Let’s talk about what I store in my holistic first aid kits when I travel and explore suggestions for making your own.
First off, when making a first aid kit it’s important to keep in mind who is in your circle and what ailments they may have or be susceptible to.
I build my first aid kits in hard shell watertight containers because my family is frequently outdoors at sources of water. With a waterproof kit, you can easily bring it on a kayak or boat.
Contents of my first aid kit for myself , my husband and three kids under 10 years old. These contents are basic but catered to our family; there are many more plants that can be supportive in a larger first aid kit and I will share those as suggestions too:
- A liniment of witch hazel and yarrow for cleansing wounds.
- All purpose herbal salve for cuts, bites, and stings.
- Burn RE-LEAF salve
- Benadryl. This will be controversial to some. I carry this because although I make an allergy RE-LEAF formula for people who have chronic allergies, sometimes a strong dose of pharmaceutical antihistamines is the best option in an ACUTE allergic reaction. For example, when I get bit by a fire ant my body swells with a red rash to at least 8 inch diameter and my throat itches, etc.- herbal allies can’t do what I need in this situation and I recognize that to be holistic means using western medicine if needed.
- Feverfew tincture or my HEAD-AKE RE-LEAF formula. This is for supporting the body during headaches and migraines, something that has frequently affected me over the years following multiple concussions.
- Yarrow tincture! I carry this for a couple of reasons. One is to break a fever. As a diaphoretic, it makes your fever more efficient so that the fever still does its job but breaks faster unlike Tylenol or ibuprofen that breaks a fever but stops it from doing its job. Two is because yarrow is great at stopping bleeding. A tincture can be used topically if needed.
- Digestive harmony tincture - for any kind of digestive trouble. This is especially good to carry for kids who have frequent tummy aches while traveling or if they get carsick.
- Band aids, gauze, medical tape, tweezers, cotton swabs for applying salve or cleaning a wound.
- Natural hand sanitizer in case you need to clean/ bandage someone’s wound. It’s important that you have clean hands before doing so.
- A few homeopathic remedies: earache drops- these are better to carry than mullein oil because they have a longer shelf life and won’t go rancid like oil can). Cold calm- this is an easy way to help kids feel more comfortable if they come down with a cold while you are out, it buys you some time to get home. Arnica Montana - to reduce pain and swelling. Arnica is safe to take only as a homeopathic remedy, a tincture of this would be poison to the body!
- Emergen-C . This works as immune support without having to carry a bottle of elderberry syrup, echinacea, etc. but the real reason I carry it is bc it also serves as electrolytes and can be useful if someone becomes dehydrated or overheated. Alternatively, you could carry sea salt with you and put a small pinch in a glass of water to rehydrate ( add too much and you’ll raise your blood pressure, so really just a tiny pinch, this means it will also work if you’re about to faint from low blood pressure).
Some other things you may want to consider having in your own first aid kit:
- Mullein tincture or lobelia tincture for anyone in your circle who needs support with respiratory conditions such as asthma
- Cayenne pepper for acute trauma/shock and high or low blood pressure
- VOG RE-LEAF if you live in the Hawaiian islands like me. Big in the body feels similar to allergies and can cause respiratory distress. This formula was designed to support the body when vog is heavy in the air during or following volcanic eruption.
- Chamomile for teething babies
- Cascara sagrada for those who experience constipation often
- Wild lettuce tincture for pain
- Muscle RE-LEAF liniment spray
- Baby bum cream, nipple RE-LEAF cream.
- Uva ursi for UTI support and other bladder conditions.
- A nervine for stress/ anxiety relief ( lemon balm , chamomile, ashwagandha, passionfruit/
lilikoi, etc.) - An herbal antibiotic/antibacterial/
antiseptic such as oregano, calendula , thyme, etc.