Herbal First Aid
helping you to be prepared
CA poppies - not mentioned in this article, but so very beautiful!
Recently I put together an herbal first aid class for the homeschool group in my Community and I thought I might share it here. My thinking for this group was that having a sense of empowerment around treating yourself and those around you when they need help, can be very liberating. It reduces the anxiety around what you might do in a first aid situation when you have tools to deal with these times. A lot of this information came from Evolutionary Herbalism and Herbs with Rosalee, with some additional info from me. I hope this is useful….
Herbal First Aid Class
Herbal Actions
Vulneraries – contain tannins which help close a wound through its tightening & contracting qualities. Examples: Calendula, Plantain, Comfrey
Styptics – for open, bleeding wounds; stop excessive bleeding; use as a poultice directly on the wound. You could also call these astringents or haemostatic herbs. Examples: Yarrow, Shephard’s Purse (use topically and internally), witch hazel (external).
Demulcent – used for weeping and swollen wounds where puss & infection are present; drying herbs used to counter dampness; lymphatic and astringent actions. Examples: Calendula, horsetail
-or- in cases where the wound is dry, splitting or cracking, use emollient herbs that contain mucilage like Marshmallow and Plantain (wrap a cloth soaked in the infusion).
Cell Proliferation – for repair of tissue and to reduce scarring; add to salves. Examples: Comfrey
Materia Medica
Once you’ve cleaned the area, you can work with the herbs below in the form of salves, oils, poultices, washes, soaks, fomentations, and gels to offer relief and healing.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
If I had to highlight one herb for wound care, it would be Yarrow!
With its vulnerary, astringent, antiseptic, styptic, and inflammation-modulating properties, this herb is one of the best topical remedies available. You can make a spit poultice – chew up the herb and put it directly on the wound; or you can dry yarrow, powder it and carry it with you to sprinkle on a wound.
Yarrow is a powerful styptic that can address wounds larger than your average papercut. There have been numerous accounts featuring individuals who faced deep wounds. After spotting some local Yarrow, they used it to staunch bleeding and prevented infection from developing until they could take further action.
Yarrow was classically said to work on the “3rd level of the blood.” The first comprises the capillaries, the second of the arterioles, and the third of the arteries. If injury to the arteries occurs, consequences can be dire, as these are BIG vessels that are actively pumping blood, hence blood loss can be severe. In scenarios where immediate medical care isn’t available, Yarrow has expressed high efficacy at staunching blood on this third level, proving its potency as a styptic herb.
Yarrow is also good to treat fevers.
Shepherd’s Purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
A powerful astringent and styptic herb, Shepherd’s Purse is indicated for internal bleeding, especially when the wound is related to reproductive health. This herb has been traditionally used to address haemorrhage and excessive bleeding post-childbirth. Although Shepherd’s Purse has a highlighted effect for internal bleeding, it can be used externally and topically in a fashion similar to Yarrow.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
It seems that everywhere you look today there are Calendula related wound care products, and for good reason. Calendula assists in staunching bleeding, modulating inflammation, preventing infection, and can be used to wash cuts, insect bites, and irritated skin.
This herb is a classic vulnerary and antiseptic that works well as an “all-purpose” remedy by itself or in combination with other herbs to address numerous irritated skin conditions. One of the great things about Calendula is that it tends to heal the skin from the inside-out, meaning it works from the base layers of the tissues and heals outwards from there. This makes it quite applicable to deeper wounds but works equally well for superficial ones too.
Use as a tea to wash the wound or as a compress. Drink the tea of you have internal issues such as leaky gut (it’s great along with plantain and/or red raspberry leaf).
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)
Comfrey is one of the most well-known herbs used in herbal wound care. However, there’s an aspect of this plant that many people forget. This herb is phenomenal for cellular proliferation and, opposite to Calendula, heals wounds in a “top-down” manner, encouraging cellular turnover on the topmost layer of skin and then working its way down.
Because Comfrey works so effectively in this manner, it must never be used for puncture wounds or deeper lacerations. This is because it has the potential to seal the top layer of the skin and close it, trapping debris or bacteria on the inside, which can result in infection. But for most basic wounds Comfrey is an incredibly powerful remedy, primarily because of it contains the constituent allantoin, which is well researched for its ability to increase cellular proliferation. In the case of puncture wounds, there is a different herb with a specific indication for this (see St, John’s Wort below).
St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
As the Latin species name perforatum suggests, St. John’s Wort is specifically indicated for puncture wounds. This is also revealed in the signature of the leaf, which when held up to the light looks like it has several punctures to it, or perforations.
