Essential oils are used for a wide range of different purposes, from relaxation to skin care. Many people also rely on essential oil for burns to soothe the affected area, reduce the risk of infection and speed up the healing process.
While essential oils can be extremely useful in treating small, minor burns, it's vital that you seek medical advice for deeper, larger or more severe burns.
In this article, we'll tell you everything you need to know about using essential oils to treat minor burns, including the best essential oils to use on burns and how best to use these essential oils on a burn.
Can essential oil be used on burns?
Yes! Essential oils can be used on burns. In fact, the therapeutic properties of essential oils can help to soothe irritation, reduce pain, prevent infection and speed up the healing process. However, it's vital that you choose the right essential oils for your particular burn and that you understand how to use the essential oil safely.
Remember, if you have a more serious burn or any concerns about your burn, it's important to seek professional medical advice before using any essential oils or other home remedies.
Best essential oils for use on burns
There are a wide range of essential oils that can be used on burns, from lavender to eucalyptus. Let's take a look at some of the best essential oils for use on minor burns.
1. Lavender
Lavender is one of the most popular essential oils for use on minor burns. Not only can it help to speed up the healing process, but it also helps to reduce inflammation, soothing your burn.
Lavender essential oil also has antimicrobial properties, which can help to reduce the risk of your burn becoming infected.
A 2016 study found that lavender essential oil sped up wound recovery by promoting collagen synthesis, facilitating the growth of new skin. This highlights the beneficial impact that lavender essential oil can have on minor burns.
2. Chamomile
Chamomile is another essential oil that's often used for its healing properties. Chamomile essential oil can help to soothe burns, reducing inflammation and pain.
This essential oil has powerful emollient properties, making it extremely nourishing for the skin. That's why you'll find chamomile essential oil in many popular skin care products.
In fact, chamomile essential oil is widely used on sunburns, soothing the affected skin and promoting rejuvenation.
3. Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is often used as a decongestant, helping to clear your airways. However, this essential oil also has a wide range of other benefits, including the ability to soothe burns.
The cooling effect of eucalyptus can help to take the heat out of a burn, reducing pain and inflammation. This makes it an ideal essential oil to use on minor burns.
Not only that, but eucalyptus essential oil also has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. This means that it can help to prevent infection in your burn, as well as promoting the healing process.
4. Peppermint
Peppermint is an extremely popular essential oil known for its refreshing scent. Like eucalyptus, peppermint is another cooling essential oil, which can help to take the heat out of burns, reducing pain and inflammation.
Peppermint essential oil contains menthol, which has a bit of a local anesthetic effect. This means that it can help to numb the pain of burns while soothing the skin.
Peppermint essential oil has been found effective in reducing pain. This is thanks to the presence of menthol within the essential oil. So, peppermint is a great choice if you're looking to soothe a minor burn. Just remember that a little goes a long way!
5. Clary Sage
Clary sage essential oil is known for its antibacterial properties. In fact, a 2015 study found that clary sage was highly effective in the treatment of infections caused by different strains of the Staphylococcus bacteria, which weren't responding to antibiotics.
This highlights the benefits of clary sage essential oil in preventing and treating skin infections, making it a valuable natural remedy for use on minor burns.
6. Tea Tree
Tea tree essential oil is another essential oil with antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. This makes it an effective treatment for burns, as it can help to prevent infection and promote healing.
This essential oil also has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, tea tree essential oil was named in a 2010 review of studies as being one of the most studied anti-inflammatory essential oils. This makes tea tree oil a great choice for the treatment of minor burns.
How to treat a burn with essential oils
If you're looking for a natural remedy for a minor burn, you might be considering using essential oils. But what is the best way to treat a burn with essential oils?
There are two different ways in which you can treat your minor burn with essential oils: using a compress or as an ointment. The method you'll choose will depend on whether you're looking for an immediate remedy for a fresh burn, or whether you're hoping to speed up the healing process of an older burn.
Essential oil compress for burns
If your burn is very recent, the best way to treat your burn with essential oils is by making a compress. This will quickly soothe your burn and ease the pain and inflammation.
You'll need to add around five drops of your chosen essential oil to a clean bowl, and add one cup of warm water. Make sure that you mix the essential oil mixture well, until the oil is well combined.
Then, soak a clean cloth in the mixture before applying it to your burn. Cooling essential oils such as peppermint or eucalyptus will provide an instant cooling effect, easing the pain of your burn.
Essential oil ointment for burns
Once your burn is no longer fresh and has begun healing, you can create an ointment to apply to your burn regularly. This will help to moisturize your burn, easing any itching and speeding up the healing process.
To create an essential oil ointment for your burn, simply add five drops of your chosen essential oil blend to an ounce of your favorite carrier oil. You can then apply the mixture liberally to your burn to accelerate the healing process.
We'd recommend jojoba oil, olive oil or fractionated coconut oil, but you can use any carrier oil that suits your skin type and personal preferences. Alternatively, you could mix the essential oil with your favorite moisturizer or lotion.
However, it's important that you avoid using any carrier oil or lotion on your burn until the healing process has begun, so avoid using this method on fresh burns.
Safety tips
Essential oils can be used to treat minor burns, but it's important that you take care when using them. Make sure you always test the oil on a small area of skin first to check for any adverse reaction, and never apply essential oil directly to a burn.
It's also worth noting that while essential oils can be effective in treating minor burns, they shouldn't be used in place of professional medical treatment. If you have a severe burn, it's important that you seek professional medical help as soon as possible.
When using essential oils to treat burns, always remember to:
- Test the oil on a small area of skin first
- Never apply essential oil directly to a burn
- Seek professional medical help if you have a severe burn
By following these simple safety tips, you can ensure that using essential oils to treat your minor burns is both safe and effective.
In summary
Essential oils are used across the globe to treat minor burns. Not only can they help to ease the pain and inflammation of a burn, but they can also help to prevent infection and speed up the healing process.
However, it's vital that you seek medical attention for more serious burns, or if your minor burn doesn't seem to be healing.
If you plan to use your essential oils to treat a burn, it's important that you ensure that your oils are pure and organic. Here at volant, we only ever use the highest quality essential oils in our products, so you can be sure that you're getting the best possible product for your money.
