Don’t Let Bumps And Bruises Spoil Your Summer Fun
Minor accidents and injuries are especially common at our house during the summer, so I’ve learned to keep my go-to home remedies on hand during the warmer months. Between Dave’s fishing trips, the kids hiking with their dogs, and my gardening sessions, opportunities abound for us all to acquire new scrapes, cuts, and other minor wounds and ailments.
Luckily, I’ve found that a few basic supplies can help heal almost any summer wound and get us back to enjoying our summer fun! To help you prepared for any minor mishaps you might encounter this summer, I’ve got 10 home remedies to share with you in this post, covering everything from cuts and scrapes to sunburns and stinky feet!
10 Home Remedies For Cuts, Scrapes & Other Summer Wounds
1. Ginger For Tummy Troubles
Take ginger candies with you on road trips or vacations to settle upset tummies. Ginger helps reduce the inflammation that can lead to pain in the stomach, and contains Gingerol, an antioxidant that helps address common causes of nausea. (This is an especially helpful tip for those who suffer from motion sickness in cars or planes!)
Related: 9 Unexpected Ways To Reap The Benefits Of Fresh Ginger
2. Aloe Vera For Skin Woes
During the summer, I always keep aloe vera gel on handy, because it always comes in handy sooner or later! Aloe contains compounds that can help reduce pain and inflammation, which makes it great for soothing sunburns and moisturizing parched skin on hot summer days.
Related: The Most Useful Indoor Plant To Grow This Summer
3. Shea Butter For Sunburns
Another useful moisturizer to have on hand during the summer is shea butter. It’s one of the star ingredients in my super-moisturizing body butter, which is great for slathering on after swimming or being out in the sun. It’s great for soothing and healing sunburns too!
4. Baking Soda For Stings
Create a paste of baking soda and water and apply it to bee or insect stings. Leave it on the affected area for at least 15 minutes to allow the baking soda to clean the skin and neutralize the acidic venom. (Be sure to remove any stingers first!)
5. Listerine For Stinky Feet
Sweat leads to stinky feet, especially during the heat of summertime. Eliminate odors (and enjoy smooth, soft feet afterward) with the aid of a Listerine soak.
I know it sounds weird, but it works! Listerine is an astringent, helping to control excess body oils, as well as an antiseptic, killing bacteria and other microbes that play a role in foot odor, athlete’s foot, and other foot conditions.
6. Apple Cider Vinegar For Cuts And Scrapes
One of the easiest home remedies for scrapes and cuts takes advantage of the benefits of apple cider vinegar. To clean minor cuts and abrasions and promote healing, add 1 cup of apple cider vinegar to a warm bath. The vinegar contains proteins, enzymes, and germ-killing bacteria that can help fight infection.
Related: 9 Of The Most Unexpected Beauty Benefits Of Apple Cider Vinegar
7. Epsom Salt For Swelling, Soreness & Bruises
Epsom salt is an excellent home remedy for bruises, bumps, swelling and muscle soreness, helping to reduce inflammation and alleviate pain. Add 1 cup of Epsom salt to a bowl of warm water, then dip a clean towel in it, wring it out, and place it on the affected area.
The magnesium will help reduce swelling and stimulate healing, and adding a hot water bottle on top of the damp towel will help keep it warm longer.
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Related: The 10 Most Useful Things You Can Do With Epsom Salt
8. Honey For Minor Wounds
A thin layer of honey can help heal shallow summer wounds and abrasions. Honey aids the healing process in two ways: it makes the wound less hospitable to bacteria that can lead to infection, and by drawing fluid out of the wound.
Apply a small amount of honey using a clean craft stick or Q-tip, then cover it with a bandage or gauze pad. Clean and reapply twice daily.
Related: 9 Ways That Honey Can Help You Look And Feel Amazing
9. Witch Hazel For Itches And Irritation
Apply witch hazel to bug bites using a cotton ball or pad to reduce itchiness and irritation. Witch hazel contains tannins that help reduce swelling, help repair broken skin, and fight bacteria when applied directly to the skin.
Related: 26 ‘Magic’ Ways To Use Witch Hazel
10. DIY Healing Salve For Bumps, Cuts & Scratches
For a great multi-purpose healer, look no further than my favorite all-purpose DIY healing salve. It’s easy to make, and features a combination of essential oils for bumps and bruises, skin-nourishing butters, and beeswax that can aid in healing minor wounds (which is why it’s a staple in my own medicine cabinet!)
What minor wounds and woes are common at your house during the summer?
As a burn survivor of now 48 years, I have a few comments for you to ponder. The first is to NOT use raw honey. There is a risk of botulism which is why it is not recommended for babies and young children. Honey is still useful for wounds and as a matter of fact is the ointment of choice (Manuka Honey from Australia) with which my wound care doctor treated the chronic leg ulcer on one of my grafts recently.
