How to Make a Natural First Aid Kit for Self-Sufficiency

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I’m a fan of both modern and natural remedies. I stock up on over-the-counter (OTC) medication, while also making my own salves and tinctures.

I believe there’s a place for it all.

However, what happens when the OTC meds expire? Sure, they can last longer than their best buy date, but they do have an expiration and they will simply lose potency.

The point is to have a good supply of modern medicine and supplies, as well as stockpile and grow our own medicine. Of course, really learning and getting to know medicinal herbs is a whole ‘nother rabbit hole that we won’t go down right this second. We’ll just be talking about a few choice herbs that are handy to have around and learn how to grow, in addition to a few other things that will help.

Let’s create our own natural first aid kit at home:

Arnica; make it into a salve to be used on bruises and sprains.

Chamomile flowers; brewed as a tea can help with sleep, cold symptoms, inflammation and can help lower blood sugar.

Comfrey; infuse in oil and/or make a comfrey infused oil salve to heal wounds.

Yarrow; fresh or dried leaves can be made into a tea to reduce fevers, yarrow can also be used in oil-based salves to treat wounds, including reducing pain and swelling.

Echinacea; I like to make this into a tincture as it will be effective against colds and influenza.

Honey; is often used to support the healing of wounds, as well as a cough suppressant.

Aloe vera; treats minor scrapes, burns and sunburns.

Ginger root; can be made into a tea to relieve nausea and chills.

Elderberries; are used to prevent and treat colds by making it into a syrup or tincture.

Garlic; a powerhouse to be used in cooking or made into a honey and garlic fermentation and eaten to help prevent illness.

Tea tree; mixed into a salve or made into an essential oil, can help to treat wounds as an antiseptic or antifungal.

Slippery elm; tablets or tea will help line the stomach and reduce inflammation.

Ashwangda; is used to help reduce stress, this is best used in capsule or gummy form.

Witch hazel; it’s an astringent, but it’s great for general washing of the skin and can help soothe insect bites.

Peppermint; I like to make this into a tincture to help relieve headaches. Can also be great as a tea.

Cayenne pepper; the spice we all use and love is also great for healing wounds. It helps to reduce inflammation and faster healing. Mix cayenne pepper powder with water to make a thick paste then apply to wounds.

Baking soda; while this isn’t something you grow, I recommend keeping this around the house to make a simple paste of baking soda and water, is quite effective against bug bites.

Please refer to this post from The Herbal Academy about using herbs with children. Though these are all generally safe for kids, the dosage and how they’re used can make a difference depending on size and age. This is the same for adults, if ingesting anything the dosages will vary.

There are also some herbs that shouldn’t be used or taken while pregnant or breastfeeding. Here’s a list to look over about which herbs should be avoided during pregnancy.

Like with anything, do your own research on every herb before doing or taking anything.

Should you use all of these?

I’m a bit obsessed with natural remedies, so I do make a lot of salves and tinctures and have a lot of dried herbs on hand. However, when you’re just starting out, pick a few that sound the easiest for you and work with those for a while. Over time, expand your interests and skills.

Make one type of medicinal salve then try to look to the others for tea benefits. Then move on to make your own tinctures one day. Take it little by little.

You can also try to grow some of these herbs as well. Survival Garden Seeds has an amazing medicinal herb seed collection to grow your own medicine!