Abrasions are shallow wounds caused by rubbing up against a rough surface. Thanks to exposed nerve endings, these simple scrapes tend to feel a lot worse than they look. Fortunately, multitasking essential oils, such as geranium and lavender, have the potential to help heal the wound while also relieving the pain it causes.
Alone or combined, some suggested essential oils for abrasions are:
• Cedarwood
• Geranium
• Helichrysum
• Lavender
• Sandalwood
Simple Wound Care
If you need to bandage your abrasion, add a single drop of lavender or sandalwood oil to the gauze. Lavender may help stop bleeding. Add a drop each time you change the dressing.
To treat abrasions, use antiseptic essential oils with these simple aromatherapy techniques:
• Cool compress. Add any of the healing oils highlighted here to a cool compress to help soothe injured skin.
• Comforting balm. Applying a balm or salve may help speed up healing while relieving the pain of abrasions. Simply mixing lavender with coconut oil will do the trick.
• Wound wash. Add one or more of these antiseptic oils to distilled water you use to rinse debris from the wound.
Natural Partners for Aromatherapy
For maximum results, combine your essential-oil therapy with these other natural remedies:
• Cool the area. Wrap an ice pack in a clean dish or hand towel and apply it to the abrasion when it hurts.
• Apply aloe. Cut open a leaf of aloe vera and lightly apply its healing inner gel to the abrasion.
• Cover it. Bandaging an open wound using essential oils can help prevent infection and irritation.
Prevent infection and ease the pain of an abrasion with these aromatherapy recipes.
This recipe combines antiseptic lavender and sandalwood oils with healing helichrysum, geranium, and honey for a powerful wound wash to keep in your first-aid kit.
5 drops lavender oil
5 drops sandalwood oil
3 drops helichrysum oil
3 drops geranium oil
2-ounce dark-glass bottle
¼ cup filtered water
½ teaspoon honey
Add all of the oils to the glass bottle and shake to blend, then add in the water and honey. Shake before use. Soak a cotton ball in the mixture and thoroughly cleanse the wound.
Each of the oils in this salve have both antiseptic and pain-relieving properties. Adding them to skin-conditioning carrier oils creates a healing and moisturizing mixture.
¼ ounce beeswax
1 ounce coconut oil
1 ounce olive oil
10 drops lavender oil
10 drops eucalyptus oil
6 drops sandalwood oil
5 drops geranium oil
2-ounce dark-glass container
Use a double boiler to melt and combine the beeswax, coconut oil, and olive oil. Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool slightly before stirring in the essential oils. Pour the mixture into your container and allow it to set before use. Store in a cool, dark place.
A compress is ideal when you need quick relief. Add oils with the potential to prevent infection.
2 drops lavender oil
2 drops sandalwood oil
2 drops geranium oil
1 tablespoon carrier oil
1 cup cool or cold water
1 clean washcloth
Combine the oils in a large glass bowl, then stir in the water. Soak the washcloth in the water, wring it out, and apply it to the abrasion. Hold the compress on the wound until the washcloth comes to room temperature. Repeat the process with a fresh cloth, as needed.