Mega Bored
Frolicking on the beach is fun until you get painful lesions and blisters from the sun. UVA and UVB rays from the sun burn the skin and triggers premature aging. So make it a habit to wear sunblock every time you go out. Sunblock is youth in a bottle. Slather more if you are on the beach! If you got too much sun and your skin is a painful, burned mess, consider these home remedies:
Baking Soda
Baking soda helps hydrate the skin and soothe sunburn. Add a couple of tablespoons of baking soda to your bath water and soak for at least 15 minutes. Stay longer if your skin took on a dried, lizard-like texture. Once you’re done, do not towel yourself off. Instead, air dry yourself so you don’t wipe off the baking soda.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is traditionally used to soothe sunburn too. Compounds from oats speed up recovery time and hydrate the skin. To use oatmeal as a soak, fill your bathtub with cool water. Get a sock and add several scoops of oatmeal. Seal the sock with a rubber band. Chuck the oatmeal-filled sock on the bath water and soak in the solution for at least 20 minutes. Again, do not towel yourself dry. Air dry yourself so all the oatmeal extracts are absorbed by the skin.
Aloe Vera
Just like oatmeal, aloe vera is traditionally used to soothe sunburned skin. It’s also used to treat minor cuts and skin abrasion. Aloe vera soothes tender, inflamed skin. It also brings down tenderness and pain. You can either buy an aloe vera gel from your local pharmacy or get it fresh from an aloe vera plant. If you’re getting it fresh from the source, slice the broad leaves and scoop the gel. Apply the gel directly to the affected area. Do this several times per day over the course of five days.
Cool Compress
A cool compress will bring down pain and tenderness in burned areas of the skin. Of course, cold compress only offers temporary relief. You want to apply a soaked washcloth on the affected area, rather than an ice pack. Re-wet the washcloth several times. Apply the washcloth several times per day until discomfort disappears.
Drink More Water
The skin needs hydration to heal. Drinking more water helps boost the recovery time. It also minimizes pain and swelling. Be sure to drink more than 8 glasses of water every day to keep the skin hydrated. You know you’re getting enough water when your urine runs almost clear.
Moisturize the Skin
As the skin heals from a burn, it will take on a leathery, lizard-like texture. To avoid this, you want to slather on moisturizers. We recommend a mild, natural lotion – not the rich, emollient kind. Slather it on after a soak to lock in moisture. A great tip is to keep the lotion in the fridge so when you slather it on heated, sunburned skin; you get instant relief from the cool lotion.
