24 First Aid Supplies You Should Always Have on Hand

When most of us think of first aid, we think of things like adhesive bandages and cotton balls. And, don't get us wrong, those babies definitely come in handy. But so do many foods, herbs, spices and natural products. Check the slideshow, courtesy of The Doctors Book of Natural Healing Remedies, to see which emergency health aids you're missing - and then go stock up, stat!

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Aloe

Aloe gel soothes minor burns, sunburn, cuts and rashes, and it also helps skin heal. Keep a plant on a sunny windowsill, snap off a bit of stalk and use a clean butter knife to scrape the gel onto minor burns or scrapes.

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Apple Cider Vinegar

This stuff is the Wonder Woman of natural remedies. There’s almost no health villain it cannot defeat. Use these apple cider vinegar elixirs courtesy of The Doctors Book of Natural Healing Remedies.

Cure an upset stomach: Mix a teaspoon in a glass of water and sip.

Soothe a sunburn: Make a vinegar and water solution (50% of each) to spray on sunburned skin.

Heal a sprain: Soak a bandage in the same solution and wrap around a sprained ankle.

Clear up acne: Use a cotton swab to apply apple cider vinegar to individual blemishes. Allow it to dry, then rinse.

Stop dandruff: Mix one tablespoon of cider vinegar with two pints of water and use as a shampoo. Do not rinse out the vinegar - just let it dry.

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Arnica

When in a gel or ointment applied to the skin, arnica may help reduce inflammation, pain, and bruising.

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Baking Soda

Mix baking soda with water to form a paste to help relieve the pain and itch from a bee sting or a sunburn. Slather the same paste on poison ivy or oak to soothe the itching. One-quarter teaspoon in a glass of water will relieve heartburn. And you can brush your teeth and gargle with baking soda and water to freshen your breath.

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Bone Broth

“Stock is fundamental to healing the gut lining,” says assistant professor and nutritionist Dr Eleonora Gafton.
“I think of rich bone broth as liquid nutrition for anyone dealing with an illness.”

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Cayenne

In addition to warming you up and kicking up your metabolism a notch, this pepper can also help you to heal minor lacerations. “I use cayenne when a student in my whole foods cooking class cuts her hand while using a sharp knife,” Gafton told The Doctors Book of Natural Healing Remedies.

To use: Rinse the cut well. Apply pressure with a clean gauze pad. Then dip the cut into cayenne powder and apply a clean bandage. “Cayenne not only stops the bleeding, but it acts on pain receptors to numb the wound,” says Gafton.

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Cloves

This spice is an excellent pain-reliever, especially for toothaches. Just chew one, or use your tongue to position the close as close as possible to the tooth to relieve the pain until you have time to see the dentist.

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Coconut Oil

Great for moisturising chapped lips and dry skin, coconut oil is solid at room temperature, which makes it easy to scoop. The warmth of your body will melt the oil, forming a smooth, even consistency. Apply the oil liberally and often to your lips or body. “Coconut oil applied topically throughout the day and before bed will help restore lips to their plump, juicy state,” says naturopathic doctor Vicky Rizothanassis..

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Echinacea

A bottle of this herbal tincture can help prevent a cold or sore throat if you take it at a cold’s very first tingle. A couple of drops on a bug bite will ease the pain and itch, according to The Doctors Book of Natural Healing Remedies. Echinacea kills viruses and bacteria, so it’s also a good treatment for cuts and scrapes.

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Fennel

If your stomach tends to be sensitive, end each meal by chewing fennel. Or, try this GI tonic, courtesy of The Doctors Book of Natural Healing Remedies.

1 tablespoon fennel seeds
6 whole cloves
3 cups water

1. Pour the water over the herbs. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Cool for 15 minutes, then strain and drink about 4 ounces after meals.

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Honey

Raw honey helps to keep wounds moist and prevent gauze from sticking. Use only raw, uncooked honey, preferably local.

It’s also an incredibly effective cough treatment – even more effective than dextromethorphan (the drug commonly used in cough medicine), finds a study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

To soothe a cough, swallow 2 teaspoons of honey every 4 to 5 hours during the day and a half hour before you go to bed.

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Garlic

Use this natural antiviral at the first sign of a cold. Just mash it up and eat it on bread, crackers, or any other favourite food.

According toThe Doctors Book of Natural Healing Remedies, you can also use garlic to get rid of warts! Mash a clove into pulp. While preparing for bed, place the garlic on the affected area and use a bandage to cover it. Once you’re awake, remove the bandage and clean the area thoroughly. Repeat until the wart shrinks and disappears.

