Sunburns are the dark side of your summer vacation and one of those things that can completely ruin your mood and beach days plan. It may have happened accidentally (you forgot your high SPF beach lotion at home, you forgot to reapply it or you just fell asleep) or it may have happened knowingly (you don’t believe sun rays damage your skin as you believe it to be resilient to burns). While the use of sun lotions is a very important task, according to the CDC, there are still many people that get sunburned every year.
The best way to treat sunburn is to prevent it – just like the best cure for lice is to use natural lice prevention methods. However, if you happen to find yourself in this painful situation, not everything is lost – there are still plenty of natural DIY sunburn treatments you can use safely, without turning to medication. Today we will take a look at how to make your own sunburn relief, exploring a few easy and quick home remedy recipes.
1. The Potato Paste
Potatoes are mistakenly considered just starchy vegetables that taste awesome. However, potatoes are some of the most nutritious and healthy veggies out there with highly healing benefits. In fact, the potato’s contents actually speed up the recovery process more than you’d think. The starches that potatoes contain can help you get rid of the sunburn and the pain that comes with it. (Source: Homeremedybook.com). Potatoes have anti-inflammatory properties, and they are loaded with vitamins to help your skin heal faster. One of the simplest ways to use potatoes as a sunburn treatment is to:
- Take two of them
- Grate them well
- Blend them to make a mushy paste.
- Apply the paste on the sunburns and leave it to dry
- Rinse the paste when showering
- Repeat the process until the sunburn heals.
2. The Vinegar/Yogurt Salad Dressing for Your Skin
Vinegar is oftentimes considered a natural sunburn lotion. After all, it has been successfully used for centuries as a fever reliever. However, when it comes to truly treating sunburn after a beach day, you should focus on apple cider vinegar because of the recognized anti-inflammatory and astringent properties. Never use vinegar, however, if your skin presents blisters or abrasions.
- Mix two cups of water with two cups of apple cider vinegar and tampon your skin using a clean towel.
- Keep the towel on your burn area for 15 minutes.
- Repeat until you feel the heat of the area diminishing and the pain slowly fading.
After the vinegar treatment, patch your skin with plain yogurt – known as Greek yogurt. Make sure the yogurt is plain and doesn’t contain fruits, flavors or other ingredients. You can make yogurt in your own oven and enjoy its full benefits, or you can use store-bought Greek yogurt packed with probiotics and enzymes perfect for your skin.
- Wash your hands with antibacterial soap before applying the yogurt
- Apply the yogurt on the affected skin that was previously treated with apple cider vinegar
- Wait for five minutes and enjoy the cooling and healing effect
- Remove the yogurt gently with a soft towel.
EXTRA TIP: If you don’t have Greek yogurt on hand, you can replace it with olive oil. It has incredible properties for the skin, preventing it from developing blisters and moisturizing it enough also to prevent peeling. After you used vinegar, apply olive oil directly on the skin and let it get absorbed.
3. The Aloe Vera Gel
Ideally, you should grow your own Aloe Vera plant at home, as it is not only miraculous for sunburns but also to treat acne or heartburns. Aloe is one of the most popular sources of skin care treatments and using its fresh jelly juice for healing, or cosmetic purposes is a very smart idea. According to medical specialists, you can also use a store-bought Aloe Vera gel or cream – but make sure it is as free of perfume or other ingredients as much as it can.
- No matter if you use natural Aloe Vera gel taken directly from the leaves or a store-bought gel, make sure you keep it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes – you need its cooling properties now more than ever.
- Apply the gel on your sunburned skin areas and let it dry naturally
- Repeat a few times a day until the skin regains its health and the pain is no longer present
4. The Good Old Fashioned Milk
You probably already have milk in the fridge – so if you just found yourself in the situation of quickly treating sunburn, milk is the fastest, cheapest and easiest way to start the healing process. Milk is high in protein, and its fatty consistency will help the skin create a layer of protective cells, soothing the redness and the aching. The recipe is simple:
- Use cold milk from the fridge to soak a compress, soft cloth or gauze in it
- Drain the excess liquid
- Wrap the cloth around it if possible.
- If the burn is on your back or chest, rest with the compress gently but firmly pressed against the damaged skin area until the milk reaches room temperature.
- Repeat the process until the burn feeling and pain are gone.
5. Baking Soda
Baking soda is a common household item having multiple beauty uses for the skin and tens of uses around the house. For sunburns, baking soda is a miracle maker (and a fast and cheap one as well): it reduces inflammation, diminishes the skin redness and decreases the pain level. This is what you have to do:
- Mix baking soda with cool water until you get a paste
- Apply the paste on the sunburn and leave it to dry until the heat is lower or the pain fades away.
- Rinse with cool water
EXTRA TIP: You can mix baking soda with Aloe Vera gel or olive oil for a creamier, more effective skin care treatment. You can also use such a mix for weekly face skin cleaning and hydration.
Are there any other homemade sunburn treatments you use? Do you usually treat sunburns differently?
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