Lavender

Aloe Vera

I got a very bad burn on the palms of both hands last weekend from trying to pick up a turkey roaster that I thought was turned off, but was on and VERY hot. This happened right before I was supposed to start chair massage for an event.

The pain in my hands was so bad, I was sure that I would not be anle to continue with the massage. I have never had a burn that hurt more than this one did. I was positive that it would be a blistering, painful mess within hours.

I went straight home and clipped off a couple pieces of my aloe vera plant and started applying the aloe vera immediately and liberally. I took some with me as I went doubtfully down towards where I was supposed to be setting up for chair massage.

I also applied some lavender essential oil, which is supposed to be great for burns (the power of essential oils was discovered accidentally by a chemist who got a burn on his hands and immediately submersed them in the first liquid that he could find, which was a beaker of lavender essential oil).

I was amazed that the pain was starting to subside. I started doind chair massage, and it hurt a little. I kept alternatingin between massages between applying the aloe vera, the lavender and my chilled marble massage stones.

By the next day, you could barely even tell that I had been burned, save for a little redness. By the second day, even the redness was gone. This should have been a blistering, 2nd degree burn, but thanks to the remarkable healing powers of our plant allies, that fate (which would have been a disaster for a massage therapist!) was avoided.