Aromatherapy and essential oils - use with burns

Discussion in 'The big picture' started by Suzie, Feb 12, 2009.

  1. Suzie

    Suzie Junior Member

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    Hi,
    I am an aromatherapist / massage therapist / art therapist living in NSW.
    Watching the recent terrible bush fire footage on tv I have the urge to drive to Victoria to try to help. But , Instead I thought I would pass on this idea which works absolutely amazingly and brings such relief to burns. Even small burns are extremely painful. (If the skin is broken I would see a doctor of course but as a first aid measure if nothing else is available or for treatment of smaller burns this is very effective).

    If you have cold water to cool the burn do this first - then immerse burned part in 100% pure lavender oil or drip the essential oil over the wound catching it in a clean container to be dripped over the wound repeatedly.
    Follow this with aloe vera gel if you have any.
    The application of lavender oil may have to be repeated a few times but the relief is very noticeable and scarring is very much reduced.

    (essential oils aren't "oily" - it is in no way like the old "butter on the burn" remedy)

    *Important note -
    please make sure you use 100% pure lavender oil and not a massage oil or alcohol based water soluble lavender oil solution or a perfume oil. Other products used instead could make the problem worse instead of better.

    The pure essential oil has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, skin healing and pain relieving properties.

    I have used this method several times and it works much more quickly and effectively than anything else I have tried.

    Keep some lavender oil in the first aid kit for camping and barbecues.

    Take care
     
  2. Shade

    Shade Junior Member

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    Re: Aromatherapy and essential oils - use with burns

    When you state lavender, which lavender are you referring to? Botanical names are so important when prescribing treatments and prevents confusion (not to mention using the wrong ingredient :)).

    Another good method I've found for a nasty burn caused by fire is to treat with lavender water (lavendula officinalis) along with peppermint water (metha x piperita). You can buy these at health shops and chemists. They should not contain alcohol.

    - Prepare two basins with ice cubes in it and about half litre of cold water each.
    - In one, put 200ml of lavender water in and 50ml of peppermint water.
    - Get a cloth, rip it in half, dip in first basin and apply one cloth to the site, let it warm then change it with the other cloth and so forth.
    -When the skin has cooled, apply an aloe vera gel made from 25ml of aloe vera juice from the plant, 10 drops of lavender oil and 20 drops of tea tree oil (melaleuca alternifolia) and spread it over the site. This will form a strong film and pain will lessen. If there is hair stuck to skin, you can remove this with a compress using the waters before applying the gel.

    The skin will undergo some dramatic changes over the ensuing two days. Therefore it's important not to wash it but apply the gel. Healing should be clear and definitive by day 4.
     
  3. DJ-Studd

    DJ-Studd Junior Member

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    Re: Aromatherapy and essential oils - use with burns

    I was heating some Ghee in a saucepan last night, went to check something on the computer and forgot about the ghee, oops... I lifted the lid off the saucepan and it splashed on my arm in several spots. I applied MMS (Miracle Mineral Solution, also known as Sodium Chlorite) for 30 seconds and the pain virtually disappeared within 10 minutes. What was a red burn that looked like it would blister is virtually gone today?! Wow...

    https://www.health-science-spirit.com/MMS.html
     
  4. Shade

    Shade Junior Member

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    Re: Aromatherapy and essential oils - use with burns

    Hmm...something you missed on the instruction panel at the back of the poisonous goods bottle perhaps? *LOL*
     
  5. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Re: Aromatherapy and essential oils - use with burns

    Sounds like a good remedy.
    I would be a little wary of Tea Tree as it can be too strong for some people especially if it hits mucous membranes or your fanny (The OZ meaning of "fanny",=small, N. American, dam building, rodent.)
    Lavendula officinalis is the old name not used much now.( Pity I like officinalis=L. medicinal one) I don't think it matters what variety (Usually L. angustifolia var is the cheapest). It does matter that it has not been mixed with anything else. Read the label. most Lavender oils in Supermarkets are cut by up to 50% with fixed oils such as canola (rape seed). Some are also cut with DMT, alcohol or are perfumes with fixative.
    Sorting out the various botanical varieties of lavender is an ongoing job. Thirty years ago the prestigious American Herb Society definitively said there were 36. I would not be surprised if the number now wouldn't be closer to 70 and new varieties are being hybridised all the time. Tasmanian (Bridestowe) Lavender is a mixture of oil from three hybrids, developed on the farm, according to its former owner -Mr. Denny. It has a very floral, talcum-powderish, perfumery nose whereas the angustifolias have a more medicinal, fresh rosemary-type note.

