In my last post, I shared the medical supplies I like to keep on hand as a registered nurse and mom, things like thermometers, gauze, ice packs, Band-Aids, and the stainless steel mixing bowl that occasionally serves as our household throw-up bucket. (By the way, we don’t use it for food prep, it’s ONLY for throw up)

This is the other half of the supply list. These are the medicines, remedies, and comforting things I like to keep around before someone wakes up with a fever, gets a bug bite, scrapes a knee, or suddenly announces that they don’t feel well.

This isn’t a list of everything your family could possibly need, and it isn’t medical advice. It’s simply a look inside my medicine cabinet and the things I’ve found useful to have on hand.

The Thing That Does the Heavy Lifting: Herbal Salve

If I had to choose one thing that gets used more than anything else in our house, it would probably be a good all-purpose herbal salve.

Bug bites? Salve.

Small cuts and scrapes? Salve.

Minor burns and irritated skin? Usually, salve.

I actually make ours and have for 12 years, but if I was buying one, I would choose an all-purpose salve with calendula as a main ingredient. It has become the thing I reach for first for so many of the little bumps and scrapes of family life.

For Cuts, Scrapes, and Skin

I also like to keep:

• Saline wash
• Antiseptic wound wash
• An antibiotic ointment similar to Neosporin
• Un-petroleum jelly (Like petroleum jelly but better)
• Aloe vera gel
• An oatmeal bath add-in for rashes
• A drawing salve, for stubborn splinters
• A good quality lotion

For Minor Burns

I keep a honey-based burn cream on hand for minor burns.

Because somehow, no matter how many times we tell ourselves to be careful, someone eventually touches a pan, baking sheet, or other object that is very obviously hot.

For anything more serious than a minor burn, though, it’s time to get medical advice rather than simply working your way through the medicine cabinet.

For Pain and Fever

These are the basics I like to keep stocked:

• Acetaminophen/Tylenol
• Ibuprofen/Motrin
• Naproxen

If you have children, make sure you have age-appropriate products and follow the dosing instructions for your child’s age and weight.

I also periodically check expiration dates because medicine has a mysterious habit of expiring precisely when you need it.

For Allergic Reactions

I keep both:

• Children’s Benadryl/diphenhydramine
• Adult Benadryl/diphenhydramine

This is one of those things I hope we rarely need, but I like knowing it’s available.

For severe allergic reactions or signs of anaphylaxis, such as trouble breathing, swelling of the tongue or throat, fainting, or other serious symptoms, Benadryl is not a substitute for emergency treatment. Follow your prescribed emergency plan and seek emergency care.

For Stomach Troubles

Our medicine cabinet includes:

• Tums
• Peppermint drops
• Gripe water
• Peppermint tea
• Chamomile tea

Some of these are remedies, and some are simply comforting things to have around when someone isn’t feeling well.

A warm cup of tea doesn’t fix everything, obviously.

But sometimes lying on the couch under a blanket with something warm to drink genuinely makes a miserable day feel a little better.

For Colds and Congestion

I like to keep:

• Children’s saline nasal spray
• An ear oil kit or ear comfort product (Garlic- Mullein is my favorite)
• Tissues
• Honey
• Throat lozenges or lollipops with elderberry
• Elderberry syrup
• A child-appropriate cough remedy, if you use one. We have used Chestal kids with mild success. If you know of a good one, send me a message!
• Traditional Medicinal’s throat coat tea
• So many tissues
• Humidifier

Your list may look different from mine. You may have allergies, chronic conditions, babies, teenagers, or a family member who seems personally determined to attract every mosquito in Texas. The goal isn’t to stock your own pharmacy, it is to have a few useful things on hand for the ordinary illnesses, bumps, scrapes, and uncomfortable moments that come with caring for a family.

For us, that means a good calendula salve, a few basic over-the-counter medicines, saline spray, tea, tissues, and a handful of comforting remedies.

And, of course, somewhere nearby, you’ll still find the stainless steel vomit bowl.

Just in case.