Sunburn Relief

Sunburns happen daily to people who go the pool, lay on the beach, and are working outside. Without the proper protection, UV (ultraviolet) rays from the sun will cause the skin to burn. Unfortunately, many do not realize they are burning until several hours after their sun exposure.

There are varying levels of “sunburn”, ranging for the mildest pink coloration of the skin to extreme red skin that will blister and peel. Symptoms that may be experienced are pain, a burning sensation, skin tightness, blisters, peeling, flaking skin, dryness and itchiness.

Home Remedies for Sunburn Relief:

There are many home remedies used to relieve the discomfort of sunburns. Some of these home remedies are as follows:

Cool Baths, Showers or Compresses:

Much of the discomfort associated with sunburn is the hot, burning skin. You can actually radiate heat when your skin has been severely sunburned. The simplest home remedy for this is cool water, and it can be applied to the skin by lying in a cool bath, taking a cool shower, or applying cool compresses to the burnt areas.

Aloe:

You can take leaves from the actual aloe plant or use commercially available aloe vera lotions on affected areas of the skin as a home remedy. Many cool the plant or lotion in the refrigerator before applying it. Aloe has been shown to help with the burning and pain associated with sunburns.

Ice:

Placing ice cubes and ice compresses on the affected areas has been shown to be an effective home remedy. However, the ice should not be applied to the burned areas directly. Placing the ice in a sandwich or storage bag, sealing it, wrapping the bag in a towel and then placing it on the skin is a very common way to achieve this home remedy. The ice works much as the cool water does, relieving pain and burning.

Calamine Lotion:

Just as it is used as a home remedy for bug bites, it can be used to treat the itching associated with sunburns. Apply liberally to the skin if and when itching occurs.

Moisturizers:

You can use moisturizers that are not greasy on affected areas as a home remedy to the tight, dry skin when sunburned. Do not apply moisturizers to blisters until they have broken and dried up.

Baking Soda or Oatmeal:

There are many available oatmeal products on the market you can add to a tub of water and soak in. Baking soda you can add to a bath straight from the box. These home remedies have been around for a long time and bring relief to sunburn sufferers often.