Natural Relief For Sunburn

It’s officially summer!!!! You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this time of year. If you guessed all winter, then you’re right  I LOVE summer. Mainly because of the hot temperatures and I can go outside without freezing. The only thing(s) I hate about summer are sunburn, bugs, and air condition. Ok, I don’t hate air condition, I hate that I’m just always cold when I’m inside. But I’m thankful we do have it. Bugs on the other hand. HATE them. There isn’t a single bug that is okay in my book. Summer would be perfect without bugs.
Since I’m in the summer mood lately. As I will be all summer long of course. I decided it would be a good time to talk about foods and home remedies that help with some summer “issues”.  For instance, sunburns. Probably the biggest issues during the summer. I have had my fill of sunburn and bug bites to last me a lifetime. EVERY year I say I will not get burnt. Seriously, it seems like 10 minutes after that, I’m burnt. But I make sure I apply sunblock a lot. I got sun poisoning one year on vacation. Never again. I was purple…yes a deep purple color that didn’t look very good on me at all. I also won’t go into any other details of what else I went through….let’s just say….that’s a reason I don’t eat seafood anymore. Yuck.

TMI! 

So this year, since going all natural. I want to have some home remedies on hand for when the summer sun leaves it’s mark on my skin.

Instead of reaching for that aloe vera gel or you happen to be out of it,  here are some remedies for sunburn:

Baking Soda- Did you know that baking soda can take away the pain from sunburn? Soaking in a cool to lukewarm tub can help ease the burning and stinging of sunburn.

Citrus Fruits- They are one of the best sources of antioxidants, which can help heal your skin from sunburn and protect you from the free radical damage that can cause skin cancer. The main antioxidant in citrus fruits is Vitamin C. This helps strengthen collagen, the protein that supports the skin, and helps stop the amount of free radicals that are produced when you get burned. You should be eating 5 or 6 servings of antioxidants daily. Or try taking a Vitamin C supplement.

Colloidal Oatmeal- This is the gel-like substance in oats that helps lower cholesterol and soothes your digestive tract. But it can do wonders for your skin. Try a “cereal bath” when your skin is scorched and sore. Fill your tub with lukewarm water and add in some oatmeal to help soothe your skin.

Cucumbers- Thinking of cucumbers just makes you feel refreshed. And that’s what they do to sunburn skin as well. Placing sliced cucumbers on the burnt skin will help soothe it.

Lavender- Is an antiseptic, cooling herb that can relieve the sting of sunburn and protect against infections. Fill an 8 ounce spray bottle with cold water and add 6 drops of lavender oil. Spray onto the burned areas.

Milk- As long as you don’t have a milk allergy, this can really beneficial to sunburns. Dabbing whole milk, every 15 minutes every 2 to 4 hours can really soothe the skin. Make sure you use whole milk, the fat in the milk is what helps.

Tomatoes- The lycopene in tomatoes can help repair damage from to much sun. Eating tomatoes cooked in oil (which makes them more like a paste) has been shown to help protect this skin from the sun damage and redness. Apparently the oil helps boost the uptake of lycopene in the body.

Witch Hazel- A traditional remedy for skin problems, witch hazel is probably among the most common herbal treatments in American  medicine chests. It produces a tingling, cooling sensation. Which when sunburn happens, stick a bottle of witch hazel in the fridge, then slather it on where it’s burnt. It’s tannins will help cool your skin.

Those are just a few household remedies for sunburn that you might have around your house. So the next time you get burned, relief won’t be hard to find 

Cheers to a wonderful summer!!