Natural First Aid for Sunburns

This article discusses how to avoid becoming sunburned, how to limit the damage and what to do to reduce itching and discomfort while burns heal.

First Aid for Sunburns starts with not getting them in the first place. The most dangerous time for burns is the noon hours, but the prime morning to afternoon hours of 10:00 am to 3:00 pm are all significantly more dangerous than early morning or sunset hours. If possible, get to the beach early, take a mid-day break and resume after 3:00 pm and before the sun goes down for the day.

Carry a beach umbrella or inflatable cabana for shade. Failing that, at least don a brimmed hat and UV protective shades. The Betmar hat company has hats that are rated equivalent to 50 sunblock. Look for them.

Slather plenty of sunblock. Reapply as swimming or sweating requires. Wear a cover-up over the suit when relaxing at poolside or beach, and consider wearing a white tee over the suit in the water to protect areas that you cannot reach to apply sunblock to.

But what happens if you do everything right, but still look like a well-turned piece of meat? First, get out of the sun. Next, evaluate the damage. Home treatment is appropriate for first degree burns. A first degree burn is a surface burn that does not penetrate to lower levels of the flesh. If significant blistering is seen or worse, if the blisters have already broken and are oozing fluid, you need to see a doctor. These are signs of second to third degree burns and the loss of fluid can be dangerous.

First aid for minor sunburns is as simple as buying a quart of milk. Pour the milk into lukewarm to cool bathwater and soak. The milk will draw poison from the skin and cool a burn. Another traditional alternative is cider vinegar in water.

Commercial products with benzocaine are also a possibility, but they can cause allergic reactions. Bath and Bodyworks is one company that offers products with benzocaine for topical relief.

For gardening buffs, a pot full of aloe vera can be a godsend. Traditionally kept in the kitchen for healing scalds, the moisturizing properties of this plant are also beneficial for sunburns. Many moisturizers contain aloe vera as an ingredient and may be applied to restore some of the moisture removed by the sun. Avoid the temptation to apply greases such as butter or petroleum jelly to a new burn as this may seal heat in.

As the burn heals intense itching may set in. To cope with these symptoms, buy ordinary, uncooked oatmeal such as Quaker oats and use a food processor or coffee grinder to render it to a dust-fine powder. This ultrafine powder which turns milky when blended with water is known as colloidal oatmeal and is an effective and safe topical remedy for a variety of itchy problems from healing sunburns through poison-ivy, mosquito bites and allergic reactions. Already prepared colloidal oatmeal is also sold by Aveeno.

Anti-inflammatory medicines such as aspirin may also be taken to reduce pain and redness. While healing, avoid re-burning the skin. Repeated burning increases the risk of skin cancer, and unprotected sun exposure is a leading cause of cataracts afflicting the older population.

Enjoy the summertime sunshine with these timely tips. See you at the beach.