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Last Updated on August 22, 2024 by Paul Clayton
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10 Essential Supplies for Making Natural Medicine
Creating and using natural medicine is a practice passed down through generations, offering a holistic approach to healing. Having the right supplies on hand is essential to ensure efficacy and safety.
- Herbs: Foundation of natural medicine.
- Essential Oils: Lavender, tea tree, peppermint for therapies.
- Mason Jars & Amber Bottles: Essential for storage, especially amber for oils.
- Alcohol: High-proof for herbal tinctures, preserves properties.
- Distilled Water: Contaminant-free for herbal infusions and decoctions.
- Raw Honey: Natural sweetener with antimicrobial properties.
If you’re preparing for a survival scenario, you know the likelihood of doctors of typical medicine being readily available is slim.
Learn how to keep yourself ready by stockpiling meds ahead of time and keeping medical supplies on hand. This article will give you the rundown.
Keeping Extra Meds on Hand
While Mother Nature loves to help, she can’t necessarily cure every ailment.
Keeping extra medications in your prepper supply is essential for guaranteeing the health and safety of your family during survival. DIYs are great, but save the medicine-making for when it’s necessary.
Let’s start by looking at some of the best meds to acquire for your stockpile. First, ibuprofen is a classic must-have medicine. It’s the most effective in treating both pain and inflammation.
Naproxen (Aleve) is an essential nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that helps relieve pain, fevers, and inflammation. Aleve is similar to ibuprofen, but it lasts up to 12 hours.
Another essential painkiller to stock up on is Aspirin. People take it to reduce fevers, pain, swelling, and inflammation. It can also be used as a blood thinner in low doses to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots.
Survivalists will reap the benefits of having Tylenol in their supply. This medication is the only OTC pain reliever that’s not an anti-inflammatory drug. It won’t irritate the stomach like ibuprofen but is still adequate for pain relief and reducing fevers.
Benadryl is the prepper’s best friend for stomach issues and allergies. It’s commonly used to relieve upper respiratory infections and hay fever symptoms. It can also treat hives, nausea, itching, and insomnia.
Though it’s icky, diarrhea and, thus, dehydration is practically inevitable during survival situations. Imodium and MiraLax can help control diarrhea and relieve intestinal cramps. Since the stress of disaster can lead to constipation, MiraLax acts as a stool softener.
Colds and allergies are insufferable enough; imagine dealing with coughs and sniffles while trying to survive a disaster! Luckily, Sudafed and Allegra can relieve congestion and allergies.
You can often combine the two medications for increased relief of allergy symptoms.
While enduring a survival scenario, those prone to motion sickness and nausea may be suffering. Dramamine is a prepper necessity for relieving vomiting, vertigo-like dizziness, and motion sickness.
Additionally, some people find it helpful in treating anxiety and insomnia.
While salves and tinctures are easy to make at home, having some healing ointment on hand will save some hassle. Hydrocortisone cream, in particular, is a survivalist staple.
It helps treat inflamed and itchy rashes, such as eczema, poison ivy, diaper rash, and other minor skin irritations.
How to Store and Stockpile Medication
Now that you know which meds to pick up next time you visit the pharmacy, how much should you keep stored for emergencies?
The answer will be different for everyone. Consider the size of your family and how much each person will need. Also, remember that medicine loses potency over time, so it’s essential to look at expiration dates.
While plenty of medicines will still do the trick past their expiration date on the bottle, fresh products are ideal. Therefore, it’s best only to purchase them in reasonable quantities.
Most preppers recommend re-stocking supplies every couple of years and disposing of old meds to ensure the supply stays fresh.
Another critical factor when stockpiling medicine is the unique needs of your family members. Evaluate everyone’s allergies, illnesses, pain issues, etc. Consider whether you’ll also need child or infant formulations of these meds.
Regarding storage, medication typically stores best in a cool, dry, and dark location. Please keep it in the original unopened packaging until use is a deal. Toss them out and don’t consume them if the appearance or color of the meds looks off.
This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to Trillium: Wild Edibles
10 Prepper Supplies for Making Natural Medicine
Now that you know what medications to stock up on, what other prepper supplies are essential for the stockpile?
