By Dr Erin Wiley, ND

The cottage season is my favourite time of year. Traditionally my friends and family gather together to celebrate. The cottage is packed and teeming with excitement. We play hard, eat well and generally enjoy the company and the beautiful scenery. It is also a place where mishaps are bound to occur. This year the Medihoney in my first aid kit that was a little miracle that kept the cottage magic alive and well. Medihoney is well researched and known to help speed the healing of burns and ulcers. It is anti-microbial and speeds recovery time by optimizing the pH of the wound. It is anti-inflammatory which decreases any itchy sensations and helps to create a protective barrier that keeps the wound moist yet microbe free. While Medihoney has many clinical uses, don’t let the best everyday uses for this little powerhouse get overlooked.

1. Mosquito bites

Since I avoid the use of chemical bug spray, I suffered quite a few bites this year. The Medihoney was huge relief. The barrier cream stayed in place and soothed the itch almost instantly. It is safe for children and worked really well for my little daughter too.

2. Sunburn and cooking burns

Although we really believe in safety first, this years tally for burns was one sunburn, one cooking burn and one burn from a ‘sparkler’. Thankfully they were all very mild. Across the board the Medihoney seemed to bring relief and I was impressed with the healing time on the sunburn.

3. Shaving rash, nicks and scrapes

Let’s admit it, bathing suit season means more personal grooming. The Medihoney barrier cream worked really well for shaving rash and minor nicks and scrapes in my cottage pool of test subjects.

4. Athletes foot and chapped skin

The cottage has many windy dirt roads great for running. The barrier cream did a great job in between sweaty toes during the long hot distance runs. As well as supporting the kiddo’s who spend all their waking hours in the lake, and let’s not forget the dishpan hands from the epic cottage dinners. It works best if also applied at night.

5. Wounds

Thankfully there were no wounds this year, but we did test the wound gel on a post surgical biopsy site, which healed really well without any scab, or irritation and only a very mild redness at the site.

Clearly this little remedy was a big hit in the cottage safety kit. I hope your summer season was filled with as much fun and excitement as mine was. If you are using Medihoney for new and novel applications please let us know how it is working for you.

Here’s the research behind this little first aid superstar!

• Gethin G, Cowman S. Manuka honey vs. hydrogel – a prospective, open label, multicentre, randomised controlled trial to compare desloughing efficacy and healing outcomes in venous [2008]. J Clin Nurs. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2008.02558.x.?Click to view this abstract
• Robson V, Dodd S, Thomas S. Standardized honey (Medihoney) with standard therapy in wound care: randomized clinical trial.?J Adv Nurs. 2009 Mar;65(3):565-75.?Click to view this abstract
• Smith T, Legel K, Hanft J. Topical Leptospermum Honey (Medihoney) in recalcitrant venous leg wounds: A preliminary case series. Adv in Skin & Wound Care. 2008;22(2):68-71.
• Regulski, Matt. A novel wound care dressing for chronic venous leg ulcerations. Pod Mgmt. Nov/Dec 2008: 235-246.

For more information please visit Derma Sciences Learning Portal: http://www.dermasciences.com/products/advanced-wound-care/medihoney/inside-the-u-s/abstracts/

Medihoney is available from our dispensary at the Integrative Health Institute.

Dr. Erin Wiley is a naturopathic doctor with a strong focus on preventative and integrative medicine. She is the Co-founder and Clinic Director of the Integrative Health Institute, an integrative medical clinic located in downtown Toronto. Erin has a strong clinical emphasis on stress related illness, anxiety, depression and hormone balance. As a naturopathic doctor, Erin is passionate about working with people to help them better understand their health and achieve their health goals.

main image via Creative Commons, original here