If you were careless about applying suntan lotion on a lounging, hot summer day, your skin needs help now. Here’s how to get rid of red, itchy sunburn and continue your way to a healthy, glowing tan!
The painful, unsightly condition comes from unprotected exposure to UV rays, and the symptoms – redness, rash, itching – can last for days, depending on the severity.
Apart from being physically uncomfortable, you are probably worried about the aesthetic effect, especially if you, say, fell asleep on the beach and woke up with your whole face lobster-red, apart from the areas covered by your sunglasses and swimsuit, where you now have pale patches. Ouch!
The most important thing you can do to help it is to avoid exposing those areas to direct sunlight until they are healed.
Read on for simple, at-home remedies that work fast.
Cold Shower
Cool your aching skin right after exposure by immersing yourself in a tub full of cool water. Don’t put ice in to avoid shocking your system, but go as cold as you can stand it. Soak for 15-20 minutes, adding cold water from time to time. This will lower the temperature of the skin and ease any pain you might feel. Do this a couple times a day until your sunburn heals. Also, drink plenty of water and liquids to keep yourself hydrated from the inside too.
After Sun Products
Any drugstore offers a variety of products that will help heal your sunburn. Look for cream, lotion or gel that contains aloe vera, since it is effective in the healing process. Unless the package instructs otherwise, keep the lotion in the fridge and gently apply to affected areas a few times a day.
DIY Remedies
A bunch of everyday things that you can find in your kitchen can be used for quick at-home relief. But be prepared, you’re probably not going to smell very inviting after you’ve applied them!
Chilled dairy products with a creamy texture work well on sunburn. They extract the heat from the skin while giving it extra nourishment from the natural oils and fats. Cold yogurt on your sunburn will feel like heaven! If you don’t have yogurt, try cream or crème fraiche, anything that is dense enough not to run off your skin and onto your clothes or furniture. Apply while cold, and keep until it’s heated through.
You can also try brewing strong black tea or making a vinegar solution, and spraying it onto the affected areas.
Extreme Sunburn
If you fell asleep in the sun or were exposed for hours, you probably have worse symptoms than just the basic redness. Sun can severely burn the skin and cause swelling, blistering and peeling. If this is the case, you should consult a physician who will, if needed, prescribe you topical steroid creams and pain medication.
Prevention is the Best Medication
Of course, it would be best if you didn’t get sunburn at all. In the hot summer days, don’t forget to apply protective lotion, wear light clothing and protect your head and face.
Skin that’s been sun burnt will eventually peel, so it will need extra nutrition during the healing period. Use creams and lotions with vitamin E, collagen and plenty of hydrating ingredients. You might also like to read Diane‘s 4 Steps to Treating Sunburns.
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