    You might also like to try some healing /granulating herbs a little later such as comfrey and chamomile ( the oil is expensive so use a tea bag ) Comfrey contains allantoin like 'Aloe Vera' or Indian Aloe (The one usually sold at Oz Nurseries) + some other spectacular healing "things' especially for broken bones in people or animals.
    In the meantime chew Ecinacea (Any will do but E. purperea sp? is the one most used) for the pain, chillies may help too.(usually rubbed on sore joints- But Chilli heads say a diet that includes lots of chilli also helps pain), or of course the old standby marijuana is excellent for many types of pain. What bushfire? [​IMG]
    Cooking marijuana in butter and making cookies/biscuits is better than inhaling smoke and don't take it if you are a teenager if you don't want to stuff your brain. :rolleyes:

    It is said that Heartsease will mend a broken heart.
    So a tea of that pretty Viola purperea/tricolour ? won't hurt either.
    I did read one research paper waiting in the dentist's one day, saying heartsease had chemicals in it that dulled the memory of traumatic events. so it may not be just folklore.
    I meant to knock the article off from the Dentist's waiting room, but in my own trauma from the dentist, I forgot. But many drug companies are experimenting in this area.

    Lemon balm Tea to soothe the soul and of course Angelica, a gift from the #2- now promoted to #1 Angel Michael, the herb that heals all man's ills.[​IMG]
     
  6. Shade

    Shade Junior Member

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    Re: Aromatherapy and essential oils - use with burns

    Tea tree oil has a low cineole content and is non irritant to the skin or mucous surfaces. It has an excellent antimicrobial and antifungal action and is often used to treat conditions on or around the vagina such as thrush or viral outbreaks (not that I was thinking of vaginas when I wrote the remedy, though). When not used unadulterated or not applied properly or not in moderation, however, it can cause problems.

    The scientific name of lavender is very much used in modernity, I can assure you, although Lavandula augustifolia is also accepted. :)

    The species of lavender used does matter. With over 200 varieties, the majority of these are hybrids and clones – they are not the same as true lavender and are not suitable for clinical use. An example would be Lavandin (Lavandula angustifolia x Lavandula latifolia) which is commonly found in stores sold as Lavender. This variety can worsen a burn.

    Of the 40 or so species of lavender, I would use two, one of which I've already named. I would not use, for example, French/Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas) as it is not suitable for use due to its chemical compound.
     
  7. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Re: Aromatherapy and essential oils - use with burns

    Better your fanny than mine.
    Some drops in the bath could be used to put the first woman in space. :)
    What do you call "true lavender" ?
    This is the problem Officinalis is such a global term that botanists are trying to use angustifolia. Officinalis is the lavender used by the Romans in their baths. Who knows what that was or even if it still exists. most plants man has used for 2,000 years or more have been changed beyond recogition. But the nomenclature is a mess. When people talk of English lavender grown in France or French lavender grown in England and of course the French love the confusion and just mainly churn out lavandin. ('grosso"=the big-money making- lavender.)
    This is a good reference if you have time
    https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en& ... LEw3SG_zGs
    but I gave up yearas ago in France and just went and looked at the plants then the still then the oil.

    Just about any aromatherapy site you visit will say something like this:-
    I am surprised anyone bothers growing and distilling Lavandula stoechas

    Oil is probably only distilled, in commercial quantities, from 10-12 varieties not 200.

    Anyway the point is you can't go too far wrong putting lavender oil on burns. If all else fails it is a brilliant, gentle antiseptic.
     
  8. Shade

    Shade Junior Member

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    Re: Aromatherapy and essential oils - use with burns

    All arguments aside, the real point here is that you can go wrong and if it's anything that is to be gotten from this thread it's patently and dangerously obvious that you don't know what you're talking about.

    Respectfully,
    Shade
     
  9. Suzie

    Suzie Junior Member

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    Re: Aromatherapy and essential oils - use with burns

    Hi, a lot has happened since I last looked checked in.

    It sooooooooo does matter which species of lavender (or any other essential oil) you use for a specific purpose.
    Thanks Shade for this as I neglected to mention the botanical name in my original comment - :oops:

    Lavandula angustifolia is best for burns. "Lavandin" (latifolia) is good for muscle aches and pains but it should not be put on a burn. Latifolia smells a bit more like tea tree - it is fairly easy to tell the difference.
    Angustifolia is relaxing and good for headaches - Latifolia will wake you up and probably give you a headache if you put it on your pillow. (I have always thought officinalis is the original name for angustifolia)

    If you are planning to use essential oils for medicinal purposes then the correct essential oil, used in the correct way makes all the difference between a healing effect or a bad reaction. It is important to buy essential oils from a reputable company who sell oils specifically for medicinal purposes.
    (I was recently told a story of a woman who put lots and lots of tea tree oil on her dog's eczema, every day for a long time, and the poor dog died of liver failure. Of course it wasn't proven that it was caused by the tea tree oil but it makes you think.
    The way the oils are used and the dosage is equally as important as which oil you use.)
    Some people look at the little bottle and just decide to use the lot - labelling should probably be better with the tea tree oil available in "Coles" etc.

