7 Natural Remedies To Ease The Pain Of Sunburn #sunburn #naturalremedies #summersun #parenting #naturalhealth

At some time or another, we’ve all experienced the effects of sunburn – be it a light burn or more severe.

If you have accidentally found yourself having spent a little too much time in the sun, here are 7 natural home remedies to help ease the pain of sunburn, and assist in the body’s healing process.



Each of us most likely has at least one memory of nasty, painful sunburn for ourselves or a close friend or family.

As anyone who has experienced bad sunburn will verify, the amount of time spent causing the sunburn, is largely disproportionate to the length of time that can be spent suffering the consequences of its effects.

In this respect, and depending on the severity of burning, the pain and discomfort can persist for several days after the event, as the body works to heal and recover from the unprotected UV exposure.

The symptoms include anything from red hot skin – either tender or painful to touch - to nausea, dehydration, blistering and flaking or peeling of the skin.

Unless the symptoms are severe, (in which instance you may need to consider medical treatment), time and natural remedies are the best cure.

Here are 7 simple and natural home remedies that will cost you next to nothing, and which will assist in soothing the sting and pain of sunburn.



4 Natural Home Remedies to Ease the Pain of Sunburn

Although the sting of regret of inadequate protection can be an excellent incentive to plan more carefully on future occasions, it's of little help in soothing the immediate physical sting (i.e. pain) accompanying sunburn.

If you've accidentally stayed out in the sun too long, there are some things you can do that can help soothe the pain, reduce itching and prevent peeling.

So if you have found yourself having spent a little too much time in the sun, here are 4 natural home remedies to help ease the pain of sunburn, and assist in the body’s healing process.

Most of these treatments are inexpensive and all of them are natural - you may even have some of them in your kitchen cabinets or pantry.



1. Cool Baths

Soaking in a cool bath is one of the best ways to draw heat from the skin and soothe the pain and discomfort of sunburn.

Try to make sure all the affected areas are submerged in the water.

Soak for 15 minutes or until relief is felt.

N.B. Avoid cold water as this can cause the body to go into shock.

Here are some additional things to add to the bath for further relief:
  • Add a cup of baking soda to a lukewarm, but rinse off afterwards as the residue can be itchy.

Bath water can be poured over your body using your hands or a soft washcloth.

Burned facial areas can be gently dabbed using the cloth, or alternately you can splash water directly onto your face.

After soaking, lightly pat the skin dry with a soft cotton towel.

If you’ve take an oatmeal bath, let the light coating of oatmeal that clings to your skin remain.



2. Natural Oils: Coconut, Almond, Olive

When you get out of your bath, natural oils are a good choice for replacing your skin's lost moisture. 

Pure coconut oil is solid at room temperature, but melts quickly in the hands and on the skin.

Almond oil is said to be the closest to natural skin oil - sweet almond oil is considered the best.

Olive oil is an ancient remedy against sun-dried skin, and is used extensively to moisten skin in the desert regions of the Middle East.



3. Cool Milk Compress

This is not going to heal your burn, but it allows it to cool off shortly after you get the sunburn.

It can be difficult finding that initial cooling off period, and milk helps.

What you want to do is get some chilled milk and pour it into a bowl.

Dip an extra-soft washcloth into the bowl of cool whole milk, allowing it to become completely saturated in milk, then place it over your burned skin.

You will notice that within a few minutes, it cools off substantially.

The fat and lactic acids in milk are known to have soothing qualities for sunburned skin.

Do this for around 20 minutes, and follow by rinsing off with cool water.

Due to the importance of the milk’s fat content, it’s important that whole milk be used in this treatment.



4. Cool, Sugarless Tea

Tea, green or black, has skin-soothing properties and has been known to relieve sunburn, stop the itch and prevent peeling.

Black tea seems to work the best, or you could use a combination of green and black.

Brew a quart or so of strong tea, pour it into a lukewarm bath, and soak.

The tannins in tea are the active ingredient here, which helps to soothe and relieve some of the discomfort of sunburned skin.

