Summer is a time for fun and soaking under the sun. It’s the best time of the year to kick back, relax, enjoy the beach and maybe get a little tan. You’ve got to be careful though ‘cause summer’s also time for sunburn.
If you’ve overexposed your skin to too much sun and you ended up getting a sunburn, these homemade remedies can bring you comfort while Mother Nature heals your burn.
1. Cold Compress
Your skin will be inflamed following a burn. Applying cold compress on the affected area will help cool it down. Soak a washcloth in cold water or water with ice cubes. Wring the excess water and lay it over the affected area. Rewet the cloth to keep it cool. Repeat this procedure several times a day to relieve discomfort.
You can also use fat-free milk for your compresses. Add one cup of fat-free milk to 4 cups of water and add a few ice cubes. Dip a washcloth in it and apply over affected area for 15 to 20 minutes. Repeat this procedure every 2 to 4 hours.
2. Take a cool bath
Take a cool bath in exchange for cold compresses. If you do take a bath, however, stay away from soaps or bubble baths. Soap can dry and irritate dry skin. If you must use soap, use the mildest that you can find and rinse it off very well.
3. Tea bags
Teabags can help relieve pain and decrease swelling from your burned eyelids. Soak the teabags in cold water and lay these over your eyes. Tea contains tannic acid which is an astringent that helps reduce swelling.
4. Baking soda
Add a few heaping tablespoons of baking soda in your bath water. Stir the water then soak in it for 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t soak longer than this or you’ll run the risk of drying out your already dried out skin. Don’t towel off when you’ve emerged from the bath. Instead, let the air dry you off so as not to wipe the baking soda off.
5. Oatmeal
Oatmeal is known to have soothing effects on the skin, thereby providing relief to stinging, sunburn skin. Add a cup of finely ground oatmeal into a bathtub filled with cool water. Stir the water until it turns milk then soak in it for about 20 minutes. Just like with baking soda, allow the air to dry you out when you emerge from the bath. Don’t wipe the oatmeal off.
6. Aloe vera
Aloe vera is probably the most common home remedy used for sunburns and all for good reason. The gel extracted from its leaf has anti-inflammatory and soothing properties, which helps relieve pain from a sunburned skin. Aloe vera also encourages the growth of new skin.
Simply slit open one of the broad aloe vera leaves and apply the gel directly to the burned skin. Do this five to six times a day for several days. For a greater cooling effect, you can try refrigerating the leaves before slitting them open.
7. Keep hydrated
Make sure that you drink plenty of fluids while recovering from a sunburn. Being well hydrated will help your burn to heal better and faster. You’ll know if you’re well hydrated when your urine is almost clear.
