Did you know that you can reduce the time it takes to heal from a minor burn by almost 5 days? It’s true, and we’re going to discuss one of the best ways I’ve found to treat minor burns and abrasions for myself and my family. I’m going to show you how to use honey to heal burns in half the time.

 “Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet.” -Samson: Judges 14:14

My uncle was the first person to show me this simple remedy. He had a collection of honey from all around the world from Iraq to Wyoming. Being the only honey connoisseur I know, I feel fortunate he shared with me such a simple way to care for a common injury. I don’t always trust THE experts, but I do trust MY experts. Before we get to how honey is used to heal burns, I’ll touch briefly on some history and lay out a guideline for knowing if a burn is too severe to treat at home. It is best that you only treat things that you’re capable of safely managing. 

Early Writings

The earliest writing I could find that referred to using honey as medicine is from roughly 4000 years ago. There was an ancient tablet found in Nippur, Sumeria (an area about 700+ miles east of the Nile River). It says in part, “grind to a powder, river dust and …(unreadable) then knead it in water and honey and let plain oil and hot cedar oil be spread over it.”  This remedy is assumed to have been for some form of injury. However, it is entirely possible that this was also an early recipe for the first gluten free cracker. 

Another ancient document referencing honey is known as the ‘Ebers Papyrus’ (1550bc). In this document, honey is mentioned more frequently than any other ingredient for various medicinal concoctions when treating wounds. Honey has apparently been known to have antimicrobial properties for thousands of years. I can almost hear Hippocrates saying: “told ya so,” while Galen’s gladiatorial patients mutter: “muth be nithe”.

3 Levels of Burns

Before we get ahead of ourselves, it’s necessary to circle back around and refresh our memories on the basic types of burns. This is to ensure that we’re clear on what I mean by treating “minor” burns. Severity is determined by both how deep the burn goes, and how much surface area is covered by the burn.

In the diagram (left) and you’ll see the three levels of burn severity. First degree on the left, and third degree (or “full thickness burn”) on the right. If the burn goes through the first two layers and into the hypodermis, it’s considered a full thickness, or a 3rd degree burn.

Partial thickness burns are generally limited to the first and second degree. Once the burn goes through the full thickness of the skin (3rd degree), the chances of serious infection go up. That is why it’s critical to seek trained help for these burns.

3rd degree burns are serious and need to be properly “debrided” or scrubbed. Scrubbing a burn is incredibly painful and should only be done after adequate training. Remember that just because a burn is only partial thickness doesn’t mean it isn’t severe. It is critical to be clear about the amount of area on the body that is burned. So as not to bore you, let’s just assume we’re talking about an area smaller than the size of your palm.

I am not going to address burns located on the groin, near/on the eyes, mouth, or nose. If you or someone you know gets a burn in any of the areas I just mentioned, immediately seek trained medical help.

Note: If a burn goes all the way around a body part (circumferential burn) or covers a significant portion of the body, or if the burn is electrical or chemical in nature, IMMEDIATELY SEEK EMERGENCY MEDICAL HELP.

With that out of the way, we’ll get on to how you can treat those minor burns safely and even reduce the amount of time it takes to heal. 

Putting Honey To Work

I first used honey on a rug burn years ago at the prompting of my uncle. It worked like a charm. I applied this easy trick on an egg sized area on my forehead. My uncle was gracious enough to supply me a dab of honey and within 2 days the abrasion was fully healed and the scab painlessly fell away on its own. Within 5 days, the pinkness of the new skin was gone entirely. There wasn’t even a hint of scarring. I only applied honey to the wound during the first 2 days. This is considerably fast healing. Studies conducted in certified medical burn units have also tested honey on major burns with promising results. Thanks to honey, doctors now know how to heal burns in half the time.

I don’t always trust THE experts, but I do trust MY experts.

A study in 2008 mentioned in the UK’s NHS website, 1^st and 2^nd degree burns healed an average of 4.68 days FASTER than the typical burn treatments used at the time. It is noted that there was no increased risk of infection or skin disorders from using quality honey. I always recommend using raw, organic honey.

 So how do you apply it?

Step I

I start every medical intervention with washing my hands when possible.

Step II

It’s important to clean the wound you’re treating as well, whether it be a burn or a cut, scrape, or laceration. 

 Gently wash (avoid using soaps with essential oils just yet, sometimes that can sting quite ferociously). I keep a bottle of betadine wound wash under my bathroom sink and in my medic bag. After washing, dab dry (do not rub) the burn area with a clean, dry cloth.

Step III

Next, simply dip your finger in the honey and gently spread it directly onto the burn. 

Step IV

Apply a bandage large enough to cover the affected area. If it’s a bit larger than a bandaid, you can lay any form of clean dry gauze on top of the honey. Next, tape it to the skin. You can also wrap rolled gauze around the area if you know how to properly do this without cutting off circulation. Take extra care to really secure the bandage if you’re treating a child who’ll be rolling around in the grass minutes after you’re done. 

Repeat Steps I-IV Daily

I recommend changing the gauze about once a day. You can wash/re-applying honey in the same manner until the burn is fully healed.

Don’t use “honey sauce” packets from KFC. That is NOT real honey. Make us proud and use organic honey. This ancient method is a safe alternative to antibiotic ointments. And as a bonus, you get considerably faster healing times. In a pinch, this is a safe way to keep a wound clean and to help your body heal itself naturally.

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to share this article to your favorite social media platforms. If you have any natural remedies you’d like to share, we’d love to hear about them! You can submit a completed brief step by step article to wellness@beartariatimes.com. For more articles on Wellness click the link here!