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We all know – or should know – that the correct response to a scrape or cut is, most definitely, not to rub some dirt in it. No, we want to clean out those cuts and scrapes, and then put something on there to help keep the cut from getting infected. Most commonly, that’s going to be your standard antibiotic ointment for first aid. Recently, we got to try out something that relies on silver, rather than antibiotics, to help a cut heal. That, of course, is the Silvex Wound Gel.
What is it?
Well, it’s a first aid ointment, and you apply it just like any other – clean and dry the cut, apply the ointment, and then cover with a bandage to keep it clean. There are two big differences, though. For one, the Silvex Wound Gel is much more of a liquid gel than others you’re used to. This means it can be a bit runny, yes, but it also makes it ideal for those injuries where you do want a wet dressing. Being very water-based, that means that it absorbs in quite easily, and won’t bring any alcohol bases that could dry out or irritate your skin.
The other big difference is that it’s relying on silver – rather than an antibiotic – to kill off any germs or bacteria and promote the healing. Now, there are varied opinions on it (this article from the NIH covers it pretty well), so you need to figure out what makes sense for you in your first aid applications. As to whether or not it works, we put it to the test.
Does it work for first aid?
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that fairly benign scrapes and cuts do take longer to heal. So, I tend to get in the practice of putting some antibiotic on even minor cuts to help it heal a bit more quickly (I’ve also had some infected cuts in the past, and I do not wish to repeat that anytime soon). So, we were able to put the Silvex Wound Gel to the test.
No, I did not purposely cut myself, nor did I do any sort of A-B testing with various ointments (ie, no artificial first aid scenarios here!) What happened was that I scraped some skin off of a finger breaking a cardboard box down, so that made a good spot to test out the Silvex Wound Gel. I applied it, and then used a bandage (for that first day). The next few days I put a bit more gel on in the mornings. By the end of the week, the scrape had healed itself up, and the scab was gone. In terms of performance, this worked about the same – in my experience – as an antibiotic lotion.
Should you try it?
In our limited test, the Silvex Wound Gel did get the job done, along with keeping a wound clean and dry. If you’ve got concerns about the proliferation of antibiotics, or just have bad reactions to some of the components of popular antibiotic lotions, then the Silvex Wound Gel seems like a viable option. And, frankly, at just over $8 for a 0.5oz tube, it’s a fairly inexpensive option to add to your medicine cabinet or first aid kit. Plus when you add in it can be used for things like sunburns and bug bites, that gives you some additional flexibility in how to deploy it. If you want to give it a go, it’s available at the purveyor of all things, Amazon.