Many long-lasting and affordable products can help heal ailments and serve other survival purposes. Some are also essential for making medicinal salves, tinctures, and other forms of natural medicine.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a fantastic staple in the medicine cabinet and prepper first aid kit; its qualities are endless. You can treat heartburn by drinking a cold glass of water with just a teaspoon of dissolved baking soda.
Or, you can relieve pain and speed up the healing of canker sores by rinsing them with a solution of ½ teaspoon baking soda in a cup of warm water once daily.
Skin irritation and rashes are not fun in survival situations. Take a warm bath with one or two cups of baking soda to relieve itchy skin.
If you have a rash or inflammation, mix one part baking soda with three parts water to create a thin paste and apply to the infected area daily.
When dealing with heat rash, baking soda, and water can be applied to the affected area. Let the mixture dry, then dust it off for quick healing.
Those experiencing sunburn will love soaking in a cool tub with a few cups of baking soda added.
Pesky bugs have no chance against baking soda. Mix baking soda with a small amount of water to create a thick paste for bug bites and bee stings. Apply the paste to the affected area, allow it to dry, and repeat as needed.
Baking soda can even help remove harsh splinters more easily. Combine water and baking soda to create a thick paste, then apply it to the area.
Cover it with a bandage for the next day before attempting to remove the splinter; it should come out much easier.
Storage conditions will play a significant role in baking soda’s shelf life. It likes to stay in an airtight, moisture-proof container in a dry and cool (40-70 degrees) location.
While its official shelf life is three years, if the product is in good condition, it can be used indefinitely.
Mix a hot cup of water with a teaspoon of vinegar to test its potency, and add a spoonful of baking soda. You’ll immediately see fizz and healthy bubbles if the product is still viable. As it loses potency over time, those bubbles will become less vigorous.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Moving onto a prepper product on the rise for its incredible health benefits, meet your new wellness BFF: apple cider vinegar. From sicknesses and pain to skin issues, it’s a survivalist super-ingredient. Even those who aren’t prepping should consider taking some every day.
Apple cider vinegar helps maintain sugar levels. Two teaspoons in a glass of water daily is recommended for diabetics. Those with high cholesterol or liver issues would also benefit from taking it daily; this product boosts heart health.
No woman wants to imagine going through menopause during a survival scenario. If you have to, apple cider vinegar can help with night sweats. Put a cup into the bathtub when dealing with aches and sore muscles.
Say goodbye to dry throats and coughs, even during survival mode, with apple cider vinegar in the prepper pantry. In the past, people prescribed the natural medicine of honey and vinegar to soothe coughs. Gargle this healer to enjoy its soothing benefits.
Our typical shower routine full of yummy, smelly soap and luscious lotion might not be possible during survival. However, that doesn’t mean you have to leave wounds uncleaned and skin issues untreated.
Apple cider vinegar is a natural antibacterial that helps with many skin conditions, such as eczema, warts, and brown spots.
This powerful healer also aids with skin rashes and athlete’s foot, providing relief from corn and calluses on feet. When bites and stings occur, vinegar can help soothe them: pour it directly onto the infected area.
Take an apple cider vinegar soak if sunburn gets the best of you.
Apple cider vinegar, when used with Vicks VapoRub, can also combat ringworm. It can also treat any minor wound since it kills bacterial pathogens. Plus, it smells like acetic acid.
Apple cider vinegar’s shelf life is about two years unopened and one year once you’ve broken the bottle’s seal. You don’t have to refrigerate it. Instead, please keep it in the prepper pantry, away from direct sunlight.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil’s medicinal qualities are endless. It’s like a magic healer for preppers. It kills viruses that cause influenza, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, and other illnesses.
Coconut oil can kill bacteria that cause ulcers, urinary tract infections, gum disease, throat infections, pneumonia, and more.
It’s also strong enough to kill fungi and yeasts that cause candidiasis, ringworm, thrush, diaper rash, athlete’s foot, and other infections. The oil expels or kills tapeworms and other parasites.
In addition to killing diseases, coconut oil provides a natural source of quick energy. It boosts vitality and endurance, improving physical state and performance.
