Summer Sunburn Remedies

Sunburns are not only painful; they are dangerous to our health as well. A blistering sunburn can increase the risk of developing skin cancer known as malignant melanoma. As temperatures on Earth continue to get warmer we become more and more vulnerable to the damaging ultraviolet rays that cause skin cancers. If you do find yourself with lobster colored red skin, there are treatments available to help reduce the pain and get rid of the heat. The faster the sunburn is treated, the less damage your skin receives.

Sunburn Treatments

Aloe Vera
According to MJ Campbell, Aloe Vera is top on Hawaii's list of treatments for Sunburns. Aloe Vera is a miracle treatment for sunburns. It is an antibacterial substance that helps stimulate the immune system. Hospitals are known to use this for burn patients because it contains aloectin B.

Apple cider vinegar
Use a cotton ball or cotton cloth to apply apple cider vinegar to your sunburn. Make sure to keep your skin moist with cider vinegar to prevent peeling and blisters on the burned areas.

Baking Soda
Run a bath with the temperature as close to your own body temperature as you can get and then make it slightly cooler. You don't want it to be cold, just cool. Add a ½ cup baking soda to the bath and soak.

Black Tea
Pat Veretto recommends using peppermint tea in her sunburn remedies article, which is great especially when mixed with black tea. For the black tea remedy, brew black tea in a teapot or sauce pan and allow it to cool. Once cooled, pour into a spray bottle, shake and spritz your sunburn. Ingredients in the black tea sooth sunburns and draw out the heat.

Calendula Creams
Calendula is a healing plant. The healing properties of the flowers are antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antiviral.

Cucumbers
Rub cucumber slices on your sunburn. They have a cooling effect, taste good and will soothe your burn.

Lavender
Drop 20-25 drops of lavender oil into one cup of water. Add mixture to a tepid bath and soak the sunburn away.

Lemon water
Mix one cup lemon juice with two cups cold water. Use a cotton ball or cotton cloth to gently rub mixture over sunburned area. Lemon cools the burn and acts as a disinfectant.

Milk
Soak a cotton cloth in cold milk, place in plastic bag and freeze for twenty minutes. After freezing, wring excess milk from the cloth and apply as a compress. Refreeze compress ever twenty minutes to retain coolness. Apply compress in twenty minute cycles for two hours. Be sure to wash the milk off of your body afterwards so you don't smell like sour milk.

Oatmeal
Just like oatmeal is good for chicken pox it is also good for moisturizing and soothing skin that has been sunburned. Simply dump oatmeal into a tepid bath and soak.

Onion
Bruise a white onion and rub on the sunburned area.

Peppermint
Use a cotton ball to rub peppermint oil on your sunburn. Peppermint is a cooling agent.

Potato
Kassidy Emmerson suggests the potato technique in her article on homemade remedies for sunburn relief. Use grated potato shavings to apply to your sunburn. Starch is the element in potatoes that cools sunburns.

St. Johns Wort
For burns that have not blistered or caused open wounds use St. Johns Wort to make an ointment. Word to the wise, St. John's Wort makes the skin sensitive to sunlight so you should avoid being in the sun if you use this remedy.

Vitmin E Cream
Creams and ointments containing vitamin E aid the healing process and shorten the effects of sunburn on your skin.

Witch hazel
Make a compress using witch hazel to cool your burn. Just apply the compress as need to cool your skin.

Yogurt
Rub plain yogurt that has no flavor, but contains live cultures on your sunburn. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and then rinse off with cool or tepid water. You can also mix one cup mashed strawberries with one cup plain yogurt and apply for 15 minutes before rinsing.