Home remedies for Sunburn

Sunburn Home remedies

Sunburn peeling usually starts after 3 to 5 days after sun exposure. Once the skin starts to peel, there is really not much you can do to stop it. A great sunburn remedy you must start immedietely helps moisturize the skin. It is soothing and gentle on burned skin. Some of best home remedy for sunburn are as follows

1. Soak it up. For immediate relief, soak the sunburned areas in cold water (but not ice water) or with cold compresses for 15 minutes. The cold reduces swelling and wicks away heat from your skin. If you soak any longer, you risk drying out your already lizard-like skin. When you’ve emerged from the bath, resist the urge to towel off. Instead air-dry, and don’t wipe the baking soda off.

2. Take a dip. If you’re burned all over, take a soak in a cool bath to which you’ve added oatmeal. You can either buy a colloidal oatmeal product, such as Aveeno, or simply grind up a cup of oatmeal in a food processor and add it to your bath. Fill up the bathtub with cool water–not cold water because that can send the body into shock. Don’t use bath salts, oils, or bubble bath.

3. Drink Water: As the sun fried your skin, it also dehydrated it. Be sure to replenish liquids by drinking plenty of water while recovering from a sunburn. Being well hydrated will help burns heal better.

4. Give yourself a green tea compress. Brew up a pot of green tea and let it cool. Soak a clean cloth in the tea, and use it as a compress for sunburned areas. The tea contains ingredients that help protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation damage and reduce inflammation.

5. Freshen up with mint. Use the cooling, aromatic qualities of peppermint to quell the scorch of a sunburn. Either make peppermint tea or mix two drops of peppermint oil with a cup of lukewarm water. Chill the concoction and gently bathe the sunburned area.

6. Lavender & Yogurt : Mix a few drops of lavender oil with yogurt and apply on skin. Lavender has a soothing effect and diminishes the irritation and redness. Yogurt will cool the skin down, and trust me, you need a relief at times like that. Yogurt contains enzymes and acids that can help the sunburn. It might be a bit unpleasant to begin with, but once you apply it, relief comes in minutes. You can either soak a cloth in yogurt, or simply apply it on the area affected by sunburn.

7. Cucumber and baking soda :Place chilled cucumber slices on the spots affected by sunburn. Take a bath in warm water in which you have previously added 2 cups of regular baking soda. Baking soda will neutralize any possible infections and prevent further irritation. Cucumber is an ingredient that can be used for preparation of a facial peel recipe that is recommended as a sunburn home remedy as it nourishes the skin, and stops the inflammation.

8. Bring veggies to the rescue. For extra-painful spots of sunburn, rub the area gently with sliced cucumber or potato. They contain compounds that cool the burn and help reduce swelling. The plain old potato makes for a wonderful pain reliever. It’s a time-tested technique known throughout the world. Take two washed potatoes, cut them into small chunks, and place them in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until the potatoes are in liquid form. Add water if they look dry. Pat the burned areas with the pulverized potatoes.

9. Moistorize : The sun dries out the skin’s surface and causes cells and blood vessels to leak, causing even greater moisture loss. In addition, while cool baths and compresses can make you feel better, they can also end up robbing moisture from your injured skin.

10. Try some vinegar. Vinegar contains acetic acid—one of the components of medications such as Aspirin. It can help ease sunburn pain, itching, and inflammation. Soak a few sheets of paper towels in white vinegar, and apply them to the sunburned areas. Leave them on until the towels are dry. Repeat as needed.

11. Take a vinegary bath. If the sunburn itches, take a cool bath, but add two cups of vinegar to the bathwater before you get in. Slipping into a tub of chilly water is a good way to cool the burn and ease the sting, especially if the burn is widespread or on a hard-to-reach area (such as your back). Avoid using soap, which can irritate and dry out the skin.

12. Coat yourself. Mix baking soda and vinegar to make a thick paste, and slather it over the sunburned areas. Apply the salve before bedtime, and leave it on overnight.

13. Make your bed sunburn-safe. Sprinkle your sheets with cornstarch to minimize painful chafing. (Use this technique only for bad sunburns, since you’ll have to wash the sheets afterward.)

14. Go for aloe. Apply a light coating of pure aloe vera to the sunburned skin, using either a fresh piece from the plant or in the gel form you can buy at the drugstore. The thick, gel-like juice of the aloe vera plant can take the sting and redness out of a sunburn. Aloe vera causes blood vessels to constrict.  If you buy the gel, make sure it’s 100% pure aloe vera. Apply 5-6 times a day for several days.

15. Topical Anaesthesia : Topical anesthetics such as Solarcaine may offer some temporary relief from pain and itching. Look for products that contain lidocaine, which is less likely than some of the other topical anesthetics to cause an allergic reaction. Do not apply any creams, butter, petroleum jelly or any other greasy substance to a sunburn.