By now you have spent plenty of time in the sun and likely had a sunburn or two, especially if you’re of the unlucky, pale skin kind. The unfortunate side to spending time outdoors is the pain and redness associated with the nagging sunburns. They aren’t fun and can likely ruin a weekend getaway. If after applying layer upon layer of sunscreen and you still happen to win yourself a sunburn, then look no further than to some of these tried-and-true remedies. It’s likely you will already have 2 or 3 ingredients already on hand so it makes treating those pesky sunburns that much easier.
Milk Based Products – Milk can be used for a lot of remedies, and one of which is sunburn pain and dryness. The fats and proteins help to coat the skin alleviating the redness, pain and to help with the stubborn peeling that occurs a few days after the burn happens. Some great products to try are the Kate Somerville Goat Milk Body Lotion or Nivea Body Milk Lotion.
Oatmeal Bath – One of the oldest tricks for healing dry, sensitive skin is an oatmeal bath. There are products out there like Aveeno’s Soothing Bath Treatment, or Barr-Co Oatmeal Bubble Elixir, but did you know you can use a food processor on some plain oatmeal to create your own oatmeal bath? You can customize it with some mint, lavender or vanilla for an extra soothing bath.
Apple Cider Vinegar – This may seem like the smelliest and least desired option of the bunch, but trust me it works. Vinegar has natural antiseptic properties to alleviate pain and calm inflammation. Mix half water, half apple cider vinegar and apply to your skin as soon as your sunburn appears. Repeat for 2-3 days or until the redness disappears.
Aloe Vera Gels – Last but not least, the aloe vera gels. The most common remedy to soothe that pain and to remove the heat from your skin. Make sure to keep your products in the refrigerator for that extra cool, soothing sensation. There are tons of products on the market so anything will likely work. Some top performers are Banana Boat’s After Sun Aloe Spray, Burt’s Bees Aloe After Sun Linden Flower Soother or Clarins After Sun Gel.
– Jamie of The Lady and The Beard
