The Active Ingredients
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Most homesteaders wouldn’t dream of having a first aid kit that doesn’t include Neosporin. It used to be my go-to for cuts, scrapes, and burns – until I had a baby.
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Like most parents, I started looking at every single product in the cabinet and wondering if it was safe. Turns out, dermatologists, tattoo artists, and even doctors aren’t crazy about Neosporin. Most medical professionals don’t recommend it at all. And there are some very good reasons why.
Everyone’s favorite over-the-counter wound dressing contains three active ingredients, all antibiotics: neomycin, polysporin, and bacitracin. While that may sound like a good thing, any of these three can cause allergic reactions ranging from mild skin irritation to full-blown anaphylaxis.
Worse yet, repeated exposure can contribute to sensitivity later in life. Most people who experience severe reactions are over the age of 70. Yikes. To top it all off, these active ingredients are suspended in a petroleum jelly base – a nasty byproduct of the oil industry. Who wants that on their skin? Not me.
As my last tube of Neosporin ran out, I started looking for natural alternatives that I could cook up at home. After reviewing dozens of recipes, I combined a few of the best ones and modified my recipe to work with what I had on hand. What I came up with is a combination cut and bruise balm using ingredients I had growing on my property and sitting in my pantry.
In the end, this “natural Neosporin” has been the perfect salve for scrapes, cuts, and burns. It smells wonderful, and I feel good about putting it on my toddler’s sensitive skin.
As far as the carrier oils go, you can use almond oil instead of olive oil if you like, and shea butter or cocoa butter can take the place of coconut oil. However, coconut oil has antimicrobial properties that make it particularly effective as a Neosporin replacement.
You must use beeswax to give the salve a balm-like quality and to ensure it doesn’t liquefy in a warm environment. Lavender is a much-beloved essential oil for promoting healing, but some folks don’t like the fragrance, and others are allergic to it.
I prefer frankincense oil for its healing properties, so that is what I used in my recipe.
Note: If you are harvesting fresh plant materials, you will want to dry them before you get started. A dehydrator is ideal, but you can also use a variety of methods for drying – from placing herbs in the oven at the lowest setting to hanging bundles of leaves in a paper bag for a few days. Using dry herbs helps prevent any moisture in the salve, which is important for keeping it fresh long-term.
What makes this salve far superior to Neosporin is that it can be used liberally and on a regular basis without worry about allergic reactions or overexposure to antibiotics. Keep this salve on hand and apply it to cuts, scrapes, burns, and anywhere you’ve taken a hard impact.
But you don’t need to have had an injury to use this balm. You can also use it to soothe skin irritations, diaper rash, or cracked skin. It should be perfectly good for up to six months, but if you want it to last indefinitely, store it in the refrigerator.
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I want to try some of your remedy suggestions; however, I need not only the videos but for later when I want to make it, a plain recipe with ingredients then instructions…..No videos
If I choose to put the botanicals in a jar to let them infuse with the oils, would an old mayo jar be big enough? (30 ounces) Does it need to be a glass jar? These days they’re putting the mayo in plastic jars.
Yesterday my grandson and I were watching a rerun of “The Waltons” and a character on there was making an herbal remedy for someone. My grandson said he thought they were poisoning the patient. I told him no, all the things they named were good and safe to use.
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The Active Ingredients
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