Sunburn Remedies

While most people know and understand the importance of applying sunscreen, many people will still find themselves with over exposure to the sun’s damaging rays this summer. If you or a loved one experiences sunburn this summer, here are natural remedies that can help provide relief.

• Take a cool shower or bath to cool your skin. If you choose a bath, you can add a cup of apple cider vinegar to help balance the pH of sunburned skin. You can also promote relief by adding oatmeal to the bath. This is especially beneficial if the sunburned skin it itchy.
• Place a cool compress on sunburned skin for immediate relief and to cool the skin.
• Drink lots of water to hydrate the body. With any sun exposure, the water level within the body evaporates. When the skin is sunburned, there is even more dehydration of the skin and body, and drinking lots of water will help to hydrate the body and promote faster healing from sunburn.
• Use lotions that contain aloe Vera to soothe the skin. Moisturizing burned skin helps to restore moisture and relieve sunburn pain. When the skin begins to peel (which is typical of sunburned skin), it is important to keep applying aloe Vera to promote healing.
• Apply milk or yogurt to the skin. This applies a thicker coverage to the skin than water, and it helps to relieve pain.
• Another thicker application is to mix cornstarch with water to form a paste. This paste can be applied and left on the skin until it dries.
• An older remedy that is still effective, yet perhaps a little more unconventional, is to boil and mash peeled potatoes. Allow the potatoes to cool and apply as a dressing to sunburned areas of the skin. It is believed that the starch in the potatoes help to draw out the “heat” to reduce pain.
• Another semi-unconventional remedy is to blend cold cucumbers to create a paste. This paste is best for treating sunburns on the face and neck. Cucumber paste can also be used as a soothing salve for peeling skin.

If you have experienced a severe sunburn that has created blisters on the skin, it is best to see a dermatologist for proper treatment. People can receive 3^rd degree burns from the sun, which can produce scarring and life-long effects.

At Medical Dermatology Specialists, we want you to remember that the best remedy against sunburn is prevention. Contact us if you need an appointment.