FIRST AID SUMMER ESSENTIALS

If you are planning a trip abroad or just staying in England for your holidays you may very well be packing a first aid kit, especially if travelling with children.

Did you know you could supplement your kit with a few essential oils and use them for various ailments?

All you need is a little know how.

Sunburn - something we all try to avoid but sometimes fail. Children’s skin is very delicate and needs a high factor screen even if staying in England, if however, there are a few red shoulders you could use Lavender, Lavandula angustifolia or Roman Chamomile, Anthemis nobilis, to soothe the redness and reduce the pain.   Lavender, is a natural analgesic and applied gently to the skin can be very soothing. Chamomile is a natural anti- inflammatory and can soothe the burn. Both of the essential oils must not be applied directly to the skin you must first dilute them in a cream or oil. Aloe Vera is a wonderful sunburn soother and is a great medium for adding essential oils. Take a good dollop of cream, Aloe Vera or a teaspoon of vegetable oil and add 1 drop of Roman Chamomile, or Lavender, to your chosen base, mix in your hand and apply to the sore area. This can be repeated twice a day.

Heat Rash – again in the same way that Lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, and Roman Chamomile, Anthemis nobilis, can assist with sunburn they can also be used for heat rash or prickly heat. Run a tepid bath and add 1 drop of each to a small amount of base oil, no more than a tea spoon, and add to the bath water just before getting in. Make sure that you give the bath a good stir before getting in and supervise children.

Stings or Bites-  annoying and itchy and fairly common in the summer. Again essential oils can bring relief to the itch. If the skin is broken it’s important to wash the area but again Lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, could bring relief. It is a natural antiseptic and an analgesic. 1 drop applied neat to the area will bring about some respite from the itch and or redness.  

Tea tree, Melaleuca alternifolia, is also a good essential oil to pack in your first aid bag It can be used on stings and bites in the same way as Lavender. It is also a good antiseptic and you may want to add 1 drop to a cloth to wipe over surfaces in hotel rooms and bathrooms or even over a table top.

Upset Tummy – unfortunately again a rather common ailment when travelling.  A soothing tummy massage can work wonders for a number of symptoms from diarrhoea to constipation to trapped wind or bloating.  By adding Essential Oils you can enhance the effect of the massage. Add 1 drop of either Roman Chamomile, Anthemis nobilis, or Mandarin, Citrus reticulata, to 5ml/teaspoon of vegetable oil, warm up in your hands and massage in a circle around the navel in a clockwise direction.   This can be applied twice a day.

 

I am hoping that you won’t need any of the above but being prepared is just as important. So by adding just 4 Essential Oils to your usual first aid travel kit you can be ready for anything!

If you would like personal or professional advice on any of the above, you can contact Jo at jo@fromtheseed.co.uk.  from the seed offers bespoke holistic care from conception to baby and beyond,  for more info visit www.fromtheseed.co.uk

AROMATHERAPY PRE HOLIDAY TIPS

Hurrah its summer and you are hopefully looking forward to your long awaited and well deserved getaway!

However travelling with children is very different from when you went away with friends or partner BC (Before Children)! How much stuff do you need to take? If you are travelling with babies it may seem that you are taking the entire contents of your house!

However help is on hand with some essential oils and a few remedies that may get you all off to a great start, and in a few weeks I will be posting a blog on what oils to add to your first aid kit for those little holiday ailments! Start the holiday relaxed and even feel calm before you set off. I know that the packing and leaving is quite stressful so read on for a few tips!

The night before

You- have a soak in the bath with 2 drops of Lavender, Lavandula angustifolia, and 2 drops of Geranium, Pelargonium graveolens , added to 5 ml of base oil or a small cup of full fat milk. The oils will help disperse the oils evenly and the full fat milk will make you feel like Cleopatra! It does need to be full fat as that fat content also helps to distribute the Essential oil. Add your blend just before getting in and sit back and relax for 15 min minimum.

Lavender is a sedative and relaxant and Geranium is a hormone balancer and emotional regulator. Sounds perfect to help you sleep before you big getaway

Kids – Make up a blend to also help them sleep, curb that excitement and they will also wake raring to go.

Again using Lavender, but this time add Roman Chamomile, Anthemis nobilis to your base oil make up a blend following the instructions below.

Babies up to age one you will need 40ml of base oil and just one drop of each oil.

For toddlers age 1-2 you will need 20 ml of base oil and one drop of each oil

For kids 2-12 you can add 1 drop of Essential Oil for every 5ml of base oil

Then at bed time spend a few moments massaging your child over their tummy or back whatever feels good to them and talking about the holiday. Be guided by them, even a few minutes doing this will aid their sleep and why not take the remaining blend with you to settle them once you get there in a new environment. If you are travelling abroad make sure you pack in your main luggage as there are still restrictions on taking liquids in your hand luggage! However, if you are planning a long haul flight transfer the blend into a 100ml see through bottle, available from chemists, and you could do some easy foot or hand massage on the flight again to soothe and calm your kids!

The Journey

Travel sickness is a huge worry to loads of families; I know my kids have both suffered from hot and long car journeys which can be made so much more bearable by the  simple use of Lemon, Citrus limonum, Essential Oil. The oil refreshes and revives and definitely quells motion sickness.

 

Add 2 drops to a cotton wool pad or ball and place in the car 20 min before leaving.  I usually place it on the dash board. You will then be travelling in a lightly scented car which can be replenished every 3-4 hours.

If you would like personal or professional advice on any of the above, you can contact Jo at jo@fromtheseed.co.uk.  from the seed offers bespoke holistic care from conception to baby and beyond,  for more info visit www.fromtheseed.co.uk