We have all been there: you go to the lake for the day and forget to put the proper amount of sunscreen on or fall asleep in the sun before you have a chance to reapply. The golden bronzed skin you were hoping for has turned into a red, blistering mess.
It is painful, hot and doesn’t match well with that cute sundress. Luckily, there are some easy do-it-yourself remedies to sooth your skin. Keep in mind, these remedies are not designed to reverse the damage caused by sun. Rather, to provide sunburn relief.
Take a bath
A few tablespoons of baking soda added to cool bathwater makes a great sunburn-soothing remedy. Fill the tub with cool, not cold, water. Cold water could send the body into shock.
Limit your soaking time to 15 minutes or you’ll risk drying out your already lizard-like skin. Once you’ve emerged from the bath, do not towel off. If you do so, you’ll be wiping the baking soda off.
Drink lots of water
Sunburned skin is dehydrated skin, so be sure to rehydrate your skin by drinking lots of water. Being well hydrated will help burns heal better.
Cool milk compress
This is one of the easiest and quickest ways to treat sunburn. Dip a washcloth in a bowl of cold milk. Let the excess liquid drain off, gently drape the washcloth across your burn and leave it there for a few minutes.
The initial coolness of the milk will ease the discomfort, while creating an extra layer of protein to protect your skin and help it heal faster.
Aloe vera gel
The thick and gel-like sap of the aloe vera helps alleviate a sunburn’s redness and sting. If you are lucky enough to have an aloe vera plant, just slit open a stock and apply the gel directly to the affected area. Most grocery stores and drugstores sell bottled aloe vera gel.
Coconut Oil
“Coconut Oil works great on sunburns,” said Carly Skowron, massage therapist at Hiatus Spa and Retreat. Coconut Oil’s great combination of fatty acids and moisturizers makes it an amazing all-natural sunburn reliever. It relieves inflammation, revitalizes skin and prevents peeling.