Nature First Aid for Burns

I'm planning to do a series of articles dealing with natural treatments for acute ailments. For many years I taught some workshops called 'Naturopathic First Aid'.
I also always keep up to date with 'conventional' first aid too and remember to keep my certification up to date.
Over the years I've noticed that some natural treatments are superior to more conventional methods.
The trick to using natural remedies lies in using them properly. I've heard people say, "I tried such and such and it didn't work". Knowing also where your remedies are sourced from is vital as it is important to get the 'genuine' best quality remedies that may be available.

For many years I considered nature first aid for burns to be superior to mainstream treatments although modern technique for treating serious burns has come a long way in recent years.
Despite the fact that there are a number of suggested and effective natural treatments for burns I really have, over the years relied on one particular remedy being that it is so effective.
That is until the other night when circumstances, combined with the knowledge of how my chosen burn remedy functions led me discover a new and very effective treatment.
I accidentally picked up a burning log from the fire. I thought it hadn't caught but it had well and truly caught underneath. I immediately got a huge and painful blister all over my hand.
It was a pitch black and moonless night and being that I live in a very remote place there was no reflected light from any source. I couldn't find the torch and the route to my medicine garden (or the car) was strewn with obstacles that I couldn't see in the darkness.

Aloe Vera is an excellent remedy for burns.
There are only 2 ways of using it that ensure its effectiveness. You can buy 99.9% stabilized Aloe Vera gel or you can use it straight from the plant.
Using it from the tube is more convenient but do please make sure that you do not buy anything other than the 99.9% gel as it will not be nearly as effective.
The plant contains a (very) bitter component that can be unpleasant, though not dangerous if you accidentally ingest it from your hands.

The Aloe Vera plant contains substances called anthraquinones which attract water and fluids to the burn site when it is administered. Used properly and correctly you will be able to avoid blistering and scarring and will be able to find relief in the shortest time possible.
I say 'shortest time possible' because this time factor is governed by your body's own ability to deal with the burn.

To deal with your burn or sunburn this is how to properly use the remedy;
Liberally apply the gel. If using the plant itself cut off a leaf and slice it thinly in a horizontal way. The gel will soothe any pain instantly whilst also giving you a sensation of heat escaping. As soon as this sensation abates it is time to apply more gel. Repeat this until there is no longer any sensation of further heat. You will then be healed along with no pain, blistering or scarring.
In cases of bad sunburn this process can take up to around 4 -5 hours though the rate of application gradually diminishes. With less severe sunburn the process may take only an hour or less. When using this remedy in the manner described for sunburn you will have no blisters and your skin will not peel. No pain of course either.

I believe that the components of the Aloe Vera plant that are largely responsible for it's truly effective action are the aforementioned anthraquinones.
So when, the other night it was too difficult for me to traverse the obstacles between my home and medicine garden in the pitch, black darkness of the night I instead used salty, cold water.
This relieved the pain immediately.

My farm home happens to run on salty bore water. And I believe that the salt component of my tap water roughly corresponds to the saltiness of human blood and tissue fluids. Such a fortuitous coincidence, I believe is what helped my hand to heal. I changed the water every 15 minutes or so as the water drew away heat from my hand to make sure it was still very cool. I kept my hand submerged all the time. After about 90 minutes I noticed my hand no longer hurt nor where there any blisters left.
Using Aloe or the salty, cold water treatment both require perseverance but the results and concomitant healing are well worth the sustained effort. If adding your own salt I would recommend using a natural salt such as vegetable or sea salt and adding about ¼ teaspoon per cup.

Keep posted.