Claire Brown writes:
Ouchie! You have suffered a painful burn from hot metal or boiling water. This is the point where we normally dash for the ice – and this is a good immediate remedy but what happens when the ice has all melted and you want to get on with your day?
Now, there are burn creams you could purchase to put on but instead why not see what you can use around the house? Here are a few of my favourite home remedies you could whip up in a dash for any skin burns:
n Ice restricts blood flow to the skin, and further damage to tissue.
n I recommend rather immediately place the burned area under cool running water for 20 minutes, which will help the injury from spreading. Or try this, replace cold water with milk – the fat and protein content in milk soothes burns and promotes healing.
Soak the burn in milk for 15 minutes for quick relief. Full-fat, whole-milk yogurt can also help cool and hydrate your skin.
n We all have toothpaste so keep a tube of white, minty toothpaste in the kitchen as a home remedy to relieve minor burns. After running the burned area under cold water, gently pat it dry with a paper towel and cover with a layer of the toothpaste.
n My favourite is white vinegar as it contains acetic acid, a component also found in aspirin that can help relieve the pain, itching, and inflammation of a burn. It has antiseptic and astringent, keeping your burn from becoming infected. Another benefit is that vinegar also draws heat from the burn and helps to dull pain naturally. Soak paper towels in diluted vinegar to create a soothing compress or use cotton swabs to gently dab the burn with vinegar.
n Coconut oil of late has become so easily available and is an excellent source of skin-healing vitamin E and fatty acids that are anti-fungal and anti-bacterial stopping any infection in its tracks. For light scarring, mix a spoon of lemon juice with a spoon of coconut oil and massage it into the mark. The acidic properties of lemon juice will help lighten the scar while the coconut oil helps it heal.
Here’s hoping your burn feels better soon!
