Natural Cures Guide

You wore the wrong shoes to go hiking. You spent an entire Saturday hoeing the garden. You brushed your exposed ankle against the hot exhaust pipe of a motorcycle. The result: a painful, fluid-filled pocket known as a blister.

Blisters result from physical trauma to the skin–whether it’s repeated rubbing or a minor burn. Your body creates a little “cushion” of fluid to protect the damaged skin–a fairly effective protective strategy. The collected fluid and the raw, red underlying skin contain specialized cells that the body has rushed to the area to limit the injury and begin the process of healing. For this reason, it’s usually best to leave a blister intact so that the inflamed underlying skin can heal.

For the average blister, vulnerary herbs (herbs that promote healing) can help speed generation of new skin. Other herbs can help cool and heal inflammation and fight bacteria. All the herbs discussed below are readily available in the form of ointments, creams, salves, and oils and are found in health food stores. You don’t need all of them; just find a topical application that includes one or more of them.

Lavender and tea tree can each be purchased as a highly concentrated and fragrant essential oil. To use essential oils on a blister, dilute them by adding five times as much of a neutral vegetable oil, such as olive, almond, sesame,vitamin E, or avocado oil. To make an infused oil with the herbs any of the herbs described below, pack a small, clean jar with the herb,then cover the herbs with vegetable oil. Put a tight lid on the jar. Allow it to steep in a sunny spot for two weeks, shaking it every other day. After two weeks, strain the herbs out of the oil and put it into a clean bottle. Store it in a cool place.

Herbal Remedies

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)

This wonderful, traditional herbal wound healer appears to work, in part, because it is rich in allantoin, a chemical that stimulates cell proliferation, thus speeding the growth of healthy new skin. Salves containing comfrey can be spread on blisters as needed.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

The yellow or orange flowers of this common garden herb are wound-healing, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic. You’ll see calendula as an ingredients in many first-aid creams. It makes a wonderful, skin-healing infused oil. Use commercial products as directed on the package or as needed.

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

In addition to having wound healing properties, chamomile is also anti-inflammatory and antiseptic. If you have chamomile tea on hand, you can simply dampen a teabag in warm water and hold it against the blister as often as you need to.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifalia)

Lavender speeds healing and is mildly antiseptic. As an added benefit, just the smell of lavender has traditionally been used to lift mood. Use commercial products as directed; dilute lavender essential oil as directed above and use as often as needed.

St.-John’s Wort (Hypericum perf0ratum)

When applied topically in an infused (not essential)oil, St.-John Wort is wound-healing, anti-inflammatory, and antiseptic. Simply dab it on the blister with a clean swab or cotton ball several times per day.

Basic Blister Care

Clean the area by soaking it briefly in warm water, or apply a small amount of hydrogen peroxide solution. Pat dry. Do not drain an intact blister unless it is very large or is interfering with movement at a joint.

If you need to drain the blister, pierce it with a sterilized needle, allow the fluid to drain and pat dry. Do not remove the protective covering of skin until it begins to dry and peel on its own; you can then remove it with your fingers or a pair of clean scissors. Apply a small amount of herbal salve or cream to a bandage or soft piece of gauze and gently cover the blister. Avoid further stress to the area for several days. Repeat the cleaning and application of the herb cream and dressings two or three times per day until the blister is healed.

Blister Balm

This herbal ointment is also appropriate for minor cuts, abrasions, burns, and fungal infections.

1/2 ounce dried calendula blossoms

1/2 ounce dried comfrey root

2 cups almond,olive, or other vegetable oil

1/2 cup finely chopped beeswax

10 drops lavender essential oil

10 drops tea tree essential oil

Combine the herbs and vegetable oil in a crock pot. Turn the crock pot to its lowest setting, cover, and allow to heat gently two to four hours, checking and stirring frequently to prevent burning. When the oil is yellow in color and has an “herby”smell, it’s done. Strain through a coffee filter or piece of clean cloth into a large measuring cup. This oil is now an infused herbal oil.

To each cup of infused oil (you’ll lose some in the straining process), add 1/4 cup of the beeswax. Heat the oil and beeswax together over very low heat until the beeswax is completely melted. Do not allow to boil or burn. Test the consistency by placing one tablespoon of the mixture in the freezer for a minute or two until cool. The balm should be the consistency of and easily spreadable paste. If it seems too thin, add a little more beeswax; if too thick, add a little oil. Remove from the heat. Quickly add the essential oils. Pour into clean glass containers and cover tightly. Cool to room temperature.