Naturopathic BC

For many of us, we have a vague recollection of what it felt like to have chicken pox, remembering mainly the itching and scratching. But now as an adult, when we encounter a child with chicken pox, we’re suddenly at a loss for how to help and what to do. For example, did you know that by allowing your child to scratch their itch, it could lead to permanent scarring and heighten the risk of infection? Thankfully, there are natural remedies available to soothe your child’s agony as well as your own worries.

One of the most tried and true remedies is vitamin E oil applied directly to the skin. Doing this once or twice a day will not only help relieving itching but also with the skin’s natural healing process. Scaring is also reduced as a result. Another type of external application is honey. This can get a bit messy, but applying honey to the skin has helped produce a faster rate of recovery with sweet success.

This next method requires a bit more planning. Boil some water on the stove to cook green peas and drain the peas once they are fully cooked. Save the green pea water and let it cool before applying to the skin. Since the peas are uncontaminated, this may just be a good time to make a green pea salad.

Now before any grandmas in the house get irritated at our lack of mention, let’s bring out the good old fashioned, time tested remedy of oatmeal. While a less experienced parent dealing with their child’s pox may opt to apply oatmeal to the skin as the above remedies have suggested, a grandparent knows better. With oatmeal, children with chicken pox experience the most relief when a bathtub is filled with warm water and oatmeal placed in a cloth bag is lowered in. Traditionally, oatmeal is poured directly into the tub, yielding a huge mess and possible clogged drain. Choose your adventure (wisely).

Most remedies involve applying a mixture directly to the skin to relieve the itching, as you’ve noticed from the extensive list above. In terms of food remedies, children may try natural herb teas that help them calm down from their upset and restless mental state from constant unfulfilled desire to scratch. One cup a day will do. Less is more in this case.

Remember that all the remedies listed have been to soothe the child’s physical discomfort. Try to imagine that the child is also suffering from mental stress as well from not understanding what chicken pox is and when, if at all, it’ll go away. Tackle the condition from both angles by providing physical and emotional comfort and your child will feel better all-round very soon.

Should the condition last, please feel free to give us a call, we want to help!