Home Remedies for Sunburn

Going out into the sun to have a little fun outdoors is a commonplace thing when occasion and the season calls for it. Unfortunately, some individuals who possess very sensitive skin may find that their short stint outdoors can result in unfortunate minor discomforts. Sunburn is a very common thing to get during summer, especially if you find yourself out on the beach or the fields for the majority of the day. 
 
Here are some great ways to treat sunburn at home with things that you can find even in your own pantry or cupboard:
 
Honey – honey is an excellent emollient and healing salve. Applying honey to burnt, injured, or sunburnt skin not only helps to soothe the injury, but the natural antimicrobial agents found in honey help to stave off infection and hasten healing. Honey may prove to be difficult and somewhat messy to apply, so you may opt to dilute the honey to facilitate faster and easier application.

 Calendula oil – calendula oil is an excellent remedy for burns and skin injuries. Calendula oil is best used for very sensitive or delicate sunburnt areas, such as the facial areas. Calendula oil is also best employed even well-after the recovery of the sunburnt area, in order to nourish the skin and help in the conditioning and rejuvenation of the damaged areas.

Marshmallow root – a strong tea of marshmallow root, allowed to cool and employed as a rinse to the affected area helps to provide a cooling and soothing effect. Marshmallow root is also known to hasten the healing of topical injuries, making it an excellent remedy for sunburn, especially when applied to large affected areas.

Corn Flour – minor sunburn that cause mild or minimal discomforts can be remedies by a quick dusting of corn flour. Corn flour helps to absorb the skin moisture and sweat, preventing discomfort caused by the skin acid’s reaction with the injured skin. Only use corn-starch sparingly however, and opt for other remedies if your sunburn shows signs of blistering or lesions.

Yoghurt – when applied topically to the affected area, yoghurt helps to provide much needed relief for moderate to severe sunburn. The lactose found in yoghurt not only helps to nourish the skin and help hasten healing, but the live microbes found in the substance may help to encourage the regeneration of skin, as well as prevent infection. For a more soothing remedy, cool the yoghurt in your freezer or chilly bin prior to application.

 

Potatoes – believe it or not, potatoes have long been considered an excellent remedy for skin injuries such as burns and sunburn. To employ said remedy, you may either boil and mash potatoes, and apply the mashed substance to the affected area, or otherwise blend raw potatoes in a food processor and apply the substance to the affected area – both of which elicit the same effect. To increase its therapeutic properties, you may opt to add chilled milk or yoghurt.

Baths and soaks – one of the most overlooked remedies for moderate and severe cases of sunburn is a well-deserved bath or soak. Bathing in cool water should help to relieve the localised pain. Adding small amounts of vinegar, baking soda, or essentials oils such as that of lavender, peppermint, rose, or clove for soaks not only allows for the hastening of healing, but also encourages the faster regeneration of skin while at the same time, staving off infection.