Household Items that Help Relieve a Sunburn

Summer is such a great season to get outdoors and have fun. Millions of people flock to the beach to soak in as much sun as possible, but so many of them come home feeling terrible with sunburns that range from the sun kissed to the full blown burn. You don't have to go out and buy expensive remedies, however. Many items you have at home will relieve that burn and help you become more comfortable in your own skin. Some of them even help the burn to fade more quickly.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal has a wonderful way of softening and invigorating skin. It nourishes and soothes. You don't need to buy any special oatmeal products, however. You can use oatmeal itself straight out of the container. Just add two cups of oatmeal to a warm bath and soak. The mixture of warm water with the oatmeal really helps relieve the sting that lasts for a few hours.

Lavender Oil

Lavender oil, like oatmeal, softens and soothes skin. It also smells nice. You can make a body oil from lavender oil by simply adding one part lavender oil to 10 parts olive or rice oil. Apply liberally to your sunburn and relax. You can also add three or four drops to your bath water to get some added relief.

Epsom Salt

Epsom salt is amazing at helping to heal minor skin irritations. It pulls impurities from the skin and helps minimize infection. Epsom salt is also easy to use. You simply pour two cups in a warm bath and soak in it. If your sunburn is bad enough to become infected, I highly recommend soaking in a bath with Epsom salt. It does sting for a moment on contact, but only for a few seconds. The relief it offers lasts for hours. It will also help your skin to heal itself more quickly.

Noxzema

Noxzema is a must for those with a sunburn. It soothes the burn and at the same time helps clean any bacteria in your skin once you wash it off in the shower or bath. It also helps to cause your dead skin from the burn to peel faster, hurrying the healing process. It takes the "heat" out of the burn, and moisturizes dry, damaged sunburned skin.

To really help a nasty sunburn I suggest a mixture of two cups oatmeal and two cups Epsom salt to a warm bath. After washing (using a soap with vitamin E in it) and drying, then slather your sunburn down with a lavender oil/olive oil mixture. Wear loose fitting, soft clothing. Then, at night before bed, slather Noxzema all over the infected area. Using this method will help even a nasty sunburn disappear in half the time with half the discomfort.