You’ve Gotten A Sunburn – Now What?

You’ve tried to be sun safe….. but on your last outing you got a sunburn. Now what?  To help heal and soothe your damaged, red, sunburned skin, the sooner you start treating the sunburn  the better.

Try these home remedies to help with the discomfort from a sunburn.

Try a soothing bath or compresses dipped in any of the following substances to get relief from your sunburn.

• Either place a cold damp towel on your skin for 10 or 15 minutes throughout the day as needed; or use an ice pack to provide relief (if the burn is mild), just remember to wrap the ice pack in a damp cloth before you place it on your skin.
• Mix 1 cup of white or apple cider vinegar into a tub of cool water, or soak a cloth in a basin of vinegar and water. Vinegar is great astringent,and it soothes sunburn pain.
• Wrap dry oatmeal in cheesecloth, and run cold water through it. You can soak compresses in the liquid or leave the oatmeal ouch in the tub while you soak.
• Add enough water to cornstarch to make a thin paste, and apply directly to the sunburn.
• Generously sprinkle baking soda into a cool bath, and let the solution dry on your skin ( do not towel dry) the baking soda residue will help soothe the pain.
•  If your eyelids are burned, apply tea bags soaked in cool water to decrease swelling and help relieve pain.
• Moisten a cloth with witch hazel. Witch Hazel is a natural astringent and has been long-lasting anti-inflammatory relief. Apply often for temporary relief.
• Refrigerate the leaves of an aloe Vera plant; peel them open and directly place the gel or juicy part onto the burn.  Because aloe Vera is a natural astringent, if your burn is quite bad, this topical treatment might sting, so mix the aloe Vera juice with a little Vitamin E. You can also buy aloe Vera gel from most health stores.

A sign of severe sun damage is blistering. If blisters develop, you have a a second-degree sunburn. To treat a blister, simply leave it alone. You’ll have less discomfort and danger of infection if air does not come in contact with the sensitive nerve endings. If you are worried about infection you can use an antibacterial ointment, or  an over-the-counter anesthetic that can relieve pain and itching, such as Bactine.

Although it may seem like a temporary condition, sunburns can cause long-lasting damage to the skin. This damage increases a person’s risk for getting skin cancer, making it critical to protect the skin from the sun all year round.