Healing a Burn the Natural Way

With Memorial Day Weekend, Americans have hit the unofficial start to Summer. Although we must wait a little less than a month for the official turn from Spring to Summer, most of us are already enjoying time at the beach or the pool. Unless you are blessed with a tawny complexion, you will probably experience a burn at some time, sooner probably than later, this Summer season. While you have a host of options from the supermarket shelf, you might do well to research some of the more natural (and free or cheap) remedies for your sore skin.

Aloe Vera is without a doubt the most well-known healer of the plant kingdom. The plant is a succulent, which means it thrives in hot climates with little water. Cacti also are succulents. Aloe Vera plants feature green stalk-like leaves often with some white dotting on them. The leaves are waxy and water-proof. When broken open, the leaves emit a clear sap. The sap is the stuff you want to slather all over your burned skin. You will feel instant relief and the healing process will go much more quickly. You should apply Aloe Vera sap as you need it - it won't hurt you to do so.

Fireweed is one of those lesser known options for the burned. Of the three natural remedies I mention here, fireweed is the most attractive, but that's just my opinion. Fireweed can tower above you at up to seven feet and features bright pink flowers. What you are after with fireweed is not the pleasant looking flowers, but the root in the ground. If you harvest the root and crush it into a poultice, you can place it against the worst of the burned area to get relief.

Finally, you can seek out bunchberry. I have fond memories assisting my mother's mother in harvesting bunchberries in the Winter. By far, it is the most delicious of the three remedies, as you can eat the berries as well. That said, I doubt you have a burn in your stomach to treat! Bunchberry are small plants with largish white flowers, and of course, the red berries. The berries are supposed to treat a number of ills: aches, pains, fevers, and burns. By crushing the berries and turning into a poultice, you should feel relief on the worst of your burns.

Don't forget your natural options for treating those summer-time burns. All of the above was gathered from years of knowledge held by my mother and her parents. As a kid, I thought they were torturing me on those endless hiking sessions through all manner of weather in the woods. Now, I see that their knowledge was a great gift, one I am happy to share now with others.