Ouch, I got a Sunburn! by Robin Recio

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

How To Relieve Sunburn With Home Remedies
Home Remedies For Sunburn Bring Quick Relief
By Susan M Keenan
Published July 26, 2007
www.lifescript.com

How to Relieve Sunburn with Milk
Home remedies for sunburn include the use of milk to relieve pain and discomfort. The milk should be at or close to room temperature. Using a clean bowl, pour a small but sufficient amount of milk into the bowl and allow it to reach room temperature. It is acceptable for the milk to be slightly cooler than that if you feel you cannot wait longer. However, you should never use the milk straight from the refrigerator since that is much too cold.

Take cotton gauze and dip it into the milk. Apply it to the sunburn and allow it to sit for 20 minutes or so. After this time, remove the milk compress and gently rinse your skin to remove any milk residue. If you do not rinse your skin, the milk residue will develop a sour odor (and so will you).
This home remedy is also suggested for other types of burns as well. Repeat this scenario every two to three hours for as long as the pain of your sunburn persists.

How to Relieve Sunburn with Vegetables
Although not the best home remedy to relieve sunburn pain, placing a bag of frozen vegetables inside a clean towel and placing it gently upon the sunburned area can offer some minor and temporary relief. This home remedy helps to cool down the sunburn.

Thinly slice a raw cucumber, potato, or apple. Gently place the pieces on your sunburn. Not only is the coolness of the vegetables soothing to your skin, but also, it is possible that they will help reduce any inflammation occurring from your sunburn.

Another one of the remedies for sunburn involving vegetables involves lettuce. Wash some lettuce leaves and place them in a pot of water. Bring the water to boiling for several minutes and then allow the liquid to cool. Strain the liquid and discard the residue. Place the liquid into the refrigerator and allow it to cool for several more hours. Use large cotton balls to apply the cool liquid to the affected areas of your skin. The coolness is soothing to your skin and it should help to relieve any inflammation.

How to Relieve Sunburn with Vitamin E
Relieve sunburn pain with vitamin E. Eating foods that are rich in vitamin E can help to reduce the inflammation caused by sunburn.
Foods rich in vitamin E include but are not limited to: products made with whole grains, vegetable oils and nuts. Vitamin E supplements can also be taken. However, whenever you use a vitamin E supplement, it is best to ingest the natural form only. As with any supplement usage, consult your physician first.

How to Relieve Sunburn with Tea
Another one of the suggested home remedy cures for sunburn is to use tea compresses. Boil a pot of strong tea and allow the tea to cool in the refrigerator for a few hours. If you need to cool the tea more quickly, keep the tea bags in the pot of water as you cool it with ice cubes. Use cotton gauze or a clean cotton towel or cloth to make a tea compress. Since whatever you use to apply the tea is going to become permanently stained, use something that is dark in coloring or that you simply do not care about.

Gently place the tea compress on the sunburn to draw the heat out, relieve inflammation and to set the burn to a tan. Typically, the sunburn will still result in peeling of the skin. The tea compresses should remain on for at least half an hour. Repeat this procedure as desired every two hours or so. Additionally, one can place some of the cold tea in a spray bottle and spray it directly on the affected areas of the skin. The tannic acid in the tea is the essential ingredient for this cure. If desired, the teabags can be placed on closed eyelids to relieve the discomfort of sunburn in that area.

How to Relieve Sunburn with Vinegar
Sunburn relief can be achieved with a nice, long soak in a tub of cool water laced with vinegar. Add approximately one half cup of vinegar to the bath water before getting in. Additionally, one can make up a solution of water and vinegar in a spray bottle and spray it directly on the affected areas of the skin. The vinegar will remove the sting from the sunburn however it does give off a distinct smell.

How to Relieve Sunburn with Baking Soda or Oatmeal
Sunburn relief might be attained with cold compresses made with baking soda or oatmeal that have been dissolved in cool water. Additionally, you can take a bath in a tub full of cold water to which one pound of baking soda or oatmeal has been added. The mixture will cling to the sting that the sun has left behind.

