Top 12 All-Natural Remedies for Sunburn

There it is - that sharp, biting pain on your skin from spending too much time in the sun without the proper protection. You want to get some relief, but maybe you're out of aloe vera gel or other sunburn medication. If you don't want to run to the drugstore in your condition, take heart; there are some remedies that can probably be found in your home right now. Here are the top twelve all-natural remedies to help reduce your sunburn soreness and restore your skin back to its healthy state:

Oatmeal. Cook the oatmeal and then let it cool before applying. Or run cool water through a piece of cheesecloth filled with dry oatmeal, then save the liquid and use it for cold compresses.

Cornstarch. Like oatmeal, the carbohydrates in cornstarch decrease the discomfort and pain associated with sunburn. Just mix the cornstarch into a paste and apply it directly to the skin.

Baking soda. It's not just for eliminating odors in your refrigerator. You can either mix it into a paste like you would cornstarch or oatmeal and apply it topically as a compress, or just pour two cups into a bathtub full of warm water it soothe the pain of the bather's sunburned skin.

Yogurt. It not only cools the burn, but also helps restore the skin's natural pH balance and speeds healing. It's best to use full-fat unsweetened yogurt, and be sure to rinse it off (and pat the area dry) after letting it heat up on the skin.

Honey. Believe it or not, the sweet gooey substance contains antioxidant properties that help rejuvenate skin that has been damaged. Just apply a thin layer on the affected area, then dab off gently with a wet wash cloth after 20 or 30 minutes.

Tea bags. Tea has tannins that draw out the burn from the skin to aid in healing. You can either apply cool tea as a compress, soak in a bathtub full of tea, or press used cool tea bags to sunburned eyelids.

Potato peels. They've been used to heal sunburn for thousands of years because they're moist, carb-laden, and full of antibacterial properties. In fact, potato peels are considered better for minor burns than traditional dressings.

Vinegar. Yes, it does sound counterintuitive. But vinegar is adept at restoring the acid in the skin itself as well as taking the edge off the sting of sunburn.

Fat-free milk. A mixture of cool skim milk with four parts water and some ice cubes makes a soothing compress for sunburned skin. That's because it helps create a protein film that reduces discomfort.

Vegetables. Sliced cucumbers, cut tomatoes, pieces of onion, or leaves of lettuce can do the trick. These vegetables promote healing of sun-damaged skin.

Lavender oil. It's an essential oil that's naturally good for your skin. As a bonus, it can often prevent peeling, which will help you salvage a tan after the pain goes away.

Witch hazel. This plant is an astringent that has significant anti-inflammatory properties. Like aloe, witch hazel is found in lotions and washes - but you can also simply soak the leaves to obtain liquid for a compress.

Chris Martin is a freelance writer and blogger who writes about the hottest topics on the Web. Speaking of summertime problems, you don't want the Kentucky heat and humidity to invade your home. So you'd better get your Louisville air conditioning unit checked today!

Image credit: skinenergizer.com

Aspirin for acne-prone skin

Aspirin has been around for a long time and its health benefits are wide and varied. Aspirin , or acetylsalicylic acid is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains , as an antipyretic to reduce fever , and as an anti-inflammatory medication. Aspirin's greatest benefit is reducing cardiovascular events including heart attacks and strokes. According to the American Heart Assoc. virtually all women are at risk of heart disease and doctors should more strongly consider prescribing a daily aspirin for their female patients. There is growing evidence to suggest regular aspirin use may reduce cancer and dementia as well. Investigators from the Women's Health Study have reported important new findings demonstrating that aspirin reduces the risk of a first stroke in women. When given to someone immediately after a heart attack, aspirin decreases death by 25%.

Kapalabhati Pranayam for wrinkle-free, radiant complexion

Did you know that Kapalabhati Pranayam / kriya can also be used to enhance your beauty and ward off skin aging? Done the right way, Kapalabhati Pranayam can be used as a beauty aid - it can give you a wrinkle-free, luminous forehead and radiant complexion. Kapalabhati For Beauty ‘Kapalabhati’ Pranayam breathing exercise is an excellent way of maintaining good health and fighting diseases. ‘Kapala’ means ‘skull’ (and ‘forehead’ also) and ‘bhati’ means ‘shining’. By doing kapalabhati, the ‘nadis’(nerves) of the brain get good exercise. This is achieved by exercising the diaphragm. There will be a glow on the forehead. After the age of 25, the tell-tale signs of ageing start making their appearance in the form of fine lines on the forehead. A regular practice of Kapalabhati for 10-15 minutes everyday will give you a tight forehead sans wrinkles for many years to come. Avoid Botox, try Kapalabhati Why resort to Botox and other expensive chemical or surgica...

Lemon as a beauty aid

The diminutive lemon is a very versatile beauty-aid and this cheap and golden-coloured fruit has excellent properties for enhancing your looks. Simple lemon-based preparations, you can mix in your own kitchen, will surely bring a dramatic transformation in your beauty regimen.

Aloevera, the wonder herb

Of all the herbs available in the kitchen garden, aloe is perhaps the richest in healing properties and has been rightly named the “first-aid” plant. It has moisturizing and emollient properties and is used in cosmetic creams, sun-lotions, shaving creams and face packs. It can easily be cultivated as a house-plant in a sunny warm spot with good drainage. Cosmetologists mix aloe with several other herbs and draft fancy names for it. Then these “herbal” avatars are sold at exorbitant prices. Growing a plant and using fresh gel is much more effective than bottled gel, simply because it is alive and therefore is more potent. It is the only plant whose extract is applied directly from plant to face in its natural and purest form.

I Tried a Headache Balm and Ended Up with Rashes

I do have this habit of slathering pain balms whenever I have a headache. But never did I get a skin reaction or rashes from it. It so happened that I had an extremely severe headache a few months ago. The pain was so unbearable that I gingerly reached out for a pain balm kept on my bedside table and kept on slathering it repeatedly all over the temples of my forehead. Next morning, after I woke up, I found that the skin on my forehead was peeling off and worse there were red rashes! This was the first time in my life that I was getting rashes from applying a pain balm on my forehead ! I have never had any pain balm allergy or as such! Side-effects due to application of a pain balm was something I've never come across all these years! I usually use pain balms of reputed companies – my usual favourites are Tiger balm, Amrutanjan, Zandu balm and Sloan’s balm. This time I had used Tiger balm. But why did it give me rashes now, when I had used it...

Comments

Lara11:04 AM
fresh aloe gel
karuna11:05 AM
calamine lotion, baby lotion, aloe vera, any sort of cool moisturising lotion will work
Bhavana11:07 AM
Apply mixture of lemon juice & honey, let it dry for 15/20 min then wash it, it is natural remedy to treat sunburn.
Fatima11:08 AM
white vineg ar. it will keep you from peeling and take away the sting. make sure you use white vinegar and not apple cider vinegar. just put it on like you would a toner.
Hari11:08 AM
If you have a cactus, cut it into slices, and the moist side will wear the burn down.
Lyanna11:15 AM
That person in the picture has one of the worst sunburns I have ever seen! That must hurt a lot, ouch; not to mention the skin cancer risk. You have so many remedies listed here, but I have another to add along with everyone else's suggestions: mustard oil. I think it's a less common treatment that people hear about, but if you rub some onto the skin it relieves the pain and itching. Lavender and Calendula oils are also good for this
Harini3:12 PM
Cold milk relieves sun burns and inflammations. It creates a thin protein film that protects the skin and cools off burning sensation.

Use: Apply full cream milk on the affected area as it contains healthy fats that soothes and lubricates skin.