Bruises give us an indication that there’s some underlying damage to the tissue beneath the skin. Bruises leave blue, purple or blackish discolorations on the skin following an initial swelling and/or pain from injury. Eventually, bruises will fade to yellow / brown before completely receding.
There’s a variety of reasons you might develop/be prone to developing bruises:
- You suffered an acute injury. Everyone does this at some point and no matter how resilient you are at some point you’ll bruise.
- Some essential oils are genetically predisposed to developing bruises easily. For example, they might have a family history of weak blood vessels or a propensity for blood clotting.
- Others bruise easily because they are deficient in essential nutrients like b12, C, K, zinc, and/or folic acid.
- And then there are some health issues that lead to having a higher likelihood of bruising as well – anemia, kidney problems, obesity, extremely low body fat levels, skin disorders, and joint problems like depleted tissue elasticity.
But chances are you are in the first category – you just suffered an acute injury that’s resulted in a bruise and are looking for a quick fix.
Here are five DIY recipes that include bruise-healing essential oils. These are effective both if you are a chronic bruiser or just got a random bruise.
5 Essential Oil Based Remedies for Bruises
This list includes a variety of ways you can address your bruise with essential oils. We’ll start off with the quickest and simple applications and then progress towards some more involved and thorough procedures.
**Important note: If you are applying treatments directly to the bruise apply them very gently – especially if it is a badly inflamed bruise.
1.) Neat essential oil Application
For minor bruises, a simple neat application is recommended. Neat means that you apply a small amount of your essential oil(s) direct and undiluted.
Lavender and/or tea tree essential oils are great for reducing inflammation and speeding up the healing process.
To use just drop 1-3 drops of your preferred oil and lightly massage it into the bruise.
2.) essential oil Infused Witch Hazel Lotion
This application is better suited for a more inflamed and swollen bruise. But it can be used on even minor bruises.
Ingredients:
- Chamomile and/or lavender essential oil
- Witch hazel lotion
Directions:
- (Optional, but recommended) Apply a cold/ice compress on the bruised area to ease inflammation
- Add a few drops of either lavender or chamomile to a small amount of witch hazel lotion
- After removing your cold compress apply this infused lotion
- Apply this treatment two to three times daily until your bruise clears up
3.) essential oil Infused Arnica Ointment
Arnica ointment is considered one of the best and most effective bruise remedies. Kept on hand it can be applied liberally to your bruises.
And you can enhance your arnica ointment with essential oils.
Just add a between 1-4 drops of the following bruise treating essential oils to your arnica ointment:
- Lavender oil
- Tea tree oil
- Chamomile oil
- Parsley oil
- Fennel oil
- Hyssop oil
- Geranium oil
- Cypress oil
- Yarrow oil
Simply massage the oils and ointment onto the bruise to combine them. This is best applied after a cold compress.
4.) essential oil Infused Hot / Cold Washcloth Treatment
Ingredients:
- 3 drops rosemary oil
- 2 drops lavender oil
- 1 drop geranium oil
- 2 washcloths
- 2 non-reactive bowls
Directions:
- Prep two bowls of water. One hot, one cold
- Add the above amounts of essential oils to each bowl
- Add a washcloth in each bowl to soak
- Alternate applying each washcloth to your bruised area(s)
5.) Simple essential oil Infused Bruise Oil
Ingredients:
- 2 drops geranium oil
- 2 drops rosemary oil
- 1 drop lavender oil
- 1 teaspoon carrier oil (argan, avocado, coconut, sesame, sweet almond, jojoba, grapeseed, macadamia)
Bruise oil for Children
If you have a child that got a bruise it’s recommended that you wrap some ice cubes in a towel and hold them against the bruised area.
Follow this with an oil made with 30 drops of hyssop diluted into 2 tablespoons carrier oil.
Non-Essential Oil Natural Remedies for Bruise Healing
Essential oil-based treatments work well for bruises, but there are some other notable natural remedies as well. Some might be in your house already.
Comfrey
Comfrey is a fantastic healing plant. It both nourishes and reduces pain. Comfrey has a long history of use for various ailments, from skin conditions to bone disorders. And is often applied for the following conditions:
- Arthritis
- Broken Bones
- Bruises
- Bug Bites
- Burns
- Chafin
- Eczema
- Fractures
- Hemorrhoids
- Inflammation
- Muscle Strains
- Psoriasis
- Rashes
- Skin Tags
- Sores
- Varicose Veins
- Wounds
Long list, huh?
Comfrey is best applied fresh, in a salve/ointment, or in a tincture/extract.
Aloe Vera
Aloe helps bruises heal by supporting blood vessel rehabilitation and limiting inflammation. It also detoxifies, hydrates and supports immune health.
The best way to use aloe is to pluck it off your own plant. But if you are without a plant, you can pick up some organic aloe vera gel.
Parsley Leaves
Parsley is a surprisingly powerful little herb. Internally it can support immune health and tonify the internal systems, and externally it can decrease inflammation, reduce pain and make skin conditions heal at a faster rate.
To use parsley simply take a handful of fresh leaves, crush them, spread them over the bruise, and wrap the area with an elastic bandage.
Alternatively, you could apply a few drops of parsley essential oil to the bruise with a small amount of carrier oil/lotion.
Rest and Nourish
Your bruises will heal and resolve themselves the quickest if you take it easy and nourish your body. Make sure you are getting rest, are partaking in relaxing activities, and eating nourishing (non-stimulating) foods if you want to see your bruises fade quickly.
Bruise Prevention
If you are prone to bruising you might want to consider the following:
Avoid common drugs that are known to cause or increase the likelihood of bruising.
These include blood-thinning medications like Coumadin and warfarin, anti-clotting drops like Plavix, corticosteroids, and NSAIDS (Aspirin, Ibuprofen).
Chronic bleeding disorders and diseases can also contribute to the skin coming easily bruised. You might want to get a basic blood panel done to assess your general health.
Address Vitamin Deficiencies
Common vitamin and mineral deficiencies that increase the likelihood of bruising are vitamin C and vitamin K deficiency. You can address this by adding more mineral-rich foods to your diet and/or supplementing highly bioavailable forms of vitamin C and Vitamin K2. Note: If you are taking blood thinners consult your doctor if you thinking of supplementing vitamin K.
If you suspect weak capillaries are at the root of your chronic bruising you can supplement with rutin, hesperidin and/or quercetin to help increase capillary strength and reduce fragility.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you have found this post useful. If you have any questions, comments or recommendations of your own please let us know in the comment section below!