How to Relieve Sunburn with Aloe Vera
The leaves of the Aloe Vera plant contain a thick, sticky substance that can provide relief from sunburn discomfort. Gently remove one of the thickest leaves from the plant. Split the leaf open and gently place the inner substance on your sunburn. It should provide a coolness to your sunburn that is soothing and offers you some relief from the pain.

Preventing Sunburn
Avoid exposure to the sun during the peak hours that tend to burn us more quickly than any other times of the day.
The hours between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm are notorious for providing the strongest and most harmful UV (ultraviolet) rays of the sun. If you stay indoors or limit your exposure to the sun during those hours, you will reduce your risk of getting a sunburn. Rather than worrying about trying to find cures for sunburn, the best thing is to simply try and avoid it in the first place.

If you must be outdoors during the peak hours of daylight but cannot wear sunscreen, you will have to rely on natural cover to protect your skin from sun damage and sunburn. The obvious first step is to choose protective clothing with long sleeves and either a long skirt, or long pants. The goal is to cover as much skin as possible while remaining cool in hot weather. Choose light colors of fabric, such as white, tan, cream, or beige. Avoid dark colors, which tend to attract the sun’s rays and hold heat close to your body. Even flowery prints or colorful plaids can draw heat, which is the last thing you want on a hot summer day.

In addition to selecting clothing in light or neutral colors, make sure the fabric’s texture is tightly woven so it can help to prevent the sun’s rays from piercing through lightweight fabric and reaching the skin beneath. The clothing need not be heavy or thick, but it should not be a light weave that allows light to readily pass through. You might even wear a tank top or tube top under a lightweight shirt for added protection against the aggressive sunlight.
Don’t forget to wear sun-resistant accessories. Sunglasses will help to protect your eyes. Get the kind that gently wrap around your temples to shield eyes from peripheral sunlight. Make sure the lenses are UV-proof. Wear a hat to protect your scalp from damaging rays, especially if you are prone to skin lesions or have a history of pre-cancerous moles. Full foot coverage in the form of complete shoes, rather than sandals, will protect feet from sunburn and related sun damage. You might need to wear socks to protect ankles above the shoe line.

Caught By the Sun
During the times when you happen to get caught outdoors unprepared, seek shelter from the sun so you don’t have to spend a lot of time under its hot glare and risk a sunburn. Look for shade under a tree or clusters of shrubs. If you are at a sports event and sitting in the bleachers, try to get a lower seat beneath someone’s shadow. At events where lawn chairs are allowed, place yours out of the direct path of sunlight, even if that means you have to sit a little further back from the field. If you simply cannot shield your skin from sunlight, at least shift your position frequently so the sun doesn’t hit the same place continuously for a long period of time. You’ll still get a sunburn, but it might not be as intense as if you had left it burn in the same place on your skin without moving.
These steps should be followed even on cooler days in the early fall months of September and October, as the sun can still be very warm at that time, with a few warm days possible even in the winter, depending on the climate where you live, and you could unsuspectingly get a bad sunburn by failing to protect your skin from the sun’s potent rays.

Additionally, the application of a good sunscreen product with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 30 or more offers adequate protection from sunburn in most cases. If you must be outside during the sun’s most intense hours wear a hat, lightweight clothing with long sleeves and sunglasses.

Important Steps to Take in Addition to the Home Remedies for Sunburn
Although this is something that you should be doing anyway to live a healthy lifestyle, always drink plenty of water if you are experiencing sunburn. This will help you to remain hydrated. Continue to eat a balanced meal despite the pain of your sunburn. Although this is not going to relieve sunburn pain, it is going to give you the energy and nutrition that you need to heal quickly.

Always Consult Your Physician First
Although it is helpful to get health information by reading and talking with friends, make sure you consult your doctor first before trying any new treatment or changing your diet. Remember that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not strictly regulate the strength, purity or safety of herbs and supplements. Be sure to always read product labels. If you have a medical condition, or are taking other drugs, herbs, or supplements, speak with your doctor before taking medical action or changing your health routine. This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. LifeScript disclaims any liability for the decisions made by its readers based on the information provided.