Treat sunburn with these simple items you'll have at home
One of the drawbacks of spending time in the sun is having to worry about potential sunburns. It’s simple: if your skin is exposed to the sun for too long without protection, you’re going to burn. The best way to deal with a sunburn is to stop it before it even starts by using sunscreen, but sometimes that just isn’t possible. If you’ve been out in the sun too long and got burned, try some of these tips to ease your discomfort at home:
- Let nature help - Applying aloe vera to the sunburn will keep the affected skin moist and prevent it from drying out, which could cause further discomfort.
- Relax in the bath - Take a cool, not cold or warm, bath without any soaps or washcloths. The coolness will settle down your irritated skin, but make sure not to use a towel when you get out.
- Open your refrigerator - Mix cold water and milk in equal parts, then apply the cold mixture with a soft cloth. The protein, fat and pH content of milk helps reduce inflammation, and the coldness will reduce swelling.
- Stay hydrated - Being out in the sun, and especially being sunburnt, can leave you dehydrated. Drinking plenty of water will replace what you’ve lost and increase the sunburn’s healing time.
- Peel some potatoes - Peel a potato and put small slices over the area of the burn. The heat of the burn will be drawn out by the starches in the potato.
- Break out the oatmeal - You can either take a cool bath with oatmeal added to it, or you can make a paste out of the oatmeal and apply it to the burned area. For either method, cook the oatmeal before using it. It’s been used for centuries as a moisturizer.
- Tea isn't just for drinking - Soak some black tea bags in cool water to release the tannin. Then, lay them down on your irritated skin to relieve most of the discomfort caused by a sunburn.
- Another use for baking soda - Just like the oatmeal, you can either add baking soda to a cool bath or apply it as a paste. Either way will provide you with relief from the burn.
- It might not smell good, but it works - Apply an equal combination of vinegar and water to the burn for relief from the irritation. There’s been no reason yet as to why it works, but it’s been a successful method for quite a while.
