Sunburn Solutions

Spending a nice summer weekend outdoors is always well-intentioned summer activity. No matter how careful we tend to be, though, sometimes we just miss spots or don’t apply enough and it all goes wrong and its never nice if you have ended up with a painful sunburn. Prevention is always best

Here’s a few things that help soothe your skin, prevent peeling and heal sun damage.

Aloe. It’s the age-old remedy for treating sunburns – and for good reason – so keep a bottle on hand or better still keep fresh aloe in your kitchen. Put some in the fridge and apply when needed to the skin to soothe sunburn and prevent peeling.

Vinegar. Not my favourite summer smell, but if you put white or apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle and mist onto a sunburn, it can help to prevent unsightly blisters and peeling.  If the smell is just too much mix a solution of 1 part water and 1 part vinegar and spray on sunburned skin before bed.

Tea. The tannic acids that occur naturally in tea are a great remedy for sun-damaged skin. Steep a pot of black tea and cool it in the refrigerator before applying it to the burn using a compress or just press the tea bag directly onto the skin. It will help reduce inflammation, decrease redness and promote healing.

Cucumbers. Fresh cut cucumber cools, hydrates and soothes the skin making this an ideal remedy for sensitive skin or sunburned lips. Just cut refrigerated cucumber slices and apply directly to the skin!

Potatoes. The starch from a grated potato can help soothe a burn when applied directly to skin so either grate a raw, cold potato and place in a cheese cloth to apply or just apply fresh cut slices directly to your skin.