Do It Yourself Sunburn Relief: Five Ways To Soothe Your Pain
This weekend was beautiful weather wise in Central New York. I used sun screen and STILL managed to get fried like a piece of bacon. I also have awful burn lines, which makes the whole situation that much worse yet very funny.
It's really important that you take care of your skin. Use sun screen first of all. Know the SPF that you need for your skin AND REAPPLY!! In this case, I can't really do much to reverse the whole being fried like bacon thing, but there are some things that can done to make the pain a little more tolerable/soothing. These tips won't make your burn disappear over night, but can help over the span of a few days!
5. Put your aloe/moisturizer in the refrigerator!
Whether you grow your own and harvest it yourself or go to your local drug store and buy a giant bottle, this hack is something I've grown up doing. It's as simple as this: throw your aloe leaves or your bottle in the refrigerator for about thirty minutes (or if you have a bottle, just leave it in there!) The cold temperature with the combination of the effects that the aloe provide a very satisfying, short term relief option. You can do this with a moisturizer too, as it's important to keep the skin happy.
4. Take a bath!
Not a hot, soapy bath however. This can irritate and dry out your skin. Instead, try taking a cool bath with baking soda! Mixing water and baking soda helps to relieve inflammation and itching. I've also heard mixing water with an astringent like vinegar, both white and apple cider, is also extremely helpful.
3. Yogurt?
I think I may try this tonight. Although it seems like it can be very messy, my grandfather suggested doing this. Yogurt has fats and proteins in it that help with inflammation. Supposedly applying it to sunburns helps and then rinsing it off in a cold shower, apparently, takes the sting away.
2. Stay hydrated!
Water is super super SUPER important. It's necessary to keep hydrated to help keep your skin from becoming dry. You can do this simply by drinking water - or by eating fruits with a high water level. Specifically, watermelon, cantaloupe or honeydew. Or drink water AND eat these fruits. That's a good option too!
1. BLACK TEA!!!!
I swear by this trick that I got from instructables.com! Fill a pitcher with warm water and drop in three bags of black tea. The tannic acid and theobromine in black tea helps remove heat from sunburn. Other compounds in tea, called catechins, help prevent and repair skin damage. If your burn is super severe, you can straight up use a tea bag and dab it to the areas that need relief. I did this when I went to California and got crazy burned sitting outside for a half hour behind my knees. Definitely tops my list of worst pain ever. The tea bags provided SO MUCH RELIEF it's actually insane.
Please consult a qualified medical professional and seek treatment if you have a SEVERE burn. But if it's one that you can provide self help, these tricks can be helpful.
Do you have any sunburn tips or tricks that you swear by?