Chicken Pox

5:47 PM Posted by jo

I decided to share what I did when my children had chicken pox. I'm sure everyone is familiar with the chicken pox and how it is very contagious. The incubation time is 24 to 21 days after exposure to the virus, so it can take a long time to get over the disease if you have several children.

Aromatherapy sprays are great!

I'm a big fan of aromatherapy sprays because they are so easy to apply. They are not as messy as massage oil blends. I added things such as honey, witch hazel, herbal infusions, and aloe vera gel to the sprays. Aloe vera was added for its anti-inflammatory effect while witch hazel is astringent and aided in drying up the blisters. Honey is antibacterial as well as anti-inflammatory, but is also acted as a carrier for the essential oils since they will not emulsify in the liquids.

According to Valeri Gennari Cooksley, essential oils that are astringent, promote healing, relieve itching, and are antibacterial have traditionally been used for chicken pox. I used essential oils such as lavender, lemon, bergamot, peppermint in my sprays that I made for my children.

My favorite spray that I used for my children, this is a modification of Cooksley's spray.

1/4 cup distilled Witch hazel lotion

1/4 cup aloe vera gel -

7 drops of lemon essential oil -

20 drops of lavender essential oils

7 drops of bergamot essential oils

3 drops of peppermint essential oil

1 tbls honey

Mix the essential oils with the honey in a glass bowl, add the aloe vera gel. Add the witch hazel and make sure it is all mixed, pour into a spray bottle with a relatively fine nozzle.

Aromatic baths are very healing

I'm also a fan of an aromatic bath, and according to Cooksley, it is an effective way to promote healing and provide a cooling relief for the itching. I like to use baking soda since Cooksley suggested it is very effective in easing the itching. She says it is important to use tepid water in the bath for inflammatory conditions. Tepid water will also provide relief for itching and hot spots. For my children I used Roman chamomile, lavender and tea tree as suggested by Cooksley.

Bath # 1

1 cup of baking soda

2 drops of lavender essential oil

2 drop of Roman chamomile essential oil

1 drop of tea tree essential oil
I mix the essential oils with the baking soda and add to tepid bath water once the bath tub is filled.

Make sure the diet is good, make healing bone broths, avoid food that promote inflammation, and encourage the intake of healing teas.

This information is not meant to diagnose or treat, it is for information and education purpose only.

Before you leave:

I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil.

Check out my safety page to make sure you are aware of any contrindications before you use essential oils. Some oils are not suitable when suffering from certain conditions. Also, Read this Before You Start Using Essential oils. Some oils should not be applied prior to sun exposure so make sure you check this list before spending time in the sun.

Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:

Topical Application

Inhaling Essential Oils

Are You Diffusing the Oils Correctly?

How to Dilute Essential Oils

Vita Flex Technique

If you're new to essential oils you might want to check out my Getting Started Guide.

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Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives.
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