Home remedies for sunburn relief require simple household ingredients that can cool the skin and keep it from peeling or blistering. The sooner you apply these remedies, the better. Sunburned skin is a condition that rarely requires a doctor's attention, but if you have blisters, purplish patches, a fever or chills, you should seek professional medical advice.
Dairy Products
The proteins in dairy products can moisturize dry sunburned areas and soothe burning. According to "Jude's Herbal Home Remedies," by herbalist Jude Todd, the best items in this category are plain, unsweetened yogurt and skim milk. If you're using yogurt, apply it to all the sunburned areas using a soft sponge or cloth, then rinse it off in a cool shower. If you're using skim milk, mix 1 cup of milk with 4 cups of ice water. Soak compresses in the mixture, then apply them directly to your burn for 20 minutes every two to four hours.
Vinegar
Vinegar's acidity draws the sting out of sunburn and cools the skin. There are two different ways you can apply white vinegar to a sunburn. The first method is to simply soak some cotton balls in vinegar, then gently rub it into your skin. You can also add it to a bath: Draw a cool bath and pour about a cup of white vinegar into the water. Soak in the bath for as long as desired.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera has strong antibiotic properties that can actually help heal sunburned areas. If it's applied as soon as you notice redness and heat, it can keep even severely sunburned skin from blistering and peeling. It's quite simple to apply. Break off an aloe vera leaf where it meets the main stem on the plant and squeeze the gel from the leaf into your hand. Gently rub the gel directly on your sunburn, repeating every few hours to keep the area moisturized and cool. You can also add 2 cups of aloe vera juice, which is available at health food stores, to a bath to make a cooling soak.
Oatmeal
The starch in oatmeal forms a protective, soothing coating over sunburns that temporarily halts itching and pain. To make an oatmeal soak, add a 2 to 3 tsp. of colloidal oatmeal to a tub of lukewarm water and rest in the water for 20 to 30 minutes. Repeat the process as often as necessary. Colloidal oatmeal is available in the skincare section of many drugstores and natural food stores; it is also prescribed for chicken pox and rashes.
References
- "1,801 Home Remedies;" Editors of Reader's Digest; 2004
- "Jude's Herbal Home Remedies;" Jude C. Todd; 2002
- MotherNature.com: Sunburn
