Warm weather is here! The sun is out and it’s time for picnics, camping, swimming and outdoor sports! But it’s also time for sunburns! Sunburns can happen quicker than you think and can be incredibly painful.
Treating a sunburn doesn’t have to mean a trip to the pharmacy, though, here are some effective home remedies and common sense techniques to ease your pain and heal the damage after getting burned.
1-A sunburn is a topical burn and can be treated the same way as any other burn. Like burns from other sources, your cells may still be suffering damage even after being removed from the heat source. Use cold, clean water to stop the burning process. A cloth soaked with cold water can really help soothe a bad burn. Cells need water to repair internally as well. Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water to help your body recover.
2-Avoid scrubbing or using harsh soaps on your skin which may only aggravate the inflammation. Clean the burn with cool, clean water. Wipe the burn gently to remove dirt.
3-Epson salts or baking soda dissolved in water can be applied with a clean cloth to help heal burns. Soak in a cool bath with either of these ingredients mixed in for all over comfort.
4-Aloe plants are well known for their burn relief properties. Keep an aloe plant at home, cut off a stalk and rub it on the burn. The plant will regrow its leaves for a consistent source of burn treatment.
5-Use lavender oil mixed in water (20 drops oil to 1 cup water) and pour into a spray bottle for quick relief.
6-Witch Hazel on a clean cloth is a great topical treatment.
7-Moisturize your skin! A burn will heal much more quickly with regular moisturizing. Use a lotion with natural aloe and vitamin E to improve your healing time.
8-Rest. A bad sunburn is taxing on your body. It takes lots of energy for your skin to naturally repair. Eat well, drink plenty of water and get a full night’s sleep to help your body’s natural healing.
Food Based Remedies: Got a sunburn? Head to the kitchen!
9-Starch may help burns. Grate potatoes and apply as a compress.
10-A thin, diluted solution of apple cider vinegar can take the sting out of a burn.
11-Soak in cool bathwater with tea (black or green) added.
12-The live cultures of plain yogurt may also help, apply directly to the effected skin.
13-Oatmeal in a bath is effective for soothing burned skin.
14-Low-fat milk that is cool, but not too cold, can be poured over sunburns to stop the burning sensation.
15-Fresh cucumbers have natural healing and antioxidant properties. Mash fresh cucumbers and apply to the sunburned areas as a compress.
16-Mix cornstarch with just enough water to make a paste. That paste can then be applied to the sunburn.
Be smart about recovery!
It can take three to six months for your skin to fully recover from a bad burn. In the interim, keep covered, use sunscreen and limit the amount of time you’re exposed to direct sunlight.
Of course, be smart about treatment. Minor sunburns can be easily treated at home. But severe sunburns with blistering should be treated by a doctor. If your burn is accompanied by a fever, dizziness or other symptoms you must seek medical attention immediately.
Be smart, stay protected, and beat the burn this summer!
SOURCES:almanac.com, prevention.com
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