Coconut oil helps maximize a prepper’s food supply by improving digestion and absorption of other nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
Those suffering from pancreatitis can use coconut oil to reduce symptoms. The oil improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose, reducing health risks associated with diabetes.
By improving calcium and magnesium absorption, coconut oil can help support the development of strong bones and teeth. Additionally, osteoporosis stands no chance against this healing ingredient.
Coconut oil can even help relieve symptoms associated with Chron’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and stomach ulcers.
As discussed, bowel and stomach issues are inevitable during a disaster. Coconut oil improves bowel function and relieves irritation caused by hemorrhoids. Any minor inflammation can be treated with this oil.
Coconut oil is incredibly supportive for the body. It aids immune system function and tissue repair. Plus, this oil helps protect the body from breast, colon, and other forms of cancer.
While using other oils, the body’s antioxidant reserves may become depleted. Coconut oil improves the utilization of essential fatty acids and protects them from oxidation. It can also help relieve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue symptoms.
Since a regular skincare routine may be impossible during emergency survival, use coconut oil to keep your skin in check. Coconut oil supports the skin’s chemical balance, softening it and helping relieve flakiness and dryness.
Remember that coconut oil will melt at about 76 degrees while stored. While melting doesn’t necessarily harm it, its shelf life will be extended if the product is stored in a cool and dark location. You can then soften it by placing the closed jar in hot water.
Alcohol
Even when we’re not in a SHTF scenario, alcohol is just an overall classic essential. It’s excellent for disinfecting, whether skin wounds or materials used during survival.
Anything over 70-proof can help disinfect wounds and objects without sterilizing them.
Disinfecting an item eliminates many or all pathogenic microorganisms, except bacterial spores. If something goes without cleaning, the risk of infection increases significantly. It should be noted that alcohol can be harsh on the skin and should only be used when necessary.
Medicinal tinctures are also created using an alcohol base. Become your natural medicine doctor and make your own by soaking parts of your favorite herb in alcohol or vinegar for several weeks.
This soaking process extracts the herb’s active components so it’s more effective to consume.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Every prepper needs the ultimate cleaner, hydrogen peroxide. Ear infections, bacteria, and even the common cold can be stopped in their tracks with the assistance of hydrogen peroxide. Destroy sinus infections, kill airborne germs, and soothe boils with a single ingredient.
When ear issues arise, pour 3% hydrogen peroxide into a clean eye dropper, tilt your head, and pour two or three drops into one ear. Keep your head tilted and let it fizz for about 10 minutes.
Then, tilt your head and repeat the process in the opposite direction, letting the liquid drain out.
One of the biggest scares during survival situations is the threat of airborne germs, which can cause sickness to spread quickly in the household.
To prevent this issue, pour a pint of 3% hydrogen peroxide for every gallon of water in your humidifier (pro tip: get one if you don’t already have it), and let the machine run.
Getting a sinus infection can ruin your week and leave you in pain even in normal conditions; we don’t want to imagine the possibility of it worsening during survival.
One way to combat this problem is to combine peroxide with a cup of water in a squeeze bottle and then spray the nose twice per nostril.
Use a dark-colored bottle since sunlight can drastically reduce peroxide’s effectiveness.
Boils are generally caused by bacteria, which run wild in SHTF scenarios. They also tend to worsen quickly when left untreated. Luckily, hydrogen peroxide is here to help.
Start by adding a cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide to a standard-sized bathtub filled with water. Be sure to fill the tub to ensure proper dilution, then lie in it to feel relief from the boils.
To prevent skin irritation and damage, soak for 30 minutes or less and only take this bath if necessary.
Epsom Salt
Anybody who’s uber-active or deals with joint muscle pains is probably familiar with Epsom salt. It’s an excellent soother for body aches and pains. Plus, it’s no secret that this salt is excellent when caring for the feet.
Athlete’s foot is no fun, especially when you’re counting on your feet to carry you through survival! Mix Epsom salt with a few drops of tea tree oil to remove fungus and bacteria from the skin’s surface. This product can banish even toenail fungus.
Get rid of icky toenail fungus by starting a daily foot soak with Epsom salt and tea tree oil. Consider wearing sandals and avoiding socks until the fungus has gone away. Soaking in Epsom salt will also aid in nail cutting.