This herb heals from the dermis up to the outer layer of the skin, making it a great herb to use for deep wounds. St. John’s Wort also works well to prevent blood poisoning, as with the case of tetanus. The thing about puncture wounds is that they can be extremely painful, with the muscles becoming tight in the surrounding area and excessive swelling. This swelling can press on the nerves and lead to sometimes extreme discomfort, as anyone that’s stepped on a nail can attest (NOTE: use homeopathic Ledum as well for puncture wounds of any kind).
In addition to its other properties, it is very specific for nerve pain and inflammation, both topically and internally. This can be assessed by shooting pains that traverse a specific pathway down the length of the neuron, such as with sciatica. For nerve pain St. John’s Wort can be used both internally in the form of tinctures, spagyrics, or homeopathics, as well as topically, of which I prefer a simple infused oil.
Hypericum is also used to treat depression with anxiety.
Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
This plant possesses a unique drawing effect that works as an herbal “vacuum.”
Plantain draws foreign material out of a wound, whether it be stingers, thorns, nails, splinters, or anything else that does not belong in the skin.
In the case where you cannot remove the material from the skin using tweezers or other appropriate tools, you can make a spit poultice using plantain to cover the region, let it sit, and remove it later once the item has been drawn out. I’ve seen this work dozens of times, from deep splinters to embedded bee stingers. Once the spit poultice dries out and is removed, the foreign material is often lodged in there. It’s really quite amazing!
Plantain is also a super useful general vulnerary, inflammation modulator, and soothing demulcent. While many herbalists consider it one of the best and most universal topical plants, don’t forget Plantain is also a really useful internal remedy. I primarily use it internally as a respiratory and digestive demulcent and inflammation modulator.
Marshmallow (Althaea officinalis)
Marshmallow is a mucilaginous herb that provides a soothing and protective coat to reddened or inflamed skin featuring dry characteristics. With its anti-microbial, inflammation-modulating, immunomodulating effects, and the presence of tannins, this herb acts as a powerful vulnerary in healing injured tissues, whether they are internal or external. Though this is a remedy that does not yield well to most topical preparations like salves and infused oils. It’s best used as a fomentation, making a room temperature infusion of it to create a thick mucilaginous mass which can then be soaked into a cloth and wrapped around the afflicted area. You can also use the straight powder, mixing it with water to form a paste and applying that to the area, though this method probably shouldn’t be used with open wounds as the powder will get in there and be tough to get out!
NOTE: do not use preparations like beeswax where a seal is created when treating infected wounds, especially Staph as it will create an aerobic environment for the infection to spread; instead use water-based treatments like extracts – poultices, washes, soaks.
NOTE: do not use oil-based preparations on burns
NOTE: use homeopathic Arnica for all first aid and trauma orally; use topical Arnica cream on unbroken skin only
Polychrest Herbs
Polychrest – “a thing adapted to many uses”
When traveling or backpacking you don’t want to be carrying around lots of herbal treatments, so the best idea is to carry a few different herbs that do many different things (have several different ‘actions’). Surely many more polychrest herbs can be added to this list, but this is a start.
Also, I take homeopathic polycrests, e.g. Arcenicum 30c, Phosphorus 30c, etc., with me when I travel, too. If you are unfamiliar with when to give homeopathics then it is best to make and bring along a ‘cheat-sheet’ so you can reference it.
Nervous system:
Chamomile (calming, and also treats menstrual cramps and pain)
Lemon balm
Lavender – pillow, essential oil, hydrosol
Tulsi/Holy Basil
Sleep:
Valerian
Chamomile
Lemon balm
Lavender
Tulsi/Holy Basil
Digestion:
Ginger
Digestive Bitters formulas – dandelion root, burdock root, chamomile, grapefruit
Chamomile – tincture or tea
Lemon balm
Yarrow
Upper respiratory:
Elderberry and Echinacea tincture (dropper or spray)
Elderberry gummies
Licorice
Thyme
Ginger
Example First Aid Kit
Ginger preparation – tea, bitters, tincture or fresh
Chamomile preparation – tincture, bitters or tea
Yarrow powder
Elderberry and Echinacea tincture
Lavender pillow or essential oil
Digestive Bitters formula (tincture)
Rescue Remedy
Vitamin C-rich plant medicines or vit c tablets
Salve containing plantain, hypericum, comfrey and/or calendula (maybe chickweed for insect bites)
Arnica cream and pilules (and other homeopathics if desired)
Cotton balls/buds
Cotton cloth squares
Iodine
Salt or lighter for leeches
Tick removers
NOTE: your first aid kit will depend on where you are going and what you are generally susceptible to, e.g. take chickweed salve and lavender essential oil for insect bites; if there is a likelihood of gastro issues take things specific to that; elderflower for allergies, etc…