In the summer, nothing beats a few days out in the woods, hiking, swimming, sitting by the fire. Except maybe all of that without the pesky bugs flying around. Last weekend we were out camping, and the deer flies were relentless. We tried our best to keep them at bay, and thank goodness we had the screened in gazebo for ourselves and the dogs! But that didn’t mean we were immune to the bites. We still managed to end up with spots all over.
Once we noticed the bites, we spritzed on the Owies & Oopsies – both on ourselves and the dogs. It worked amazing.
And that got me thinking about how I use Owies & Oopsies in our house. I reach for it a lot. And for so many different things…
What is Owies & Oopsies?
Owies & Oopsies is a herbal tincture containing:
- Horsetail – anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, well known for helping the body heal wounds, burns, sores
- Hypericum – used for centuries of minor wounds, burns, abrasions, bruises, myalgia, and many other skin irritations. Good for nerve health and tissue regeneration
- Calendula – antioxidant rich, good for burns, cuts, bruises, stomach upset, and for fighting inflammation and bacteria. Helps to regenerate epithelial cells (a very important cell for skin health, it helps form the protective layer)
- Hydrastis – also known as goldenseal. Natural antibacterial, antibiotic, and anti-inflammatory properties, good for rashes, skin infections, wounds, ringworm, sores
- Green Tea – known for its antioxidant, anti-viral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties
Together, these herbs help to deliver soothing, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial power. They’re also what makes Owies & Oopsies great for many different things: perfect for healing and soothing insect bites, hot spots, burns, wounds, skin abrasions, tick bites, and so much more.
And that doesn’t mean just spritzing it onto a deer fly bite…
How to Use Owies & Oopsies in All Kinds of Ways
Keeping a bottle on hand in your first aid kit is the easiest way to use Owies & Oopsies. It’s very simple and fast.
But you can also use it for various other uses! These are our 3 favourites:
1. Foot Soak for Itchy Paws
Owies & Oopsies can really help bring soothing relief to itchy, irritated paws.
For big dogs, stir 3 pumps into 500ml water. For smaller dogs, stir 2 pumps into 250ml of water. Julie reuses a yogurt or sour cream yogurt container, that way it’s easy to hold your pup’s paw in the container to allow them to soak.
Soak your pet’s paws for a few minutes. If they’ll do it for 5-10 minutes that’s even better. There’s nothing in there that will hurt your pet if they lick their paws after, but you want it to saturate in and stay on their feet as long as possible.
2. Soothing Salve
A thick, soothing aloe can be so useful for covering a larger area, or to really help calm the skin and help encourage healing.
For a simple salve, blend together 3 pumps of Owies & Oopsies with 1 tbsp coconut oil. Apply this to cuts and scrapes, or skin irritations to help soothe irritation and encourage healing.
3. Calming Tea Soak
We really like the addition of tea for dogs with chronic allergies or interdigital cysts. The beneficial properties of the tea can help boost the power of the spray, and allow for saturation.
Steep a cup of chamomile and/or green tea (one or both is good) and let it cool. Add 3 pumps and stir. Use this on skin irritations to calm and soothe.
**Remember, when used at full strength, Owies & Oopsies can sting a little if the skin is broken because of the alcohol, so keep that in mind when using it – especially with kitties! We always recommend diluting it for cats. This is less of a concern when you use it one of the ways above, because it becomes further diluted 🙂
I’ve used all of these for my own pets (and for myself!), and although I always keep a bottle on hand to use quickly, the versatility is also really nice! Happy healing <3