No one wants to walk around with hard calluses on their feet. Soften them with a warm Epsom salt soak, but remember that your body thickens the skin to protect it.
To prevent your skin from re-thickening after using the salt soak, use moleskin or find a more suitable pair of shoes.
Those with blood pressure issues can help regulate it with Epsom salt. It offers a powerful detox and pain relief for the head, heart, and kidneys. This product’s combination of magnesium and sulfate helps it detoxify and relax the body.
Itchy skin can come from many places during a survival scenario. If you’re dealing with shingles, Epsom salt can help relieve the pain and increase circulation. It will be a welcome soother to the painful, blistering skin rash of shingles.
The healthy dose of magnesium also adds to its anti-itch qualities.
When eczema and psoriasis are activated, it can be tremendously painful. Use Epsom salt to help alleviate the symptoms. If a bath isn’t available, make a paste for the skin instead.
Sunburns and first-degree burns are itchy and painful. Cool or lukewarm water soaked with Epsom salt will help irrigate these wounds. Making a compress using a soft cloth can help extend this relief for longer.
As if Epsom salt baths didn’t have enough excellent healing purposes, here are a few more! Banish poison ivy or oak with a salt soak and a compress treatment. Plus, it alleviates leg cramps and relieves frustrating constipation.
Peppermint Essential Oil
If there’s one wellness ingredient every prepper should know about, it’s Essential oil. Peppermint oil, in particular, is a staple in the kitchen and the medicine cabinet.
Preppers, doctors, and scientists have discovered peppermint’s healing properties for the gastrointestinal tract and other body parts.
Even minor tummy trouble can limit one’s ability to function normally. During survival, we may not have time to read a novel on the toilet or hide in bed until the discomfort leaves.
Those with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), leaky gut, flatulence, constipation, nausea, and motion sickness would all benefit from using peppermint essential oil.
There are a few ways to utilize this naturopathic medicine for stomach issues. Topically, you can apply the oil directly to the abdomen or use it to massage the feet. To inhale it, rub a few drops in the palm of your hand and breathe in the healing aroma.
Peppermint tea is one of the best ways to ease any nausea issue. You can also add food-grade peppermint oil to recipes for a delicious and healthy touch. Drop a tiny bit in water for a quick fix.
Peppermint essential oil is excellent at easing headaches. Its analgesic effect on neuropathic pain is incredible. In addition to relieving head pains, heal bruises by applying peppermint oil and frankincense as long as the skin isn’t broken.
Even if you’re not bruised, muscle pain can still linger. Mix frankincense with peppermint essential oil to create a muscle rub, just like for headaches and bruises. However, dilute your skin with a carrier oil like coconut oil if it is sensitive.
Peppermint essential oil can also come into play during allergy season. Use a diffuser to allow the clearing aroma of peppermint into the air. Inhaling with your hands is another way to clear sinuses fast.
Tea Tree Essential Oil
Peppermint isn’t the only essential oil worth adding to your herbal medicine list. Tea tree is one of the best essential oils for natural first aid. It treats everything from cuts and abrasions to sprains and shingles.
Using tea tree essential oil topically is easy with a carrier oil or isopropyl alcohol. Just like with peppermint, you can also inhale it using a diffuser. It can even be used orally for analgesic relief of a toothache (don’t swallow it).
Tea tree oil can relieve pain in many ways due to its analgesic effect when applied to the skin. Dentally, it can help remineralize dental plaque and rid the mouth of gingivitis. Again, just be sure to swish and not swallow.
If you have to remove a tick, the aftercare can be painful. After removing it, apply tea tree oil to clean the wound and relieve pain. If possible, seek medical attention regarding the risk of Lyme disease.
In addition to relieving pain, tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic for skin conditions. The aboriginals crushed tea tree leaves and applied the oil as an herbal medicine to cuts, burns, and infections. While it’s great for cleaning, you should dilute it before applying it to the skin.
Tea tree oil contains compounds that can kill fungi and help preppers deal with skin issues naturally. When treating an athlete’s foot, soak away fungus and bacteria from the skin’s surface with tea tree oil.
Combat ingrown toenails and toenail fungus with this natural medicine for preppers.