    If you buy oils from a company which also sells perfume oils (horrid smelling chemical things) you can almost guarantee that their oils will be adulterated - either with other cheaper essential oils or with something else -
    I have heard of frankincense being cut with turpentine (pure turpentine not "turps") to make it cheaper.

    By the way I find tea tree oil mixed with lavender (angustifolia) to be an excellent thrush remedy and very nice in a bath.
    But I only mix 5 or 6 drops of essential oil into a teaspoonful of olive oil for the thrush.
    And I only put 10 to 12 drops of the oils into a bath.
    I guess if you used the whole bottle it could burn around the edges.

    Be safe
    Sue
     
  10. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Re: Aromatherapy and essential oils - use with burns

    There are several varieties and cultivars of L. angustifolia.

    "Lavindin's" botanic name is variously quoted as:-

    l. grosso, L.intermedia var Grosso, L.hybrida, L. hortensis, L. officinalis Chaix (syn. L. angustifolia Miller), L. x intermedia, L. hybrida Sumian, L. Angustifolia x Latifolia, L. Abrialis, L. x intermedia 'Grosso', Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel,
    So if these are the names aromatherapists use; perhaps the public has a right to be confused too?

    The use of "lavender Oil" for burns is anecdotal and promoted in aromatherapy texts.The story usually quoted is about Gattefossè burning his hand in his lab and plunging his hand in lavender oil supposing it to be water.
    I know of no controlled, rigorous, medical experiments to prove its effectiveness for burns..
    Burns. 2008 Dec;34(8):1176-82. Epub 2008 Jul 7.
    PMID: 12112282 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

    There seems more evidence that Aloe vera (another botanical nonsense name), honey and marigold(calendula) are useful treating burns. Also astringent herbs, which would include a lavender tea or decoction, not the oil.
    https://archderm.ama-assn.org/cgi/conten ... type=HWCIT

    Mostly/often, but not always the case. You need to know your perfume oils too!
    Frankincense is a tree resin and needs to be made into an "oil"
     
  11. Suzie

    Suzie Junior Member

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    Re: Aromatherapy and essential oils - use with burns

    This is getting a tad complicated isn't it.
    Frankincense is a resin yes, but it is distilled into an essential oil. Pure turpentine is also an essential oil in composition which is why it can be mixed - but shouldn't be - I was just trying to lighten things up with some of the most dramatic cases I had heard of.
    Because essential oils are so widely available with very little information on the bottle about how to use them - I guess the thing that worries me most is when people (understandably if they don't know), use large amounts of an undiluted essential oil and cause themselves more pain.

    I remember at the very beginning of my training I read that lemongrass was a good deodorant so, of course, I put undiluted lemongrass oil on my armpits! The warm feeling was followed by extreme skin redness and discomfort until I wiped it off with olive oil and applied aloe vera gel (don't know which cultivar - it was the pale green spotty one in the garden).
    So I think many, many people have learned about the strength of essential oils by trial and error in some way.

    Because there are so many different essential oils available, with so many differing properties, strengths and toxicities -
    not to mention all of the different cultivars of plant within a species - like lavender - and there are so many different ways of using them, it can get very complex.

    Michaelangelica wrote-
    yes, absolutely.

    And that is without even going into essential oils used in the beauty industry, in the perfume industry and the food and flavourings industry.
    Big and complex subject - but aren't essential oils wonderful and powerful things?
     
  12. Suzie

    Suzie Junior Member

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    Re: Aromatherapy and essential oils - use with burns

    By the way, when I referred to perfume oils being nasty chemically things I was referring to the actual nasty chemically things that you often find at cheap shops for $2 and which give me an instant headache if I am around them.
    I wasn't referring to the essential oils distilled for perfumery and flavouring - which are, of course, still essential oils.
    I guess the $2 stuff has its place too, but not in medicinal use.

