Aromatherapy/Essential Oils for Burns

Burns can be caused by a number of agents. The most common type of burn, a thermal burn, is caused by heat. Electricity, chemicals, radiation, sunlight, and friction can also cause a burn. Burns are characterized by red (less commonly, white or dark) skin, with the formation of blisters, and accompanied by pain and, in some cases, shock. Burned skin may actually peel off, leaving exposed flesh behind. Burns are classified to their degree of severity as first, second, or third degree; third degree burns are the most damaging. First degree burns can be treated with simple first aid procedures. Second and third degree burns are more serious and, in the most severe cases, can result in death. A number of methods are available for treating all three classes of burns. Aromatherapy treatment with essential oils can provide a natural form of relief in cases of minor burns.

How is Aromatherapy Used to Treat Burns?

The treatment of burns with aromatherapy has a long and important history. In fact, aromatherapy as a modern healing art is often thought to have originated in the late 1920s when French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé accidentally discovered that lavender oil (Lavendula officinalis) successfully treated a burn on his arm. Even today, lavender oil is probably the most commonly recommended essential oil for the treatment of burns. Its effectiveness with burns is probably a result of its calming and sedative effects.

Care should be observed in the use of essential oils to treat burns. Oils often work well with first degree burns and, less often, with second degree burns. But they should not be used in the treatment of third degree burns, which require the attention of an allopathic physician. Since some oils themselves may irritate the skin and make a burn condition even worse, the use of essential oils for the treatment of burns should follow the direction of an experiences aromatherapist.

A number of essential oils other than lavender are recommended for the treatment of simple burns, including:

• Calendula (Calendula officinalis), because it is effective in healing wounds, such as those resulting from burns, as a result of its antioxidant properties

• Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), because of its soothing effects on the skin, which explains its widespread use for dry, chapped, and damaged skin

• Comfrey (Symphytum officinale), because of its ability to heal wounds, especially scars and wounds on the skin, such as those caused by burns

• Hypericum (Hypericum perforatum), also known as St. John’s wort, because it is effective in healing wounds and reducing inflammation

• Marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis), or marshmallow, because it has a long history of being used for the treatment of wounds, abscesses, boils, burns, and other disorders of the skin
• Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), because of its ability to reduce inflammation and to protect against diseases caused by bacteria and other microorganisms

What is Aromatherapy?

The principles of aromatherapy have been used for well over two thousand years to treat a variety of medical and emotional disorders. These treatments are based on the belief that certain substances obtained from plants, called essential oils, have a number of properties beneficial to human health (and, most practitioners believe, to the health of dogs, cats, and other animals as well). These properties include the ability to reduce or prevent inflammation; to protect against diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and other disease-causing organisms; to stimulate, calm, or otherwise affect the nervous system, producing changes in one’s moods; and to combat a class of chemicals (called free radicals) that are thought to cause diseases and aging. These oils can be administered in a number of different ways: by placing drops of the oil on the skin, by inhaling the fumes of the oil, or by rubbing a dilute solution of the oil on the skin, for example. Although almost any adult can practice some simple forms of aromatherapy himself or herself, the advice of an experienced aromatherapy practitioner is often needed for more difficult conditions.

How Do Burns Damage the Skin?

First, second, and third degree burns are distinguished by the extent to which they damage the skin. A first degree burn damages only the outermost layer of the skin, the epidermis. A second degree burn destroys some part of the epidermis, and also causes some damage to the middle layer of the skin, the dermis. The seriousness of a second degree burn depends in part on how much of the dermis is damaged. If the damage is limited, a second degree burn can be treated in much the same way as a first degree burn. A third degree burn causes destruction of both epidermis and dermis and damage to the innermost layer of skin, the subcutis. Because of the risk of infection resulting from a third degree burn, it is by far the most serious type of burn and victims should seek immediate medical attention.

Some general principles should be observed in treating burns. The first step is always to cool the burn as soon and as thoroughly as possible to prevent further damage from occurring. The burned area should then be covered with a sterile compress to reduce the possibility of infection. When these measures have been taken, simpler types of burns can be treated by home remedies, including the use of aromatherapy and essential oils.

Additional Resources

Dodt, Colleen K. The Essential Oils Book: Creating Personal Blends for Mind and Body. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 1996.

Farrer-Halls, Gill. The Aromatherapy Bible: The Definitive Guide to Using Essential Oils. New York: Sterling Publishing, 2005.

Keville, Kathy, and Mindy Green. “Therapeutic Uses of Aromatherapy.”