Great fun had by all last night creating our own Herbal Travel/First aid Kits – You will become the reliable medicine woman/person of the group😊
What goes into your Herbal Travel Kit / Herbal First aid Kit?
In our class we learned how to make a basic herbal kit containing and how to customize it to your needs and your families. Some thoughts while customizing our kit: Heading to a sunny location and want to bring along sunburn relief? What types of activities might you be doing? Do you have small children? Something to consideration is weight and space. If you are taking a road trip, then you may be able to bring along more herbs as opposed to travelling by plane or travelling light with a small backpack. Everyone went home with ten basic herbal medicines for their own kit.
This herbal travel first aid kit is a perfect companion, not a replacement, for the traditional first aid kit containing scissors, pins, bandages, surgical tape, slings etc.
Basic Herbal Travel kit / Herbal First Aid Kit
Kit Contains:
- Rescue and Relief tincture
- California Poppy tincture
- Sleep tincture
- Laxative tea
- Fire Cider vinegar tincture
- Healing Salve
- Yarrow powder
- Four Thieves vinegar
- Throat spray
- Cold Care
Kit Ingredients and How to Use:
- Rescue and Relief tincture (30ml) – helps to calm nerves, relax the body and strengthen the nervous system
Rescue and Relief Tincture formula
2 parts Lemon Balm
2 parts Oatstraw
2 parts Skullcap
1 part Nettle
1/2 part Hops
1/2 part Valerian root
How to use: 15 – 30 drops three times daily, or when experiencing nervous anxiety. Helps to calm nerves, relax the body and strengthen the nervous system. Take in a little water on an empty stomach.
- California Poppy tincture (30ml)– mediating pain, insomnia (calming, relaxing and sedating), anxiety, migraine, nervous bowel, neuralgia (nerve pain) and depression. Helps children with stress, sleep, teething and colic.
How to use: Take in a little water on an empty stomach.
Adult Dose: Take 1-5 ml before bed for insomnia
Adult Dose: Take 1-3 times daily for pain management
Child’s dose: ¼ of adult dose
- Sleep tincture (30ml) – useful for insomnia and interrupted sleep. Also useful for calming, anxiety, pain relief, digestive aid, bladder issues and quieting the racing mind.
Sleep tincture formula
Equal parts: California poppy, Passionflower, Valerian and Hops.
How to use: Take 15-30 drops 3 times daily or take 60 drops half an hour before sleeping. Take in a little water on an empty stomach.
- Laxative tea – gentle formula helping with bowel movements.
Ingredients (equal parts):
Caraway seed
Chickweed
Fennel seed
Fenugreek seed
Hyssop
Yarrow
- Fire Cider vinegar (30ml) – helps with colds and flu, builds immune system, daily tonic, digestive tonic and aids in circulation. The apple cider vinegar helps with leg cramps, stuffy nose, sore throat, stomach problems, sunburn, exhaustion, fever and heartburn. Can be added to hot water as a beverage or to foods.
Fire Cider Recipe
1/2 cup Horseradish root
1/2 cup Onion
1/2 cup Ginger
1/4 cup Garlic
1 lemon
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
Apple Cider Vinegar (cover above ingredients)
Honey to taste
How To Make: Chop your roots, and place in jar. Cover with vinegar. Add all other ingredients and shake well. Store jar in cool dark place for one month. Shake lovingly each day. Strain mixture through cheese cloth into a clean jar and label.
How to use: 1 tbsp. 3 times daily.
- Healing Salve Blend (25ml) – Calendula and Comfrey
Comfrey: bruises, sprains, wounds and minor cuts (external use)
Calendula ointment: rashes, anti inflammatory, sunburn, chapped lips (external use)
Other ingredients: Olive oil and beeswax.
How to use: Apply as needed
- Yarrow powder (vial) – is an anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial powder that is effective to stop bleeding and as a poultice to draw out insect venom and infections. Useful for nose bleeds and cuts.
How to use: sprinkle powder directly on to bleeds or add water to 1/8 – 1 tsp of powder to make a paste and use as a poultice
- Four Thieves vinegar (30ml)– antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, throat, disinfectant, sore throat and congestion, immune booster, insect repellent, relief for insect bites, topical spray for foot fungus and treatment for dandruff. This is a variation of Forthave’s Vinegar by Richard Forthave, a version of Four Thieves Vinegar
Ingredients
2 tbsp chopped fresh lavender flowers
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 tbsp chopped fresh marjoram
2 tbsp chopped fresh anise hyssop
4 cloves garlic (peeled and crushed)
1-quart white wine or apple cider vinegar (preferably raw)
Instructions
- Toss herbs and garlic together in a one-quart mason jar, cover with vinegar and allow them to marinate for seven to ten days in a sunny location. After seven to ten days, strain the vinegar through a fine-mesh sieve into a second, clean 1-quart glass jar.
- Store at room temperature until ready to use and enjoy! For consumption, serve as you would any seasoned vinegar: as a base for vinaigrettes; seasoning for braised meats and vegetables.
How to use: 1 tablespoon (for adults) to 1 teaspoon (for kids) in water several times daily. You can even mix it with a good-quality olive oil and use it as a simple vinaigrette for a delightful camper’s salad.
- Throat spray (30 ml spray bottle) – Relieve sore throat and other mouth and throat infections with this spray. Ideal for dry, sore throats associated with colds, flu, or infections like tonsillitis. Includes sage, a perennial plant in the mint family with antibacterial properties.
Ingredients: Equal parts of Echinacea, Goldenseal, Marshmallow and Sage.
How to use: Spray back of throat
10. Cold care (75-50cc plastic) Helps ease Cold and Flu symptoms.
Ingredients: Goldenseal, Myrrh, Slippery Elm, Echinacea, Cayenne.
How to use: Take 2 caps, 3-4 times daily at onset of cold symptoms.
Other Conditions to Consider
- Poisoning: Activated charcoal
- Headaches: Peppermint or Feverfew tea bags
- Travellers diarrhea: Blackberry root tincture or Raspberry leaf
- Teething pain: Catnip (also calming child)
- Earaches: Mullein and Garlic oil
Looking forward to hearing about what you put in your Herbal Travel kit / Herbal First Aid Kit.
Important: Seek medical attention when required!
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