    Just clarifying x
     
  13. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    It has always worried me that masseurs using essential oils would also get a goodly dose of the herb(s) day in day out.
    This worry was confirmed recently when a herbalist acquaintance told me she was starting to get aromatherapy masseurs in to see her who have liver problems. Just too much stuff for the liver to deal with. Essential oils are incredibly strong, almost pharmaceutical concentrations of herbs, and need to be treated with care and respect.

    Most $2 oils are methyl phalte or some other dilutent to extend the perfume oil. Hopeless in crafts, soap-making, pot pourri etc,
     
  14. sun burn

    sun burn Junior Member

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    It was the tea tree oil that killed the poor dog. Tea tree oil and eucalyptus oil should not be put on cats and dogs. It will definitely kill a cat while a little bit may not harm or kill a big dog, it is best avoided as these things are toxic to cats and dogs. If anyone doubts me, you can do some webs searches to find out more.

    For burns if you can put it straight into water you will be fine. I always am. No scar. No pain. Quick recovery. That's all that's necessary.
     
  15. Imarni

    Imarni Junior Member

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    That's a suprise, I am a Remedial MT and have never heard of such a thing, especially as oils absorbed into the skin are not done so via the palms. Rather via the skin hair follicles although Suzie would be able to explain this better than I am. I was massaged during my exams by antoher therapist and literally smothered with Peppermint oil and I was in the 1st trimester of pregnancy have done a short course as part of my course on Essential oils I was lying there panicking only to be told by the teacher you literally have to be doused in the stuff for it to cause damage, the tiny amount I had used on me in a carrier oil wouldn't have been a problem. I have also always used neat Lavender on burns it's fantastic stuff and I do remember from my course learning about the French guy who burnt his arm rather badly and dipped his whole arm in a vat of lavender oil to find it helped enormously.

    I use essential oils all the time and have for about 21 years livers ok so far. Thanks Suzie for a great informative post.
     
  16. Fernando Pessoa

    Fernando Pessoa Junior Member

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    Hello all.
    I have another therapy,clean filtered water and good wound management.
    Some members of my family work with this organisation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maharlika_Charity_Foundation especially in the re-constructive and burns areas.
    It's pretty much frowned upon in my family unless your burn is second degree to add any topical or anti microbial application to it.
    The reason being that shallow burns heal quicker if they are given adequate oxygen and clean water these been the two most important things to the good microbes that work on the skin,whilst healing.
    Its much like soil if you suppress the soil with lots of topical applications you lower the good microbe count.
    This is an interesting discussion and I will bring the discussion up with them when I see them next.
    Best Wishes fernando
     
  17. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    I'm told - though I've never tried (maybe I should) that if you put a clove of garlic in your shoe that within a few minutes you can taste it and others can smell it on your breath. There are no hair follicles on the sole of your foot - ergo - you must have absorbed it through the skin. Maybe there's a similar test you could do for aromatherapy oils?
     
  18. milifestyle

    milifestyle New Member

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    Tea Tree, Eucalyptus and some other oils are highly toxic in even small doses.

    Not unlike medications the lower the weight of the patient the lower the dose should be. Larger doses on smaller bodies will lead to higher toxicity.

    A Baby can be born with Alcohol poisoning that did not effect the mother...
     
  19. sun burn

    sun burn Junior Member

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    milifestyle, if you are referring to the cats and dogs thing, its not even a question of the size of the animal. Its got to do with their physiology. In the past, I read a number of articles from a woman who worked for a vet about this topic (its why i can't remember the details). "Turpentine" is a word that just came back to me. I think its relevant.
     
  20. Chief Cloudpiler

    Chief Cloudpiler Junior Member

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    This is ludicrous!!! Does he expect me to spray Sodium Chlorite on a burn? What's going on in his head? I have worked with many people here in MidWestern U.S.A. whose entire G.I. Tract has been burned simply by following instructions like these. It's time somebody tell it like it is. There are two chemicals, beside Hydrogen Peroxide, that are most frequently used as bleaching agents to make wood pulp white. They are Sodium Hypochlorite and Sodium Chlorite. In fact, Sodium Chlorite is most often chosen here in the U.S. by big industry because it is cheaper and more, get this, caustic in its mechanism of action. Sodium Hypochlorite (household bleach) lacks one molecule of oxygen to be Sodium Chlorite. There characteristics are nearly identical.

    DO NOT FOLLOW THIS GUY'S INSANE ADVICE !!!

    Please realize that the breakdown products of the burn (what Humble calls the "acidic chemical" of the burn) is not changed nor is it removed from the burn site. Nothing is changed chemically by applying bleach to a burn. Nice, sustainable, free, cold water or ice is the best possible way to cool a burn and stop the process of cellular breakdown.
     

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