The second suggestion is to prepare your skin for moisturizer by making it moist, patting dry (never rub dry) and then applying moisturizer to seal the water inside your skin. The dampness will allow you to apply moisturizer without tugging on your skin. I did just that when I was still in treatment for 3rd degree burns and skin grafts in 1976. The more water in the moisturizer, the better. Back then I used plain old Jergens slathered on thick and allowed to soak in before applying a second layer. My doctor was the president of the American Burn Association in 1976, and he told me that this practice enabled me to be released from burn care a year and a half early.
Consider apple cider vinegar for mild sunburn. Again dampen your skin and pat sort of dry. Apply cider vinegar lightly. It will help reduce peeling which itches intensely. You will smell like a salad, but it will help. Moisturizer can then be applied to the damp skin to seal in the water.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.These an amazing remedies for every one. I really like your blog writing style. You have good stuff in this blog i want share with friends thank you so much.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My skin is very to insect bites too. One summer I was foolish enough to walk out to our garden without shoes and got stung by a bee on my foot.My foot was swollen for a few days. I was lucky I didn’t have to call in sick, because I was only able to certain pairs of shoes. I also love the ginger chews, and decided to try some ginger chews last year. Certain roads on our trip out to Utah can be bumpy. I was glad I did. My brothers family had to follow us. His wife flew one way because she was pregnant. Their youngest sometimes get motion sickness and my mother and I had sour stomachs, and I was also dealing with hormonal problems. My niece kept puking, so I luckily had brought some peppermint oil with me, and it finally calmed her upset stomach,
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m also very sensitive to Mosquito bites and chigger bites which hurt worse than the mosquito bites. I try to keep Chigarid in the house. It’s great. It’s usually in the Pharmacy section. One year they couldn’t keep it in stock because the chiggers were so bad.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My daughter is very sensitive to mosquito bites and swells up at the bite site. I use the white Adolf meat tenderrizer by adding a little liquid making a paste and putting it directly on the bite. (At timess I’m without a liquid and I just use saliva) it was very useful on bee stings as well.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love your website. I read it every day.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One old remedy that I have used for sunburn is apple cider vinegar. Apply with cotton pads till the vinegar no longer sosks into the skin. That will probably take at least 5 minutes. Next day you will have no blistering, burning sensation or tenderness. Has to be apple cider, not white. It stinks but the smell goes away in about an hour.
I use vinegar, too, but plain white vinegar. Vinegar is a miracle for sunburns, and I’ve had the same exact results you have — no blistering, no burning pain and no tenderness. I wish we could let the world know. My problem is getting my kids to use it on my grands and my grands allowing such a thing!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I think this must be more for people without sensitive skin, unfortunately. I tried ACV on a sunburn once, and it REALLY hurt. But then, I have sensitive skin, so I’m guessing that’s why. :(
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love reading your articles/posts. They are so informative and have helped me and my family. I wanted to ask which one of the remedies would you use for the mosquito bites?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love using witch hazel on my bug bites – it’s gentle, cleansing and cooling. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.i look so forward to ur posts. so very informative..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I wanted to share a quick and easy itch/redness/swelling relief from mosquito bites by applying a tiny bit of toothpaste. The paste toothpaste, not the gel, quickly stops the sting and irritation of mosquito bites and the little children won’t complain when you apply it to their bites!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, Thank you so much for all your great suggestions. Last year my husband went through 7 weeks of radiation treatments and his skin was a mess! The lotions the Doctors gave him always burned. I made a batch of your All-purpose Healing Salve and it worked wonders. His skin looks great now and is so smooth. I recently made it for a friend recovering from breast cancer radiation and she loves it too. I use it for moisturizing dry skin. Keep up the wonderful ideas!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.So glad to hear this, Donna! Best wishes to the two of you! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for the tips that are not full of chemicals. My grandpa lived to 98 and these were good enough for him they are good for us. I wait for your posts.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Good suggestions. I have one more using Witch Hazel: it is excellent for reducing bruises if applied as soon as possible after the “bump”. My son would carry a bottle of it in his hockey bag to use after a game.
If you soak some cloths in Witch Hazel then freeze it will help to reduce the pain and swelling in vericose veins.
A friend of mine who trains thoroughbred horses always uses honey on their scrapes and cuts – providing they are not too deep. Works perfectly.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you Jillee,
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve never thought about the witch hazel or the honey.Great info. :) I was wondering, I have a couple of adorable Chocolate Labs. Is any of these items, pet friendly? They often get hot spots and bugs bites in the summer.
Thanks again.
April
Yes! There’s a recipe to soothe dog’s skin in this post: https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2013/05/homemade-remedies-for-pets-using-essential-oils.html
And here’s another pet post you might like! https://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/life-hacks-for-dogs.html
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great remedy suggestions. I’ve been enjoying your site for years. Thank you
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks Carol!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.As always, handy dandy! Thank you, Jillee.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Very interesting usage of everyday products I never knew existed, thanks for posting.
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