Alternatively, after brewing a big pot of tea, and allowing it to cool completely, dampen the affected areas with a soft sponge or washcloth.

You could also fill a spray bottle, and spray the tea directly on the skin.

And don’t throw away the used (cool) teabags.

These are especially good for sensitive areas around the eyes – simply place the teabags over your eyes if they feel hot and tired.

(If you have St. John’s Wort oil too, consider using this as it contains cooling properties, which can help tone down some of the heat in your skin, as well as soothing the nerve endings damaged by the sunburn).



5. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is commonly used to treat sunburn. It provides soothing relief and may also assist in the healing process.

Apply to the affected areas as needed.

Although the gel extracted directly from an aloe Vera plant works best, if you don’t have ready access to one, you may use an over the counter Aloe Vera Cream that contains the gel.

Aloe vera gel is often sold in stores, so many people use it to cool and soothe their skin after a burn.

It cools off the burn while also helping it to heal more quickly.

If you don’t have any aloe in the house, but have an aloe plant in your backyard, you can use pure aloe vera gel directly from the leaves of that plant and apply it to your burn.

Simply slit a thick Aloe leaf lengthwise down the middle and scoop out the gel.

You can use a knife to scrape the inside of the leaf in order to get all the gel out.

Many stores sell Aloe vera gel, but make sure it's pure gel - Aloe vera juice or lotions and skin products containing Aloe are not the same.

Apply this ancient burn remedy liberally to sunburned skin that is clean and dry.



6. Essential Oils

Aloe vera is an amazing way to relieve pain from a sunburn, but it doesn’t always have to be used alone. 

While you can definitely just open up an aloe leaf and put some of the gel onto your burn, you can increase how well it works by adding some essential oils.

Choose cooling and healing essential oils known to help with burns to soothe the skin, such as lavender oil, chamomile oil, tea tree oil and calendula oil.

You can go ahead and create your own concoction, or just start with one oil at a time to see how well it works for your burn.

Lavender is one of the best to use since it is very soothing and relaxing on your skin.

Be very careful when using pure essential oil on your skin, especially on a burned area.

Dilute it heavily and only add more drops as needed, then spray it onto your burn.



7. Hydrate Your Skin

It is more important than you think to be hydrated when you have a sunburn.

This includes hydrating on the inside and the outside.

Hydrate by drinking plenty of water and other healthy fluids, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, both of which can lead to dehydration.

Hydrating your skin is best with water or herbal tea. Coconut water may be a useful addition too.

You can then hydrate the skin on the outside by keeping it moist and cooled off, starting with a cool shower, then using cool compresses on the area.

When exposed to the sun, your body loses water and essential body salts so the body becomes dehydrated.

To prevent the consequences of dehydration, increase your fluid intake to ensure you adequately re-hydrate your body for optimum recovery and health.



Final tip: Wear Loose Clothing

While your sunburn is healing, you should be resting and keeping as cool as possible.

Stay out of the sun or cover up if you need to go outside.

While indoors, wear loose-fitting clothing with breathable fabrics.

Nothing you wear should be tight or restricting, so you might want to remove your bra if your shoulders were burned.

The pain should subside within a few hours or the first couple of days, depending on how badly you were sunburned.

For at least a week, be careful with that burned skin - don't use soap, washcloths, or do any scrubbing in the shower.

Wash your hair upside-down under the bath faucet to avoid shampoo running over your sunburn.

And when you get out of the shower or bath, pat your skin dry with a soft towel - don't rub.



Sunburn should, of course, be avoided whenever possible.

But if the worst happens, use these natural remedies to ease the pain of sunburn.

Prevention and protection should always be considered the best treatment for sunburn, and will assist in ensuring your optimum long-term health!

These natural remedies should not replace medical treatments for more severe burns. If your sunburn is causing blisters, it is a 2nd degree burn, and needs medical intervention.

DISCLAIMER: These are home remedy tips only, and should not replace your regular health care provider. If in doubt at any time in relation to your sunburn, please seek the appropriate health care assistance.





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