Treat your sunburn with effective home remedies

When you’re getting annihilated by the sun’s UV rays, your exposed skin increases its production of melanin. Melanin is the dark pigment in the top layer of your skin that gives it its colour and also determines how tan you can get. Upping the production of melanin is the body’s way of protecting the deeper layers of the skin. So the tan acts as a shield against UV light.

To avoid peeling and get rid of the redness and stinging, heed Everyday Roots’ 10 tips and home remedies for sunburn:

1. Potato paste

Potatoes have been known to relieve pain for many years, working particularly well on skin irritations and soothing scratches, bites and burns, as well as reducing inflammation. Some people feel that the juice of the potato works the best, while others feel just slices are sufficient. You can try both by either blending potatoes and applying the juices to your burn, or by merely slicing one up and dabbing it on your skin.

2. Cool milk compress

A cool milk compress is one of the quickest, simplest and low-cost ways to treat sunburn. The initial coolness of the milk will ease the heat, while it also creates a layer of protein to protect your skin, help it heal, and further soothe discomfort. Use gauze, a cloth or cotton wool and gently wipe and then leave it on your skin to soak for a while.

3. Drink up

Sunburn is a burn afterall and in saying that, we must understand that we have seared our skin by allowing this to happen. The burn dries out your skin and your body too, the best way to set yourself on the road to recovery is by drinking a lot of cool or ice cold water.

4. Indulge in some aloe

Aloe vera gel is many peoples go-to when they have sunburn. It’s cool, soothing and seems to suck the sting and redness right out of your sunburn. Because aloe is useful for a number of other ailments (such as acne or heartburn) it’s handy to have a plant growing in your house. They’re easy to maintain, free from any additives and you won’t have to keep running out to buy more from the store all the time once it’s big enough.

5. Season with vinegar

While there is no official research done on how it helps sunburns in particular, there are a vast amount of people out there who swear up and down that vinegar helps heal sunburn, or mildly burned tissue in general. Pure unfiltered apple cider vinegar seems to work the best, and often times proponents of this method say is most effective after a cool or tepid shower.

6. Use plain yogurt
Live cultured plain yogurt contains an abundance of probiotics and enzymes that help heal our skin. When you find yourself red and sunburned, it can help you recover faster. Make sure it’s truly plain yogurt, not vanilla, and that it has probiotics.

7. Avoid soap

Don’t soak your burn in soapy water or take a bubble bath. Soap dries out and irritates your already irritated skin. If you want to soak or submerge it, do so in a cool or tepid bath. When you’re done, pat yourself gently dry with a clean soft towel. If your skin feels tight or dry afterwards, apply aloe vera gel or a moisturiser.

8. Check your meds

Various antibiotics, creams, pills, and antifungal medication can make you ultra-sensitive to the sun. Check with your doctor or read the side effects of your medications if you find yourself getting burned easier and on a more frequent basis than usual.

9. Keep it cool like a cucumber

Not only is a cool cucumber soothing to the burn simply because its cool, but its antioxidant and analgesic properties promote healing and further relief from discomfort. You can apply it in a couple of ways, but however you do it, the swelling, redness, and pain should diminish soon.

10. Apply, reapply and watch the clock!

To get the most out the SPF (sun protection factor) of your sunscreen, apply it 30 minutes before you go outside. Don’t neglect sensitive areas (ears, the back of your neck and shoulders and the backs of your legs and arms). If you’re sweating or swimming, reapply more frequently.

A sunburn doesn’t truly set in until 24 hours after sun exposure and chances are you’ll be feeling the consequences of not covering up later. The sun is the most powerful and damaging, when around its highest point, between 11am and 4pm.

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