First Secont & Third Degree Burns.

It can happen in a second, but a burn can leave a scar for a lifetime. A first degree burn from an unexpected blast of scalding water from the shower at a motel, for example, makes skin red and painful, but the burn heals on its own in a couple of days. A second-degree burn from a careless moment at the stove, for instance, causes redness and blisters, and the pain is intense. This type is still minor, though; it heals within a couple of weeks with little or no scarring.

A third degree burn, however, such as from clothing that catches fire, destroys all layers of the skin.A third degree burn is a medical emergency (as are first and second-degree burns if they cover more than 10 percent of the body). But if a first- or second-degree burn is small, and the skin isn't broken, you can safely and effectively treat it with alternative home remedies.

ALOE: For Minor Kitchen Burns
"The aloe plant is by far the best remedy for minor kitchen burns," says Pamela Fischer, founder and director of the Ohlone Center for Herbal Studies in Concord, California. Keep a plant growing on your kitchen windowsill. If you burn yourself, cut off a leaf, pull off its outer skin, and put the inner part directly on the burn. Then gently pull the leaf off your skin; a coating of aloe "jelly" will stay behind, says Fischer. You can apply aloe as often as needed to soothe the pain.

HOMEOPATHY: For Immediate Pain Relief
The homeopathic remedy Cantharis is best for burns, says Beverly Yates, N.D., a naturopathic physician and director of the Natural Health Care Group in Seattle.

First, she says, make sure that the burn is cleaned and dressed properly to help prevent infection. Then use the 12C potency of Cantharis, taking two pellets every 15 minutes for the first hour. If the pain is better after this time, take the same dose every 3 to 4 hours. (Don't swallow the pellets; let them dissolve under your tongue.) If the pain isn't relieved after the first hour, however, switch to the 30C potency, taking two pellets every 15 minutes for an hour, then two pellets every 3 to 4 hours. You can take the 12C potency for up to 1 week and the 30C potency for up to 4 days, advises Dr. Yates.

VITAMIN E: An Oil to Speed Healing and Avoid Scarring
"I had a patient who always scarred when she burned herself," says Dr. Yates. "Once, she burned herself while cooking and called me 20 seconds after she did it. The first thing I told her was to take two specific homeopathies based on how she told me the burn was affecting her.

Then I told her to apply vitamin E oil directly to the surface of the burn, covering the oil with gauze and taping the edges, but leaving the gauze loose enough so that air could get to the burn. Then I instructed her to change the dressing once a day until the burn healed. She healed beautifully-very quickly, and without any scarring."
Do not apply vitamin E oil to broken skin, cautions Dr. Yates, since there is a possibility of infection.

LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL: Homemade First-Aid
"1 have witnessed amazing healing of burns with the essential oil of lavender," says Colleen Dodt, an aromatherapist in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
To make the formula, combine 2 ounces of distilled water, 2 ounces of witch hazel, and 25 drops of lavender essential oil in a glass spray bottle (dark glass is best because it helps preserve the oil). Store the bottle in a cool, dry, dark place. When you need the formula, simply give the mixture a shake and spray it on. Dodt says that the spray is good not only for burns but also for stings. You can use it as often and for as long as needed, but as with vitamin E oil, do not use it on broken skin.

Self Heal To The Rescue.
Patricia Kaminski, cofounder and codirector of the Flower Essence Society, based in Nevada City, California, will never forget the night that Self-Heal Creme (made from the flower essence and tincture of the plant called selfheal, along with other herbal components) lived up to its name.

"There's a woodstove where I live, and one night while I was putting wood in the fire, my hand got snagged. and caught-I could actually feel the flesh sizzle;' Kaminski recalls. "I burned my thumb very badly. In fact, the pain was so bad that I could hardly catch my breath.

"I put cold water on it, which did nothing for the pain. I put aloe on it. Again, nothing. Then, in desperation, I opened a jar of Self-Heal Creme and stuck my whole thumb in the jar. The minute I did, the pain was completely gone, which amazed me. A couple of minutes later, I took my thumb out of the jar, and the burning sensation came right back. So I just sat around with my thumb in the jar of cream for 3 to 4 hours. I would pull it out, it would start to throb, and I would put it in again. Finally, I pulled it out and there was no pain, and I went gingerly about my activities for the rest of the evening until I went to bed. "The next morning, I was shocked to find that the burned area never went through the various stages of a typical burn. It just went from light pink skin back to normal flesh color.