Tea tree oil is an antiseptic, antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal. Using it during the flu or to remove warts is favorable. Any room that needs to clear the air will benefit from tea tree essential oil diffusing.
Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe vera gel is another classic yet incredible soother to keep as a prepper. This product can help with almost any skin issue under the sun, not to mention its potent health benefits.
Your eyes might be puffy with little sleep and skincare during survival situations. After a long night, place a bit of aloe vera gel under your eyes to de-puff in no time. You can also keep the aesthetics in check by fading stretch marks, age spots, and freckles.
If you’ve ever dealt with hemorrhoids, you know how difficult it would be to trek through and survive in this condition. Fortunately, aloe’s anti-inflammatory constituents can help reduce the irritation.
Just break off a piece of the aloe vera leaf and apply only the clear gel to the hemorrhoids.
This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to Volunteer Gardener
Aloe vera gel can also serve as a remedy for intestinal issues. It can heal stomach ulcers and heartburn and soothe the digestive tract when taken internally. Be wary that some people report adverse effects like diarrhea and kidney trouble, so try it out first!
Acne, eczema, sunburns, and other types of skin irritation all respond favorably to the natural antiseptics in aloe. Apply gel twice or thrice daily until your issue has healed. Keeping the skin hydrated and adding a protective layer makes aloe a sunburn superhero.
We know this alternative to medicine is excellent topically, but what about on the inside? Aloe vera is known to boost the immune system. Its long list of phytonutrients, including vitamins A, B, C, E, minerals, plant sterols, and enzymes, make this ingredient an essential prepper healer.
Raw Honey
Aside from making every cup of tea delicious, raw honey provides plenty of medicinal qualities. This product contains an array of plant chemicals that act as antioxidants. Certain types of honey even have as many antioxidants as fruits and veggies.
Raw honey contains many nutrients, including calcium, niacin, phosphorus, pantothenic acid, manganese, riboflavin, potassium, magnesium, and zinc.
Not to mention its load of antifungal and antibacterial properties. We can thank honey’s phytonutrients for all these healing powers.
Studies have found that raw honey may benefit wound healing. We recommend using it to create a salve or another form of topical treatment mixed with other products. These same powers also promote honey’s immune-boosting and anticancer qualities.
Honey is sometimes also used to treat digestive issues such as diarrhea and may have the potential to cure stomach ulcers. More research is needed to confirm its effectiveness, but if SHTF, why not just give it a go?
Everyone knows the tried-and-true remedy of honey for coughs and sore throats. Add it to hot tea with lemon if a cold virus hits. Using this herbal medicine for cough may even be superior to other forms of care for improving upper respiratory tract infections.
Is Natural Medicine Good?
Indeed, herbal medicines derived from plant parts like roots, leaves, or flowers are considered natural. However, being natural does not equate to being entirely safe.
Similar to conventional medicines, these herbal alternatives also exert effects on the body and can potentially cause harm if misused or taken without proper guidance.
Therefore, while natural medicine can offer benefits, seeking professional advice before incorporating it into your health regime is crucial to ensure safety and effectiveness.
Wrapping Up
The essential supplies for making natural medicine encompass a variety of materials and ingredients. Herbs are the foundation of natural medicine, used for centuries to treat various ailments.
They can be utilized in their raw form or as a base for creating tinctures and infusions. Essential oils, such as lavender, tea tree, and peppermint, are also paramount in therapies, offering many health benefits.
The importance of proper storage cannot be overstated, and that’s where Mason Jars and Amber Bottles come into play. Amber bottles are especially crucial for storing oils as they protect them from sunlight and preserve their properties.
High-proof alcohol is used to prepare herbal tinctures, serving as a preserving agent that maintains the properties of the herbs over time. Distilled water offers a contaminant-free medium for creating herbal infusions and decoctions, ensuring the purity of the final product.
Lastly, raw honey serves as a natural sweetener and has antimicrobial properties. Thus, these essential supplies for making natural medicine form a comprehensive toolkit for anyone wishing to explore the world of herbal remedies.
With plenty of essential meds and helpful supplies to stock up on, you’re about to be ready for anything. As you accumulate these survival products, test them out so you’re prepared.
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