Sunburn, the pink or red skin that results from intense sun exposure, can take several days to heal. Symptoms like tenderness, pain, minor blistering and peeling can make those days seem to pass slowly indeed. According to dermatologist Rodney Basler, M.D., assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska, you should consult your doctor if you experience nausea, chills, high fever, weakness, extensive blistering, purple discoloration, or intense itching from sunburn. For ordinary uncomplicated sunburns, however, a soothing home remedy might offer some cooling relief from the burning and discomfort. Test the remedies on a small area first to make sure you're not allergic.
Step 1
Wrap 4 tbsp. uncooked oatmeal in a small square of cheesecloth or gauze.
Step 2
Hold the bundle under cool running tap water with a small bowl underneath. The oatmeal water you collect has skin-soothing properties, according to dermatologist Fredric Haberman, M.D., a clinical instructor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. In a study conducted at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and published in the January 2007 issue of "Clinical and Experimental Dermatology," researchers found that oatmeal lotion had anti-inflammatory properties and was effective in controlling rashes.
Step 3
Soak a clean washcloth in the water, then apply the washcloth as a compress to alleviate pain in affected areas. Use the compress every two to four hours, keeping it in the refrigerator in between uses.
Step 4
Use clean, sharp scissors to cut a leaf from an aloe plant, making the cut near the bottom of the leaf, at the widest part. To avoid stressing the plant, choose a large and thriving aloe plant with plenty of well-developed leaves. Slit the leaf up the side, scrape out the sticky, clear gel and apply it directly to sunburned areas after you have treated the area with the oatmeal water compress. Aloe has long been thought to have healing properties, and Dr. Basler concurs. "We're starting to see evidence in medical literature that aloe vera may really help wound healing," Dr. Basler states.
Step 5
Apply 2 tbsp. of honey mixed with 1/2 tsp. lime juice to the affected areas instead of the aloe if you prefer. With this remedy, suggested by Free Makeup Tips, you are employing two beneficial substances at once. Lime juice is a mild natural antiseptic, while honey has been used for centuries as a skin-soother and wound-healer. There is some scientific research supporting the belief in honey's therapeutic properties. In a clinical study conducted at Vaishampayan Memorial Medical College in Maharashtra, India and published in the March 1998 issue of "Burns," researchers found that honey provided burn patients with better control of infection and quicker wound healing than silver sulfadiazine, a medication commonly used to treat burns.
Things You'll Need
- 4 tbsp. uncooked oatmeal
- Small square of cheesecloth or gauze
- Small bowl
- Clean washcloth
- Aloe vera plant
- Clean, sharp scissors
- 2 tbsp. honey (optional)
- 1/2 tsp. lime juice (optional)
References
- MotherNature.com: The Doctor's Book of Home Remedies--Sunburn
- Free Makeup Tips: Best Home Remedies for Curing Sunburn
- Science Direct: A Prospective Randomized Clinical and Histological Study of Superficial Burn Wound Healing With Honey and Silver Sulfadiazine
- PubMed.gov: Effect of Treatment with a Colloidal Oatmeal Lotion on Acneform Eruption
Member Comments