Using home remedies to treat sunburns

Have you ever left home on a summer day without putting sunscreen on and came back home later only to discover that you got sunburned? The pain, the itchiness and the unbearable hotness of the sunburned skin forced you to look for relief until you found something that worked.

Did you know that there are some home remedies that can help you treat your sunburn? And the best part is that they are free as home remedies use stuff that you probably already have in your kitchen cupboard!

Here is a list of home remedies commonly used to treat sunburn:

1. Cold water compress – probably the easiest home remedy to come by; it brings some relief to the sunburned skin, helping to cool it down. You can also take a shower with cold or lukewarm water. Remember to gently pat your skin dry with a towel rather than rubbing it – otherwise, you might irritate your very sensitive, sunburned skin.

2. Moisturizing lotion – if your sunburn isn’t bad, apply moisturizing lotion to your skin. Wait for it to absorb and repeat the process again – the goal is to moisturize your dry and irritated skin. Do it as often as needed to help your skin heal faster.

3. Lemon water – if you have lemons on hand, you can try another home remedy – lemon water. Squeeze a few lemons into a cup filled with cool water. Then using a clean kitchen rag, delicately apply the lemon water on your sunburn.

4. Vinegar – it is probably the most popular home remedy for treating sunburns. You can soak a kitchen rag in vinegar and then apply it to the sunburned skin. If you’d rather not touch it (because it feels unpleasant or hurts), you might want to use a spray pump. Just fill it up with vinegar and then spray it on the sunburn. A word of advice here though – do not wipe the vinegar off with a towel, but let it dry on its own instead. In this way you’ll avoid irritating your sunburned skin further by using a towel.

5. Milk – if you have milk in your fridge, you can use it to soothe your sunburn. Soak a clean rag in milk and then apply it to your sunburned skin. It is a little bit messy, but what wouldn’t we do for some relief?

6. Yogurt – if milk sounds too messy, why not try yogurt? It can be plain, flavored or Greek, but it will still work just the same. Gently apply some yogurt on the sunburned skin and leave it on until it gets warm. You can try to wipe it off gently with a towel, but it might be a better idea just to take a lukewarm shower and rinse it off to avoid irritating your sunburned skin.

7. Tea – you might not have known this, but tea is another home remedy that can help you treat your sunburn, especially if it happens to be in a sensitive spot, such as your eyelids. Fill up a small bowl with cool water and stick a couple tea bags in it (chamomile tea might work best for this). Let them soak for a few moments and then place them on your eyelids. You should feel some relief quite soon.

Please keep in mind that these home remedies will only work for mild sunburn. If you have severe sunburn, blisters, a fever, or you feel noxious and vomit, you should seek medical help immediately!

Please note:

The author of the article isn’t a health care professional and the tips in this article are in no way supposed to substitute a health care professional advice or treatment prescribed by your doctor.