheumatic pain, inflammation from insect bites and swelling due to fractures. 

Jewel Weed is best known for its skin healing properties. Also called Touch Me Nots or impatiens, it is an effective anti-fungal solution for Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Stinging Nettles and other rash causing plants. You can also use it as a preventative for Poison Oak and Poison Ivy irritations, bruises, burns, cuts, eczema, insect bites, sores, sprains, warts, and ringworm.

Jewel Weed  Jewel Weed works by counter-reacting with the chemicals in other plants that cause irritation. And it is every bit as effective as cortisone-based creams for treatment of rashes from poisonous plants. The topical application of Jewel Weed liquid herbal extract not only cures the discomfort of these types of poisoning, it also prevents the reaction if you rub it on your skin before venturing into botanical habitats. You can also rub it on the handles of tools that have been or will be used in areas where poisonous plants grow.

Jewel Weed has a foul taste and is not for consumption.  It is also a diuretic which could be dangerous for some people to take internally. The plant is safest and most effective when used as an external tincture application, in a poultice or in a salve.

Using natural plant applications in herbal tinctures and salves can help with many summer ailments and incidents, depending on the properties of the plant. Gather up your herbal first aid kit and get ready for all your summer adventures!