Natural Ways to Ease Sunburn

Photo courtesy: Care2

As springtime heads into summer, our thoughts often turn to fun in the sun. Sometimes though, we overdo it and end up with a painful sunburn. While some daily sunshine is extremely healthy, the best idea is to avoid too much sun exposure at one time. When you do get too much sun, promptly take steps to help relieve the pain and heal your skin.

One common remedy for sunburn is yogurt. Smear yogurt on your skin as soon as it turns pink to help cool the skin, reestablish pH balance and promote faster healing. It is best to use plain unsweetened full-fat yogurt that contains few additives. Let it sit on your skin until it warms up and then rinse it off with tepid water. Apply as often as needed. Better still, use a paste made of barley, turmeric and yogurt in equal proportions. Apply it over the affected areas for sunburn relief and healing.

Another common item that can be used for sunburns is tea. Make a large pot of very strong tea, use a towel to soak up all the tea and then apply to the sunburn area. Alternately, use a large number of teabags and make a bathtub full of tea; soak in the bath when the temperature is tepid to barely warm. The tannins in tea help draw out the burn and heal the skin. You can also apply cold, used tea bags to sun-burned eyelids to relieve pain and swelling.

When it comes to burns, one should never be without Aloe Vera gel, which is also wonderful for minor scrapes and cuts and an all around wonderful substance for the skin. One superior good remedy for sunburn is to combine aloe Vera, vitamin E oil, and cucumbers. Liquefy cucumbers in a blender and mix with aloe vera gel, and vitamin e oil.

An age old remedy for sunburns mentioned in ancient texts is potato peels - and it appears to have science on its side. Doctors have found that in case of minor burns, potato peel bandages work better than conventional dressing. Potato peels provide moisture and they also have anti-bacterial properties that help in healing.

Another superior sunburn remedy is lavender. Lavender essential oil not only relieves sunburn, but it also prevents peeling and may enable you to keep your tan.

A homemade sunburn spray can be made as follows:

Ingredients:

2 fluid ounces of distilled water
9 drops of lavender oil
2 drops of peppermint oil
1 drop of spearmint oil

Directions:

Mix all, and spritz lightly over sunburned skin.

Other suggestions are:

* Try applying thin slices of cold cucumbers or apples directly to the skin.

* Puree a peeled cucumber and rub it on your face.

* Mix two teaspoons of tomato juice and 4 tablespoons of buttermilk and apply on the face. Leave for one to two hours and wash off.

* Mix olive oil with equal quantity of vinegar and apply an hour before your bath.

* Apply a thin paste of sandalwood to the sunburn area.

* Apply vitamin E oil and plenty of moisturizer for several days after the initial sunburn.

* Chill a spray bottle of Vinegar in the fridge and then spritz it on your burn.

* Apply mayonnaise on sunburned areas.

* Wipe your face with a cloth soaked in chilled rose water (gulab jal) after a long tiring day.

Note: Avoid using any products which contain lanolin immediately after a sunburn. Lanolin can actually make the burn feel worse once it is warmed by the body's temperature. Many aloe products contain lanolin.

Via NaturalNews