Well, I was going to share this one even before I had the chance to try it out. If you’ve ever had a bad burn, or even a sort of bad burn, then you know how painful they can be. I’m sure we’ve all heard a few old wives tales about things to put on burns, but I’d never heard this one before. When I read a little more about it, I thought this tip sounded too good not to pass on, just in case someone out there needed it some time. As luck would have it, I was that person and I managed to burn my finger on a hot cookie sheet just a few days ago. I’m the luckiest, clearly. 🙂
So then I read a little more about it again. Guess what? Apparently it DOESN’T work! Well, that’s news me! I’ll tell you more about that in a second, but first let me show you what I did.
Here’s basically what you do:
Step 1: Obtain burn. I don’t recommend you initiate this step of the process just for the sake of finding out which side of the fence you’re on. Just wait until the time comes. If you’re like me, it’ll come soon enough.
Step 2: Obtain eggs! Bonus points if your eggs are all beautiful different shades of organic goodness like mine were when I snapped these photos.
Single out the egg you’re going to use. I chose a nice light pinkish-brown one. OK, clearly my burn wasn’t THAT bad if I had time to ponder.
Step 3: Crack your egg and remove the yolk. You only need the white for this. You probably won’t need my fun little trick for separating the egg white since you’re just using one, but you can do it that way if you like!
Step 4: After running your burned skin under cold water for several minutes apply a layer of egg white over the burn. Let it dry and apply a few more layers this way as well.
Now. Egg legend has it that the natural collagen in the egg white forms a protective barrier over your skin and infuses it with vitamins and other good stuff to help it heal more quickly and reduce pain. Upon reading more about this and after trying it, I found out that modern medical experts have said that they don’t recommend this treatment. It may help the burn feel better and hurt less by creating a barrier over the burn, but it may actually be risky for some individuals.
After trying this myself, I can tell you I’ll definitely be doing this one again next time I’m a little clumsy in the kitchen. There may not be professional medical backing for it, but anything that helps a burn hurt less is a winner in my books and a little raw egg seems like a safe enough thing to play around with to me. I do understand that those in the medical profession need to cover their butts though in case of individuals who find themselves lacking in common sense, especially during stressful times like when your hand feel like it’s on fire. So of course they have a responsibility to discourage all crazy DIY medical treatments from curious people like myself. 🙂
Here are some of my thoughts on the common-sense aspect of this little experiment:
-Keep yourself and your burn clean. Raw egg can be a breading ground for bacteria. If you try this out, it’s just a temporary thing. Resume regular handwashing.
-Don’t try this if you’re allergic to eggs.
-Only try this if your burn is in the category of “mildly annoying” and “kinda ouchy” and not “Rush me to the hospital because I think I may pass out.” If it’s the type of burn that you’d normally seek professional medical attention for, then do that instead.
-This is just for fun and if you feel like trying something new and natural to help your (mild) burn because you feel like you’ve tried everything else and you’re curioius.
This article is meant solely for the sake of discussion and is in no way meant to be taken as medical advice.
So what do you think? Have you tried it? Will you try it? Is it totally ridiculous? Is it super neat? Discuss!
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.