Mom and First Aid: What Is Your Cure All?

There are some items in medicine kits that have always baffled me as a child. Now that I am a mom myself, I understand better. Why is there a big tub of odorless, seemingly useless petroleum jelly around? Why should there always be a bottle of alcohol in there? Band aids I can understand, but elastic bandages?

Now I know. Petroleum jelly can be a cure all for a lot of skin problems like rashes and burns. Some items like egyptian magic may work for psoriatic spots, but for the most part, having a tub of petroleum jelly around can give peace of mind. If you’re on your way out to buy a tube of sunscreen, you can hydrate temporarily using petroleum jelly. At the very least, you won’t be going out unprotected. I also realized that petroleum jelly can double as a make up enhancer. Mix hardened eye make up or blush with a bit of petroleum jelly and it can be applied again! Clever creation, this jelly.

Rubbing alcohol can be used for various purposes. I found out quite early that it can be used as a disinfectant, and that it stings. It can also be used for its main purpose, rubbing, as in massage. The only problem is that alcohol can leave your skin dry and itchy. Maybe after applying on skin as a disinfectant, you can hydrate with petroleum jelly.

Elastic bandages are for bigger wounds that smaller band aids cannot handle. They can also be used on painful muscles if the person can’t afford to stop working, or while waiting for the painkiller to work.