BE WARNED: THIS POST CONTAINS A PICTURE OF DAMAGED FLESH AND BLOOD!
One of the first herbal products I created was born of necessity. It was my Herbal Healing Wash, a product that is a constant in my medicine cabinet.
It came about because, as the mother of three small children, I was constantly doctoring minor cuts and I was never really comfortable using alcohol and triple antibiotic ointment on my little ones. In my search for an alternative, I stumbled across a basic recipe in a fantastic book called, “Back to Eden” by Jethro Kloss. I whipped up my first batch and was pleased with the results, but in time I knew it just wasn’t good enough.
So, I made some modifications. What I ended up with is my Herbal Healing Wash. What I didn’t know at the time was that I had created something that would go far beyond cleaning simple cuts. In the ten plus years that we have been using this, it’s helped speed up the healing of everything including those simple cuts, deep wounds that had the meat spilling out, bruises, sprains, strains, bumps, cysts, acne and so much more!
While I do wish that I could take credit for the awesome healing abilities of this wash, the truth is, it’s all about the ingredients.
In the beginning, I used a bottle of Everclear pure grain alcohol as a base. It works great, but the downside is that it burns like hell! So, I found a suitable alternative. T.N Dickinsons’s Witch Hazel is gentle but highly effective for toning and cleansing.
I absolutely love this herb and it is one that I use in many of my healing products. Goldenseal is a plant native to North America that contains antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and astringent properties far above those of most other herbs, which has contributed to its status as endangered (and extremely expensive!). It contains calcium, iron, manganese, Vitamins A, C, E and B-complex, as well as other nutrients and minerals. Berberine, a chemical contained in goldenseal, is said to have the ability to fight infection caused by some bacteria, fungi, and yeast. This herb is also known for its ability to stimulate the immune system, which allows the body to heal itself.
Like goldenseal, echinacea is a wonderful immune booster that has been used for more than 500 years. It contains a wide array of chemical compounds including polysaccharides, glycoproteins, alkamides, volatile oils, and flavonoids. While it is well-known for its ability to help fight off the common cold, few people realize its value in treating wounds, acne and other skin issues.
The healing effects of cayenne pepper are often overlooked, but are truly phenomenal. Used internally, it is known to stimulate the entire system and is profoundly valuable for diseases such as diabetes, heart conditions, colds, cancer and many more. It contains capsaicin, which is a powerful pain reliever and antioxidant, and helps with itching. It also contains high levels of Vitamin C which are known to help stimulate the immune system and ward off infections. Cayenne helps stop bleeding while preventing clotting…a bit of an oxymoron, but it works!
Yes, this is the same plant that probably grows wild in your front yard. A common weed, if you will. What you probably didn’t know about it is that it was called ‘life medicine’ by American Indians. It can be used as an antibacterial, antidote, astringent, anti-inflammatory, atniseptic, antitussive, , demulcent, diuretic, expectorant, haemostatic, laxative, ophthalmic, poultice. What does all that mean to you? It means that it will stop bleeding, ease pain, reduce swelling, fight infection, cleanse and promote healing, not to mention helps with a whole host of complaints when taken internally. It also contains a chemical called Acubin, which is listed in the Journal of Toxicology as a potent anti-toxin.
Still, the proof is in the pudding, as they say, and while all of the ingredients that go into this wash are supposed to work, the real question is, do they?
Always one to experiment whenever I can, my son provided me the perfect opportunity when his hand went through a window last week. Here’s the results:
Day 1: The wound was rather deep (about 1/8″) and the hospital recommended stitches, which we politely declined. The meat was exposed and the skin was loose and jagged. The two puncture wounds to the side, while not as large, go straight down and we removed shards of glass appx 1/4″ long. As you can see, this happened on June 9, 2008.
Day 3: The wound was healing up nicely. The meat was no longer exposed and a clean,soft scab had formed.
Day 5: The wound is almost completely healed with little more than a hard scab to show it was there. Notice, too, the smaller wounds to the side have healed up quite nicely.
We are on day 8 and he has little more than a scab to show the wound was there and he has full use of his hand. Not bad, considering the doctors in the ER told us to expect it to take 2-4 weeks to heal.
Please keep in mind that this was hardly a scientific experiment. We applied the Healing Wash and fresh bandages twice a day and did little else, but I hope it gives you a good idea of how wonderful these herbs are for treating wounds!