Have you ever heard of putting pure vanilla extract on a burn? I hadn’t either until recently. But, first, let’s take care of a few important points for all the lawyers and analytical peeps out there. Lol!
Important Notes First
Medical Disclaimer: The information contained on this site is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment by a licensed physician. The information discussed is not meant to cover all possible precautions, drug interactions, circumstances or adverse effects. You should seek prompt medical care for any health issues, including consulting with your doctor before using any alternative medicine or making a change to your regimen.
NOTE: If you have a MEDICAL EMERGENCY, go to your nearest emergency medical center. I am NOT a medical professional, nor do I pretend to be. I simply share what has worked for me.
Now back to the good stuff on using pure vanilla extract for burns.
Have you ever heard of putting pure vanilla extract on a burn? I hadn’t heard about it until recently when I severely burned three fingers. During my self care process someone suggested putting the extract on it. Well, suggested isn’t quite the word for it. They actually swore by it, and strongly encouraged I give it a try to prevent blistering. This is what got my attention and had me doing a bit of research on the topic.
I’m glad I listened. And they were spot on! I was able to find supporting information on using pure vanilla extract to treat severe burns to the skin. I’m totally a believer now as well! I believe I sustained primarily first degree burns on my fingers. Unfortunately, one spot on my pointer finger was extremely more painful and looked to be forming a blister deep within the skin layers as well. These additional symptoms are indicative of a 2nd degree burn.
Unfortunately,
I did not figure out the benefits of using vanilla until a few hours of constant pain had passed and my pain was finally subsiding. Therefore, I decided to not mess with the “beast” for the night. The next morning, in caring for my burns, I did apply pure vanilla extract to the 2nd degree burned area.
In addition to all the other benefits I found, I was hopeful vanilla would indeed prevent any blisters from forming. I was skeptical, but it was worth a try at this point. Therefore, I applied some additional vanilla extract to a Band-Aid and secured it over the worst of the deep burn. Over the next few hours the pain completely went away. And, after removing the Band-Aid early that evening, the white spot that had appeared to be a deep blister had shrunk to almost nothing. After another day and the “blister” was now completely gone. At this point I ceased the vanilla, but all of these burns continued to heal quite rapidly. Luckily, the only lasting effect I had was a thick layer of “dead” skin pealed off about two weeks after the burn. Now that’s impressive!
Sadly, I burned my fingers a couple more times over the next week or so. (I have no idea why I started touching hot things accidentally all of a sudden. Lol!) Each time I put the burned finger in a puddle of pure vanilla extract for as long as time allowed me to sit still. (I used a small spoon with a few drops of extract.) Then I applied an extract soaked Band-Aid to the burn so I could continue on with my day. Each time no blisters or scarring formed, and the pain subsided rather quickly. This home remedy is definitely in my medicine cabinet now.
More Details on Burns and Pure Vanilla Extract
There are many other blogs that cover the basics about using vanilla for burns. Two good ones can be found here and here. If you’d like more in-depth details on vanilla extract, then a goo source can be found here. Therefore, I’ll just list a few basics. Then, as always, you need to dive in a do more research for yourself. Knowledge is power, right! So, take these points into consideration next time you have a skin burn you need to deal with.
- STOP. If the burn has layers of skin sloughing off and the deeper layers of skin are exposed, get to a hospital emergency room as quickly as possible. Do this even if you only have blisters that have already opened or popped. Once the skin layer is opened due to extreme heat, the body is exposed to all kinds of bacteria and contaminates. These wounds need to be professionally cleaned and cared for to prevent further injury. Yes, you might be able to treat a small burn of this caliber at home. But, you might not be able to do a sufficient enough job to prevent further issues. So don’t risk it. Just go to an ER.
- Use only “real” or “pure” vanilla extract. The imitation versions do not have the full healing properties you’re looking for here.
- Use undiluted extract when applying to the burn.
Properties and Benefits of Pure vanilla extract:
- Prevents burn blisters.
- Provides a cooling affect to the burn as the alcohol content of the extract evaporates.
- Contains pain relieving properties.
- Antibacterial properties.
- Promotes healthy skin.
- Anti-inflammatory properties.
- Encourages healthy wound healing.
- Contains antioxidant properties.
- Plus, many more properties and uses beyond treating burns.
In doing the research for this post I have discovered so many beneficial uses for vanilla. It really is an amazing plant. But, that is a topic for another time. suffice it to say that pure vanilla extract is indeed an amazing thing add to your burn treatment arsenal.
Give it a try with the next burn you have to treat. You’ll be glad you did.
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