Effective Home Remedies for Sunburn
Here comes summer and along with all the joy and fun it brings is the looming large reality of sunburns, and so here are some home remedies for sunburn.
Keep your cool
Sunburn is an indication that your skin has become too hot from overexposure to the sun’s heat and so your first priority is to reduce the heat. You can make a compress with plain cold water, oatmeal or even skim milk and apply this gently to the affected area. The coolness will help the sun burnt skin start to relax.
If you are sun burnt all over and it is hard to apply a compress to the affected areas, consider soaking in a bathtub to get the benefit of a cold compress. Do not run hot water but instead go with tepid or even cool water. You can mix in cooling agents such as vinegar or baking soda to help bring down the body’s heat.
Drink plenty of water so that your body and skin are well hydrated. This is very important for the skin to heal quickly.
Avoid the temptation to rub your skin too hard and pat yourself dry after showers and baths. In the early days after sunburn it is a good idea to avoid using soaps as these can end up drying out your skin completely.
Things that help you heal
If your sun burn is bad, you will experience intense pain and in these cases painkillers can be very useful. It will help you handle the initial stages without excessive fidgeting. Doctors recommend that people who suspect they have had too much sun can actually take an aspirin even before the first signs of the sun burn.
You can use moisturizers to soothe your skin and to help it heal. Medicated moisturizers with aloe vera and other herbal medicines can be very helpful in soothing burnt skin.
You can consider using a topical anesthetic in cream form to spread on the affected area. This can also be helpful in handling any pain or discomfort that you may experience.
Hyrdrocortisone is recommended for all kinds of burn injuries and an ointment of this medicine can be handy for sun burn also.
While dealing with the pain and dryness, keep an eye out for infection. At this time your skin is vulnerable and it is important to keep it clean and it may be worth using an antibacterial cream if you have some injury or wound in the area of the sunburn.
General tips
Eat healthy nutritious meals to help your body process the healing. It needs all the help it can get to fix the burnt skin.
Make sure you get a good night’s rest – even when the sun burn makes it hard for you to sleep remember that you should not abuse your body by giving it inadequate rest.
Try and wear clothing that can breathe as in avoid synthetics and go with natural fibers such as cotton and jute.
Drink plenty of clear liquids and keep your body hydrated.
Maintain a certain level of humidity at home so that the skin does not have to contend with excessive dryness.
Even with all these tips for handling sunburn with home remedies, it is wise to remember that prevention is better than cure. So, plan on wearing that sunscreen a half hour before you step out and make sure you have a hat a proper clothing when out during the hottest period of the day. If you want a golden tan, remember that your motto should be “easy does it” and “slow and steady.” Get your sun exposure in controlled stretches and then you will not fry your body in the sun.