In the past few weeks I have already gone over some of the things we can do to avoid getting a sunburn such as covering up or using a safe sunscreen. In addition to those things we also need to be spending some time in the sun unprotected each day… about 10-20 minutes, so that our bodies can absorb Vitamin D. This will help protect us from burning when we spend more time in the sun. A healthy diet will also help prevent burns. Our diet should be rich in healthy fats and foods with Vitamin C, D, E, Carotenoids, and Lycopene. These are sun safety foods.
But what do we do when we end up getting burned anyway? It happens.
Well, there are some natural ways to reduce skin damage and help soothe your irritated skin. You can buy a couple products that claim to soothe sunburned skin but the two front runners.. Burt’s Bees After Sun Soother and Kiss My Face Sun Soother both scored a moderate hazard on EWG’s safety database (5,3). Depending on how rarely you need to use products like these that may be acceptable.. or not. You can also make your own using a couple natural remedies and since the ingredients are so useful to have on hand anyway… why not?
* Take a cool shower, air dry a bit and then rub coconut oil on the burned areas to seal in moisture.
* Hydrate with lots of water and fresh juices and use cool compresses.
* Mix a couple drops of Lavender essential oil with plain yogurt and rub on the affected area.
* Apply cool cucumber slices.
* Apply cooled chamomile tea compresses.
* Spray skin with vinegar and tea tree oil.
* Mix together Aloe Vera, coconut oil, and Vitamin E oil and rub on skin.
* Mix Aloe Vera with about 10 drops of peppermint oil and use a spray bottle to apply to skin.
Aloe Vera is a super powerful healing ingredient, and coconut oil and vitamin E will help moisturize, soothe, and heal. Peppermint and Chamomile help soothe as well. It is best to use products on your skin that you could also eat if you wanted to, organic too.
What do you do to soothe sunburned skin?
I am thrilled to see that you are using the EWG info. I personally love the aloe.
The Burt’s Bees After Sun Soother has parabens (in the aloe), phthalates (in the fragrance) and genetically modified xantan gum. The Kiss My Face has parabens. Personally, I’d skip those. There are safer and more effective treatments.
I like the other DIY treatments you mentioned. I’m going to bookmark this page for the next time I’m burned (which knowing me could very well be this week).
I would note if you use aloe or vitamin E make sure they are organic. Non-organic aloe is usually preserved with parabens and non-organic vitamin E is usually genetically modified.
I also like to use Miessence Protect Hair Repair spray. (http://bit.ly/klX15p) I know it sounds strange, but many of the ingredients added to repair your hair are very healing, such as organic aloe, organic rosehip seed oil, and nettles. I didn’t believe it at first, but when I tried it I was AMAZED at how well it worked. I have fair skin and blue eyes…and I live at 6000 ft above sea level…and I hate sunscreen, so I burn very easily. This worked sooo well! And, it’s certified organic to food-grade standards so it’s 100% beneficial with absolutely no nasty chemicals or unwanted ingredients.
The Burt’s Bees After Sun Soother has parabens (in the aloe), phthalates (in the fragrance) and genetically modified xantan gum. The Kiss My Face has parabens. Personally, I’d skip those. There are safer and more effective treatments.
I like the other DIY treatments you mentioned. I’m going to bookmark this page for the next time I’m burned (which knowing me could very well be this week).
I would note if you use aloe or vitamin E make sure they are organic. Non-organic aloe is usually preserved with parabens and non-organic vitamin E is usually genetically modified.
I also like to use Miessence Protect Hair Repair spray. (http://bit.ly/klX15p) I know it sounds strange, but many of the ingredients added to repair your hair are very healing, such as organic aloe, organic rosehip seed oil, and nettles. I didn’t believe it at first, but when I tried it I was AMAZED at how well it worked. I have fair skin and blue eyes…and I live at 6000 ft above sea level…and I hate sunscreen, so I burn very easily. This worked sooo well! And, it’s certified organic to food-grade standards so it’s 100% beneficial with absolutely no nasty chemicals or unwanted ingredients.
Cold shower; and pour vinegar on it. Yes, you’ll smell like an easter egg.. but the pain goes away almost automatically.
