The skin, our largest and also the most sensitive organ, can get damaged if burnt. If you accidentally touch a hot substance, it immediately singes your skin and as a reflex action you draw your body away from the hot object. Depending upon the duration and the intensity of the contact, your skin may develop blisters. When such a short encounter with a hot object can hurt so much, imagine what happens when the skin comes into prolonged contact with a hot object.
There are three categories into which burn injuries are classified. First degree burns are superficial burns that manage to singe the epidermis or the upper layer of skin. Such burns are relatively simple to treat and may take a few weeks, depending on the surface area of the burnt skin, to be cured.
Second degree burns are those where the inner layer of the skin gets damaged due to heat. Such burns cause redness, acute pain, and often result in blisters. It is, however, the third degree burns that one must be careful about. These burn injuries penetrate deep into the skin, destroying the layer of skin completely. Since the skin gets damaged badly, the nerves also get destroyed and the person may not feel any pain.
All the three degrees of burns are treated differently. If the burn is superficial or the first degree, it can be cured easily. With some quick first aid and essential oils, you may even be able to avoid scarring. The first step of course, is to give a cold compression to the burnt skin so that further damage can be prevented.
Aromatherapy Oils for Skin Burns Treatment
Essential oils can be used to heal the skin and treat the pain caused by the burns. There are many other home remedies that can be used for treating burns. However, aromatherapy essential oils have proved to be the best when it comes to the treatment of burns.
Lavender essential oil is especially recommended for the treatment of burns. Some of the other, more effective essential oils that can be used to treat burns are calendula, comfrey, chamomile, tea tree, hypericum, and marsh mellow.
The simplest way to treat your burns with these oils is to add several drops of the chosen oil into a cool bath and soak the skin in the water. You may also use a cotton ball to dab some drops directly on to the burnt skin. However, be careful while doing this because certain essential oils, when used in their natural concentration, can harm the skin.
While essential oils can be used to treat first degree burns and to a certain extent, second degree burns, third degree burns should receive medical attention immediately otherwise the skin may get i