DIY ... Band-aid?

I made this DIY Band-aid the other day, because regular Band-aids give me hives wherever the Band-aid touches my skin. And no, it's not the latex I react to. I'm pretty sure it's the adhesive - my dad is allergic to adhesive too.

I made my Band-aid out of a Girl Scout bandana, torn into strips, and some sports tape (not touching the skin).

p Preachiness Alert p

It got me to thinking about all those young women who rolled bandages during World War I, and how cloth bandages - non-sterile - were once our only option. And then it got me to thinking about all the chemicals that touch our skin daily ... not something you want to let your mind dwell on for too long.


My friend Sarah saw a remarkable difference in her baby Eli's comfort when he switched from disposable diapers to biodegradable. And within a couple of days, my DIY Band-aid had done the trick. No more hives, no more cut. I'm not saying DIY first-aid is desirable; I'm just saying that it can't be a bad thing to take a moment to consider the things we expose our bodies to.

It kind of reminds me of that song from junior high (I believe it was C & C Music Factory), "Things That Make You Go Hmmm." When you think too long about some of the stuff we live with, where it comes from, and how it's made, it definitely makes you go hmm.