Sunburn is not fun! It itches, burns, and sometimes makes the skin peel. You can prepare the following sunburn remedies in order to get immediate natural sunburn relief.
The best way to avoid dealing with sunburn is to try and stay away from sun exposure and use a sun block with an SPF of 15. The higher the SPF, the longer the protection.
Note: SPF of 15 means you get 150 minutes of protection (10×15).
Before I tell you about natural remedies for sunburn, let me give you a quick recipe for prevention of sunburn.
Preventing the sunburn - Go fruit!
If you are not in a hurry, put aside some time to prepare this simple recipe:
- Peel and mash 3-4 ripe apricots;
- Apply the mix on your face and leave it on for 15 minutes;
- Finally, wash it off with lukewarm water.
If you already have a sunburn, here are recipes that can provide instant relief…
Immediate natural sunburn relief - Before applying the remedies
Once the skin is red and irritated, you can be sure that the skin has suffered damage. There are no ways to cure sunburn, but you can start with a long shower where the water is almost cold. When you are done taking a shower, use a soft towel to gently tap the skin to absorb the water. Don’t rub the skin, as this will increase the irritation.
Natural sunburn relief remedies - 7 instant relief recipes
Sunburn usually occurs after 15 or more minutes of exposure to UV lights. There is a time frame, usually between 5-40 hours when the pain starts.
Over the counter treatments are marketed to make you believe the ingredients they contain are one of a kind and a product of recent scientific research. Not really! These ingredients have been used for sunburn relief for centuries. They provide instant relief, they are all natural, and best of all, they cost almost nothing.
1. Yogurt
Soak a soft cloth in yogurt or simply apply it on the area affected by sunburn. Leave it on until it dries (this will happen soon after you apply it due to skin’s increased temperature) and rinse it off with cool water. Repeat if necessary.
Yogurt contains enzymes and acids that can help the sunburn. It might be a bit unpleasant to begin with, but once you apply it, relief comes in minutes.
2. Lavender/yogurt remedy
Mix a few drops of lavender oil with yogurt and apply on skin.
Yogurt will cool the skin down and lavender oil with help soothe the skin and diminish irritation and redness.
3. Cucumber and baking soda
Place chilled cucumber slices on the spots affected by sunburn.
Take a bath in warm water in which you have previously added 2 cups of regular baking soda.
Baking soda will neutralize any possible infections and prevent further irritation and cucumber will cool and nourish the skin preventing any possible inflammation.
4. Tea tree oil
Dilute 1 part of tea tree oil with 10 parts of olive oil and dab freely on the skin.
Tea tree oil wonderfully soothes the skin and prevents sunburn itching and peeling.
5. Aloe vera
Use aloe vera gel or a product containing aloe vera. Apply it gently to the skin and you will feel your skin cool down immediately.
Aloe vera is often used as a healing ingredient, it is one of the most powerful natural agents out there. It will soothe the skin and heal the damage.
6. Tea bags
Prepare a big pot of tea (chamomile is great for this), don’t add any sugar to it. Let the tea completely cool down and then use a soft cloth immersed in tea to evenly spread the liquid across the affected area.
Tannin in the tea, similar to aloe, soothes the skin and prevents any further damage.
7. Hydrate
It is important to either use water as a cold compress (soak a cloth in cold water and apply on the affected area) or drink it. Drinking water will prevent dehydration and allow the skin to recover from the loss of fluid due to increased body temperature.
Severe natural sunburn relief
When remedies are not enough
There is a point when natural sunburn relief remedies are not enough.
If you have suffered severe sunburn, the best thing you can do is to not use any of these remedies but to put some bandages on and see a doctor as soon as possible. Severe sunburn is often accompanied by blistering and there is a chance of contracting an infection, so be careful!
What not to use as a sunburn remedy
I am sure you have heard of sunburn vinegar home remedy. People recommend it for skin after excessive exposure to sun. I would not recommend it!
It does cool your skin down, but its acidity also irritates the skin and causes sunburn peeling. You do not want to irritate the skin even more than it already is.
As you can see in this picture, sunburn can be so severe that blistering appears. When this happens, do not use any of the above mentioned remedies.
What you can do is to apply clean bandages to prevent any infection that might develop.
Lip sunburn
We often forget that when we expose ourselves to sun, our lips are exposed too and can be damaged. Apply a lip balm before you leave the house. In case they do get affected by sun and become dry and start peeling, apply some butter on them a few times a day.
Sunburn swelling (edema) home remedy
Sunburn swelling or edema, occurs as water accumulates under the skin, usually legs. Try positioning your legs so they are above a 45 degree angle and also applying a cool compress on them. Cool compress may be a cloth dipped in cold water. Basically, anything cold will act as a sunburn swelling remedy.
Someone once told me that it is good to soak your feet in water to which salt has been added. I haven’t tried this and would not, honestly. It might work as a foot soak for general feet swelling but exposing the sunburnt skin to salt is not recommended.
Get Instant Sunburn First Aide Pain relief by Using Some Powerful Home Remedies and Reduce Blistering and Peeling by 85%
