Last month I read in a magazine that calendula was good for cold sores. I have been plagued with the things since I was a child. Any exposure to the sun and my mouth blows up like a balloon. As little as ten minutes exposure and my lips are cooked. People probably wonder why I wear a hat all the time. It isn't a fashion statement. But, it does go with my mountain woman image.
As luck would have it, shortly after reading the above mentioned article I walked down to the front gate without my hat and, of course, I got a blister the next day. It took me a couple of days to remember the calendula. I didn't get the ointment on the sore right away but it sure seemed to me the blister healed much quicker.
A few days ago Koty gifted me with a really nasty wound. My parents passed along some great genes for which I am grateful but along with the good ones I also got some that aren't so special. From my mother I inherited the tendency for the skin on my arms and legs to lose all it's collagen and become thin as paper. My skin literally tears like paper mache. Seriously, my arms look like those of an eighty year old. It's really ugly. Luckily, for the unsuspecting viewing public, my skin allergy to the sun is total so I keep myself completely covered, always.
The other day Koty jumped up on me and, through my shirt, tore a 3/4 inch chunk of skin up on my forearm with his dew claw. It was nasty. I thought "Aha! Another opportunity to see what the calendula can do".
I got the bleeding stopped, cleaned up the wound and applied the calendula. Within hours the heat was out of the wound. By the next day the swelling was all but gone and I was well on the mend. I usually use Neosporin for cuts and scraps with good results but the calendula seems to act even more quickly. It's been three days now and the wound is practically healed. I continue to put salve on it a couple of times a day because now I'm interested to see how much of a scar will remain. Not that I care but as a point of interest.
To quote the ingredient label (all handmade) Calendula flower infusion in organic olive oil, safflower oil, Vitamin E, lavender oil, beeswax". Calendula flowers are a type of marigold.
As I already mentioned, I have always been a Neosporin user for cuts and scraps but not only do I like the idea of this natural remedy but it seems to work much more efficiently. I've never found anything very effective for the mouth blisters so the calendula will be a great blessing. Mother Nature really does do it better!
If you aren't lucky enough to have a friend to make calendula salve for you there are lots of sources on the internet, just Google calendula ointment or salve.
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| The Ever Lovely Marigold |
©Kinsey Barnard
1 comment:
Really enjoyed this article, My son and myself get cold sores all the time. Plus I am really interested in alternative health care as many natural products work better and are safer. Thanks again! Nixpix
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