The symptoms may not occur immediately; it can take up to five hours for sunburn to appear. If not treated timely, the burn can lead to peeling or blistering skin. Sunburn also doubles the risk of developing melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.
1. Oatmeal
Oatmeal can also help treat sunburned skin. It has soothing properties that help the skin retain its natural moisture and reduce irritation.
Fill the bathtub with cool water, add one cup of oatmeal to it and mix thoroughly. Soak in the bath water for about half an hour. After getting out of the water, air dry your body and avoid rubbing the skin with a towel. Do this once daily until you get rid of the sunburn symptoms.
Alternatively, cook oatmeal with enough water until it has a runny consistency. Let it cool completely and then apply it liberally to the damaged skin. Do not rub the oatmeal on your skin. Leave it on the skin for half an hour and then rinse it off with cool water. Follow this remedy two or three times a day as needed.
2. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera has excellent anti-inflammatory properties that help deal with the various symptoms of sunburn. Plus, it has soothing properties that can ease the pain associated with sunburn.
Extract the gel from a section of an aloe vera leaf.
Put the gel in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Apply a light coating of the chilled gel on the sunburned skin.
Allow it to dry on its own so the skin can fully absorb the medicinal properties.
Do this five or six times daily for several days.
If you do not have an aloe vera plant, you can buy aloe vera gel from the market.
3. Black Tea
Black tea is full of antioxidants that are very beneficial for treating irritated and sunburned skin. Tea has tannins that help protect the skin from UV radiation damage and reduce inflammation. It also aids in restoring the skin’s pH balance.
Brew two or three teabags in a pot of hot water. Allow it to sit for a few minutes.
Remove the teabags and let the liquid cool to room temperature.
Soak a cloth in the solution and dab it on the affected skin.
Leave it on until it dries complete and reapply three or four times, as necessary; you need not wash it off.
Do this daily for a few days until your condition improves.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
A great astringent, apple cider vinegar can soothe sunburn pain and also speed up the healing process. Also, the acetic acid present in apple cider vinegar helps ease itching and inflammation.
Add one cup of apple cider vinegar to your bathtub filled with lukewarm water. Soak in this water for about half an hour. This will help balance the pH level of sunburned skin and promote healing. Follow this remedy once daily as needed.
Mix equal amounts of apple cider vinegar and cool water. Soak paper towels in the solution and place them over the affected skin area. Leave them on until the towels are dry. Repeat several times a day for a few days until your condition improves.
Note: Avoid using apple cider vinegar remedies if you have abrasions on your skin.
5. Cool it, cucumber
Instant relief-that’s what a cucumber is to scorched skin. Not only is a cool cucumber soothing to the burn simply because its cool, but its antioxidant and analgesic properties promote healing and further relief from discomfort. You can apply it in a couple of ways, but however you do it, the swelling, redness, and pain should diminish soon.
You will need…
-1 or 2 fresh cucumbers, chilled
-A blender or a knife
Directions
If you’re going for mainly quick pain relief, slice up a chilled cucumber and lay the slices on your burned skin. Flip the slices when the first side heats up, like how you flip a pillow to get the cool side up. For a longer lasting effect, chill 1 or 2 cucumbers and toss them in a blender to create a paste. Feel free to add in some aloe vera gel or cornstarch if you want it a little thicker.
6. Use plain yogurt
Live cultured plain yogurt contains an abundance of probiotics and enzymes that help heal our skin. When you find yourself red and sunburned, it can help you recover faster. Make sure it’s truly plain yogurt, not vanilla, and that it has probiotics.
You will need…
-1/2 cup or so of plain live cultured yogurt
A half cup of plain yogurt should be sufficient to treat facial burns at least, but feel free to use more if you want to cover more area. Wash your hands and apply cool yogurt directly to your burn, and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. When the pain has subsided, gently rinse it off with cool or tepid water.
7. Cornstarch/baking soda for fighting burns
Cornstarch, with its cool, silky texture, is a good way to naturally soothe your sunburn. Like milk, it is one of those things that you probably have lying around your house regardless of whether or not you planned on sizzling out in the sun. If you don’t have cornstarch, try some baking soda for quick relief. Both can diminish the pain and lessen the blazing red appearance of the burn.
You will need…
-Cornstarch or baking soda
-Cool water
Directions
How much cornstarch or baking soda you need will vary depending on how big of an area you want to cover. Whichever one you are using add cool water-not cold- little by little until it has reached a paste-like consistency. Smear the paste gently over your burn and leave on until the heat or pain has let up some. Rinse off completely.
Copyright www.gohealthnaija.blogspot.com Disclaimer: We do not tend to cure or treat any disease.
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