I just stumbled upon this and am currently suffering from one of the worst sunburns I’ve had. Everyone has been telling me to bathe with apple cider vinegar or spray it on.
But right now I’m surviving on Kroger brand aloe with lidocaine and menthol.
The heat is pretty unbearable these days, you can really tell the weather is changing drastically. I try to bring my staple items such as umbrellas and water whenever I go out.
Although sunburns are bound to happen one time or another, the most important thing is to wear sunscreen all the time. Wearing it after the burn is important as well to keep any further damage from happening. Picking a sunscreen with the most natural ingredients like Eco Baby (which Summer For Kids carries at http://www.summerforkids.com/Eco-Baby-Sunscreen.html ) is a great option without any harsh chemicals. If you’d like more info on the benefits of natural sunscreen you can check out the SFK blog http://www.summerforkids.com/blog/2011/05/eco-logical-skin-care-eco-baby-safe-sunscreen-for-everyone/
Love the Nature Mom’s blog! I just recently discovered it and can’t wait to read more!
yes white vinegar is the best!! BEFORE you take a shower…. dampen papertowels with white vinegar and lay them on your sunburn until the towels dry. They will be hot becuase they literally take the hot sting out of sunburns. i burn VERY easily and this has saved me many times from peeling!
Lavender oil mixed with coconut oil or olive oil is my favorite remedy! It calms the burning right away!
A cup of strong black tea cooled and dabbed on the burn with the tea bag works very well. Then I use Burt’s Bees Doctor Burt’s Res-Q Ointment (in the green tin) all over the area that s burned. It not only soothes the burn, but helps make the “peeling process” minimal and not so flaky. It should be applied generously often for several days.
My grandma always used cool water with vinegar in it. Then she would take a washcloth, soak in the water, and put it on the burn, when it got warm she would do it again. It stung a bit but took the heat out of the burn. My the next day I didn’t feel a thing
I read that Lavender essential oil is good for all kinds of burns. I keep it handy in the kitchen, and in the bathroom, or in the first aid kit. I love it, it smells wonderful, and works on healing the burn and cutting the pain.
Buy an aloe vera plant to keep around for burns…They need little care and are one of the top plants for cleaning indoor air pollution.
Breastmilk! Works wonders and makes it go away, sometimes overnight!
I second that! I used breastmilk when I poured boiling water on my hand. It stopped hurting that day and returned to normal color quickly.
i’ve had great results putting kombucha on my sunburns…a burn that should have blistered and peeled did not…and the pain went away within a day. i chilled it in the fridge then soaked a cloth in it and draped it over the burn for a bit. worked beautifully!
When I first moved to Florida, August of 1984, from Illinois – I arrived during what the locals called “the heatwave”, and managed to burn myself fierce my first week.
My Gran had this aloe plant that was about 1/3 the size of my considerable 5’8″ height, and popped off a leaf, split it with thumbnail, and applied it to the worst areas.
My Mom then followed up, that night, with lightweight towels damp with vinegar and laid across the worst areas.
It helped, a lot.
What also helped was to observe the natives in the area, who had a preference for hats, loose-fit gauze blouses, and avoidance of mid-day sun, as well as the annual restocking of sunblock.
White vinegar works great on almost all my sunburns. You have to do it quickly and before washing or lotioning. It stings a little at first but takes the rest of the stinging out.
I wrote a blog post about the wonders of vinegar and never knew you could use it for sunburn relief. Vinegar is an amazing liquid. You can see the other uses of vinegar at: http://www.greeninspirationblog.com/2011_03_01_archive.html
I wrote a blog post about the wonders of vinegar and never knew you could use it for sunburn relief. Vinegar is an amazing liquid. You can see the other uses of vinegar at: http://www.greeninspirationblog.com/2011_03_01_archive.html
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Please please please do not use anything oil-based on your skin while it’s still “burning”. If it still feels warm to touch or has that “I’m on fire!” sensation, then the tissues are still burning and need to cool further before they heal. Aloe, vinegar, oatmeal, cool tea, and other cooling or anti-inflammatory substances are helpful at this point. But coconut oil, vitamin E oil, etc can cause more harm. While they may hold in moisture, they also hold heat, prolonging damage to the skin. Oils are best once the skin has cooled.