10 Home Remedies for Sunburn
Sunburn is something that most of us experience at the beginning of summer, or during that winter getaway into the warmer climates. It’s an unfortunate fact of life, especially those with light or pale skin. Sunburn is the over exposure to UV light from sunshine, and it usually appears within a few hours after exposure.
Sunburn is an inflammatory reaction to the skin’s outer layers. The darker of a tan we have, the less likely we are to experience sunburn. This darkening of the skin is caused by the pigment melanin. Melanin darkens your unprotected skin that’s exposed to the sun in order to protect it from burns.
Sunburn can be light, moderate or even extreme and carries certain dangers with it such as temporary or even permanent skin damage or cancer. Regular tanning and sunburn can lead to:
- Dark spots on the skin
- Rough spots
- Dry skin
- Wrinkled skin
- Increased risk of melanoma
Other symptoms of sunburn include:
- Gritty or painful feeling in the eyes
- Swelling
- Small blisters filled with fluid
- Headache
- Fever
- Nausea and fatigue
- Pain and tenderness
- Changes in skin tones, especially pink tones and redness
When to see a doctor?
In the majority of cases, sunburn can be healed on its own or using home remedies. If you experience a strong or severe sunburn, it’s strongly recommended seeing a doctor right away. Here’s what to look out for:
- If a large(r) portion of your body is covered in by blisters
- If you develop blisters on the face, hands or genitalia
- If your sunburn is causing swelling
- Signs of infection such as pus, streaks of red, pain
- If your sunburn isn’t improving within a few days
- Fever
- Confusion
- Fainting/loss of consciousness
- Severe dehydration
Even though most of us will never experience a severe sunburn requiring medical attention, it’s wise and helpful to know a few tips and tricks to help your skin get back to normal, if you had spent a little too much time in the sun. Here are 10 home remedies for sunburn:
10 Home Remedies for Sunburn
#1 – Prevention The best cure for every ailment is to prevent it in the first place. This might not seem helpful if you’re experiencing sunburn, but it’s something to consider the next time you spend time in the sun. Make sure to bring sunscreen or sunblock with you, cover your body with light coloured clothing and not spend too much time in the sun, especially if you haven’t yet developed a tan.
#2 – Coconut oil Coconut oil isn’t only great for cooking, but it’s also a great natural remedy for a variety of ailments including sunburn. Due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-sceptic properties coconut oil can help speed up healing and soothe your skin when you’re recovering from sunburn3.
It’s important to use cold-pressed coconut oil, and apply it to the sunburned areas of your body. Let it sit and dry on its own. You can repeat this 3-4 times per day.
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#3 – Chamomile oil Chamomile oil is anti-inflammatory, and it can also be used to reduce pain and inflammation in the sunburned area(s) of your body.
You’ll need to mix 2-3 drops of chamomile oil with a tablespoon of a carrier oil, such as coconut. Apply it to the effected area of your body and let it soak in until it’s dry. You can repeat this 4 times per day.
#4 – Cold bath/shower A cold bath or shower helps by taming the inflammation that happens as a result of a sunburn. Take a cool shower or bath 2-3 times per day, it will help soothe your burns. You can also use a cold compress, although it should be noted that cold water from a shower or bath is more effective as it will access the total surface area of your skin.
#5 -Aloe Vera This is perhaps the best home remedy for a sunburn, and this is because aloe vera is great at reducing pain, inflammation and healing up your sunburn.
It’s best to use freshly extracted aloe vera gel directly from the plant, but if you don’t have access, store bought gel will work as well. Apply the aloe vera gel to the affected area of your body and leave it of for 20-30 minutes, then rinse it off with water.
10 Home Remedies for Sunburn
#6 – Green tea compress Green tea contains beneficial polyphenols that help with the treatments of sunburns5. You’ll need to steep two green tea bags in a cup of hot water. Let it cool down until it’s at room temperature or chilled, soak a clean cloth in the green tea and apply it to the affected area of your skin. Let it sit for 20 minutes, remove the compress and pat dry with a clean towel.
#7 – Oatmeal bath This may not sound like the most appealing thing to do, but it’s certainly an effective home remedy for sunburns. Oatmeal has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and it’s an old remedy for a variety of skin conditions, including sunburn.
Take one cup of oatmeal and pour it into a bathtub full of lukewarm water. Soak your body in the tub for 20 minutes. You can repeat this daily until your sunburn improves.
#8 – Unpasteurized or semi-pasteurized milk Milk contains a plethora of nutritional elements that can help heal wounds, and this effect can also help you heal your sunburn.
You’ll want to use unpasteurized or semi-pasteurized milk because most of the nutrients that can help heal your sunburn are eliminated from milk during the process of pasteurization. Dip a clean cotton ball in a cup of milk and apply it to the affected area of your body. Leave it on for about 30 minutes and rinse it off with water. You can do this once per day.
#9 – Lavender oil Lavender oil has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties that can help relieve pain, inflammation and the redness that comes as a result of sunburn.
You’ll need to mix 2-3 drops of lavender oil in one tablespoon of a carrier oil. Apply the mixture to the affected area of your skin and leave it on until it dries. You can repeat this 1-2 times per day.
This is a good strategy for avoiding discomfort when you’re suffering from a sunburn. Loose fitting clothing will give your skin the space it needs to breath and heal without the irritation associated with tight-fitting clothing on sensitive skin.
The best cure for sunburn is to avoid getting it in the first place, but hindsight is always 20/20. Avoiding pharmaceutical creams and ointments is a good idea because they often contain harsh chemicals or medications that come with side effects.
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Sunburn References and Sunburn Information
- Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sunburn/symptoms-causes/syc-20355922#:~:text=Sunburn%20is%20red%2C%20painful%20skin,may%20take%20days%20to%20fade.
- Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sunburn/symptoms-causes/syc-20355922#:~:text=Sunburn%20is%20red%2C%20painful%20skin,may%20take%20days%20to%20fade.
- US National Library of medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2792613/
- US National Library of medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/
- Pub Med: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27618035/
- Pub Med: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22421643/
- Pub Med: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29689312/
- Pub Med: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26247152/
- Read Also: https://homeremediesapp.com/10-home-remedies-for-burns/