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Ginger

This root stimulates circulation, calms nausea, and reduces diarrhoea and stomach cramping. What’s more, ginger lowers fever and chills by promoting sweating. It also reduces bronchial inflammation, thins mucus and reduces coughing as effectively as codeine cough syrup. “I also use ginger to soothe anxiety, and I find that it relieves pain as well as or even better than ibuprofen does,” says Gafton.

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Lavender Essential Oil

To relax jangled nerves, sprinkle several drops of lavender essential oil on a hankie and inhale. On a sleepless night, tuck a lavender oil drizzled hankie under your pillowcase. A drop or two directly on a bug bite soothes the itch. Got a sinus headache? Massage a couple of drops into each temple.

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Olive Oil

Use olive oil as a base to make an herb paste, or use it solo to ease dry skin.

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Peppermint

A cup of peppermint tea can ease a headache, settle an upset stomach and nausea, deflate flatulence and reduce stress-induced tension. As an essential oil, peppermint can enhance alertness when inhaled from a hankie or diffused in the air.

Petroleum Jelly

Petroleum jelly is one of the most effective barriers and protective substances you can apply to your skin. That said, some natural health experts and environmentalists urge using products like Un-Petroleum jelly.

Either way, clean the area with water and pat it dry. Don’t rub it, as you don’t want to irritate the skin any more, advises nurse Marijke Vroomen Durning. “Gently spread a thin coat of petroleum jelly over the raw skin and loosely cover it to protect from further rubbing or irritation.”

If you have a specific area prone to chafing, apply petroleum jelly on the skin to protect it. The layer of the jelly acts as a lubricant, allowing the skin to glide against the fabric or skin, reducing friction.

Rice

In addition to serving as a soothing first food for when you are mending from a GI illness (especially diarrhoea), rice also serves as a main ingredient in DIY heating pads.

To make your own heating pad: Fill a clean white sock or cotton pouch with raw rice. Then stick it in the microwave oven for about 1.5 minutes, suggests nurse Marijke Vroomen Durning.

Tea Bags

The tannins in black tea are an astringent that help reduce swelling, and can also help relieve pain and itching. Simply dampen a fresh tea bag and place it loosely over a bruised or swollen area. Use several tea bags for larger areas.

Tea Tree Oil

This essential oil has antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Dab it directly on minor cuts, scrapes or other injuries.

Turmeric

This bright yellow curry spice contains a powerfully anti-inflammatory compound called curcumin. One study even found it as effective as ibuprofen - but with less abdominal discomfort -- at relieving knee pain.

"I have my OA patients make a virgin Bloody Mary with tomato juice, a few drops of olive oil, a dash or two of black pepper, and the contents of 2 capsules of curcumin/turmeric," says preventive medicine specialist Dr Roxanne Sukol. The olive oil and black pepper help the body absorb turmeric. If you’re not a Bloody Mary fan, take two 500 mg capsules a day, which is the amount found to be beneficial in research.

Salt

Table salt and Epsom salts perform many first aid functions. Dissolved in water, either salt can help draw out infections, such as those that occur with ingrown toenails. Toss a couple cups of Epsom salts in a bath to help soothe sore muscles and joints. Make a salt paste to help draw out splinters or ease the itch from bug bites or stings.

To soak: Dissolve about a half a cup of Epsom salt in a quart of warm water. For a tub bath, about a cup of salts in a warm bath will do the trick.

For a compress: Take a cup of room temperature water and stir in about 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts until dissolved. Place a cloth in the water and allow it to soak up as much of the water as it can. Squeeze it out so it’s not dripping, then place it over the sore area for about 20 minutes.

Vanilla

If you burn yourself while cooking, grab a bottle of pure vanilla extract from your pantry and dab a small amount on the burn (after first cooling the burn with cool water). The vanilla itself has soothing properties, and the alcohol combined with the vanilla is a mild antiseptic. This tip only works with pure vanilla though, not the artificial type. How do you know the difference? Read the ingredients and check that the label says “pure” on it.

According to The Doctors Book of Natural Healing Remedies, Vanilla is also a great remedy for a cold sore. Saturate a cotton swab with 100% pure vanilla extract, a natural antiviral. Gently apply and hold onto the affected area for up to 1 minute. Repeat three to four times daily until the cold sore is gone.