Homemade Sunburn Relief Recipes

Beach weather is well and truly here and even if you are using suntan lotions with SPF you can still suffer the after effects of the sun. Here are a few sun burn remedy’s to take the burn away:

Sun Burn Lotion

8 ounces non-medicated lotion5 drops clove oil

5 drops peppermint oil
2-4 teaspoons powdered Comfrey Root
2-4 tablespoons Aloe Vera gel

Mix together thoroughly in a bowl. Chill, if desired.

HINT: Amounts of Comfrey Root or Aloe Vera gel may be increased, but do not increase the amounts of clove or peppermint oils, as they may cause skin irritation.





Cucumber Sunburn Lotion

1 cucumber - chopped

1/4 cup Glycerin
1/4/ cup Rose-water

Squeeze juice out of the cucumber with a lemon-squeezer, and mix with Glycerin and Rose-water.

Sunburn Soothing Bath

2-4 cups *Colloidal (not regular) oatmeal
1/2 to 1 cup baking soda
1-2 cups powdered Chamomile flowers
1 cup buttermilk, optional

Add all ingredients to bath water, or wrap in cheesecloth and tie to the faucet for adding aroma.

Sunburn Mist

2 fluid ounces of distilled water

9 drops of lavender
2 drops of peppermint
1 drop of spearmint

Mix all, then mist lightly over sun-burned skin.

 

Various Natural / Homemade Remedies

1. Apply undiluted apple cider vinegar to sunburn.

2. Mix 10 ounces Non-fat Dry Milk, 2 tablespoons salt and 25 ounces water. Saturate cloth and apply to sunburn 20 minutes.

3. Apply mayonnaise as a skin cream to sunburn.

4. Use Aloe plant, or pure aloe vera gel.

5. Apply peanut oil to sun-burned area(s).

6. Apply thin slices of cold cucumbers, apples, or potato directly to the skin.

7. Apply cold, plain yogurt, then rinse with cool water.

8. Apply cold, used tea bags to sun-burned eyelids to relieve pain and swelling.

Sensible Sun Tanning

Moderate sun tanning (20 to 30 minutes maximum per day) over a number of days produces better results. As pigment (melanin) builds in the skin it adds to your skin protection, melanin is the skin's pigment. Remember, excessive sun exposure can overwhelm the protective systems in the skin, causing skin damage that produces skin peeling and other types of damage.

With 45 minutes of exposure to the noon-day sun can lower the skin's protective vitamin C levels by 80% and also lower other protective skin anti-oxidants such Vitamin E and beta-carotene. Using sun blockers will reduce this depletion of dermal antioxidants.

Also keep in mind that after sun tanning, it takes cells in your skin 2 to 5 days to produce the pigment that provides some protection against burning. In contrast, burning can occur in a few hours in the sun. Development of a tan takes several days and cannot be rushed. In addition, sun exposure causes a thickening of the top epidermal layer of the skin and this increases your resistance to burning.

Don't Forget: Between sunbathing take rest periods in the shade and drink plenty of water.