D'Elle Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Just want to let everyone know, in case you don't know, about a good product called Super Salve, made by the Super Salve Company. It is an herbal medicated salve that you can get online and it is carried by many natural foods stores. It is amazing how many things this salve is good for, from wounds to burns to insect bites to dry cracked skin. My terrier came to me with a terribly dry nose that was cracked and peeling all the time and never was cool or damp. I tried putting literally everything that I could think of on his nose and in his food for two years with no effect. Finally (why did it take me so long to try it?) I put Super Salve on it and after only a few of days of daily application, the hard dry crust on his nose started to flake completely off, revealing a smooth nose underneath. After 2 or 3 weeks his nose started being cool and damp and normal. I still put it on about every other day just for good measure, but I may be able to stop completely eventually. His nose is virtually all healed up. It quickly heals up "winter ear" dry flaky ear tips on dogs as well. My neighbor has put it on some spots her elderly cat has that were not healing, despite many interventions by the vets, and it is healing them. My hands can get so dry in the dry season here that the skin cracks. One application of this salve is enough to heal it all up. Ingredients: Olive oil, organic chaparral infusion, comfrey infusion, echinacea flower, hops, usnea moss, beeswax, cocoa butter, vitamin E oil, essential oils: lemon, lemongrass, lavendar, tea tree,cajaput. Large jar is 6 oz and costs $15 or so, and lasts a very long time because you don't need to use much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Good to know. Thanks for sharing this, D'Elle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geonni banner Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 I want to try this stuff. I couldn't find it on Amazon or e-bay, but did find a product site here: http://www.supersalve.com/salves1.html#supersalve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beach BCs Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Great, thanks! I'm always looking for something to add to my "toolbox". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 D'Elle, Thanks for posting about this product. I will definitely try it - for myself. My mother has such dry skin that in the past it has required Rx products (at least back in the day, that is what the doc recommended). Of course, I inherited chronic dry skin. Omegas help, but I am always alert for any product that may soften skin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Coyote Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 You need to be careful with cats. Tea tree oil is really bad for cats. Even a little bit can be fatal or so I'very been told. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 Cats' livers can't process any essential oils. So, yes, you do have to be careful using them around cats. And never use them on cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Coyote Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 PetMed said that .1% to 1 % is safe for dogs and cats. So a tiny bit is ok. My vet didn't want to use any percent at all on cats. Tea tree oil is toxic even for humans. It can be useful for a variety of ailments but you need to be careful. I used it on Tommy's ears when she had mange and it helped but it was just a small spot. You never want to use it over a large area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted November 17, 2015 Report Share Posted November 17, 2015 You never want to use [tea tree oil] over a large area. And contrary to popular belief, most people in the know don't believe it's safe to use neat (i.e. undiluted) on the skin, even in small areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diane allen Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 That sounds great. Another fine product in my "kit" is Bova Cream. Yes, it's meant for cow udders (and maybe sheep?!). But it heals up any sort of abrasion or minor skin issue like magic. I've used it on scraped pads and the like. diane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthfieldNick Posted November 24, 2015 Report Share Posted November 24, 2015 Wonderful company run by wonderful women. Old friends of my sister's, since they started in a little shop in Flagstaff. Their face products for people are my favorite. The Sierra Madre Sun Cream is a staple around here, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simba Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 Many essential oils can be dangerous to use undiluted on skin, peppermint and lavender are two i've heard. And most are recommended never to be used on broken skin, even diluted. Most small not-needing-the-vet wounds need a hell of a lot of water to flush them out, and a clean cover, most of all- and not being a vet I wouldn't do anything beyond that. Having said that the best thing for chapped skin is going to be an ointment you'll use regularly- and this sounds like it'd be nice enough to motivate you to use very regularly! And by the sounds of it a nice company too. Not meaning to be a killjoy, just being my usual old-lady cautious self. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 There are only 2 EOs that I've ever understood to possibly be used neat (i.e. undiluted) on the skin, and those are lavender and tea tree. However, and this is a but "BUT", most responsible aromatherapists and users of EOs don't even advocate using either of them neat. If they are, they should be of the highest quality, but even then they really should be diluted. Anyone who advocates EOs being applied directly onto the skin neat (and that includes sellers of a popular multi-level marketing scheme) are seriously misinformed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simba Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 Wait, what- I assumed it was mostly just 'natural is safe' ideas that led to them being used undiluted. A lot of essential oil use is home remedy use. People actually recommend this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 I guess you've never heard of Raindrop Therapy? Incredible how foolish some of it is. They use some potentially very dangerous EOs neat on the skin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Coyote Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 I have used tea tree on me and it didn't hurt me. But I wouldn't do it again. I'dilute it first. And it stinks to high heaven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted November 25, 2015 Report Share Posted November 25, 2015 With the milder oils like tea tree and lavender, one neat application usually isn't harmful, but there are concerns that they can have a cumulative effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Elle Posted November 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2015 With the milder oils like tea tree and lavender, one neat application usually isn't harmful, but there are concerns that they can have a cumulative effect. I have never heard that tea tree oil could be harmful or cumulative if used undiluted. Gentle Lake, if you have a resource link for this information, I would really like to read it because I and others I know have used tea tree undiluted for years with no ill effects, but if it is not a good idea I want to know about it and stop doing it. Of course, with regard to the Super Salve, it is only a very small portion of it and so would certainly be considered diluted, I would think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted November 29, 2015 Report Share Posted November 29, 2015 I'm sorry, but it's been many years since I've really worked with EOs and I don't have any references any more. Some people are still OK with using tea tree and lavender neat. Others aren't. If I burn myself I'll still put lavender EO on the burn to stop it in its tracks and I keep a small bottle in the kitchen for just that purpose. Otherwise I decided to go with the more cautious approach many years ago. But I never knew of any really knowledgeable chemist/perfumer/EO manufacturer or wholesaler who was OK with using any of the other oils neat, regardless of where they stood on tea tree or lavender, where there was a difference of opinion. One thing that repeated exposure of any kind, whether it be inhaled, on the skin, etc., can do is cause sensitization to that oil. The onset of the sensitization can be sudden and sometimes it can be severe. AFAIK, this can happen with any EO. This is one reason I decided to dilute any EOs I use now, with the odd exception of lavender for burns. Fortunately, I tend not to burn myself often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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