Although we try our hardest to not get sunburned by wearing SPF swim shirts and sunscreen, every once in a while we still get sunburned. And...a sunburn can hurt really bad.
Here are some ideas for natural sunburn relief that you can try at home to relieve the redness and pain and try to avoid peeling:
Apply gel from an aloe vera plant
If you have an aloe vera plant, slit leaves down the middle and apply the gel to your burn. You can also buy aloe vera gel to apply on larger areas.
Apply a compress soaked in one of the following:
- Cold Water
- Witch Hazel - this has anti-inflammatory properties
- Fat-free Milk - use cool milk to create a protein film to relieve discomfort
Take an Oatmeal bath
Add uncooked rolled oatmeal to a tepid bath and soak in the tub. The polysaccharides will coat and heal your skin. It will also help with any itch you may have due to the sunburn.
Take a Vinegar bath
Add one cup of apple cider vinegar to a tepid bath to balance the pH of your skin and relieve pain. Or you can use a spray bottle to spray vinegar directly onto the burn.
Apply a paste of cornstarch or baking soda
Add enough cornstarch or baking soda to cool water to create a paste that you can apply to your sunburn. Or you can add baking soda to a cool bath.
Apply plain yogurt to the burn
Apply plain yogurt directly onto your sunburn and let it sit for at least 5 minutes.
Apply cool cucumbers to the burn
You can either cut up cool cucumbers and apply them directly to your sunburn, or you can mix them in a blender to create a paste and then apply to the burn.
Stay hydrated
Be sure you're drinking extra water to stay hydrated.
The best cure for a sunburn is prevention. Be sure to apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before an activity and reapply often.
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