The summer is a glorious season with its endless sunshine, warm winds and long days. It is very easy to forget to look after your skin because we feel happy and what could be more good for our skin health than a smile.
The sun can impact your skin, drying it out and ageing it therefore, it is very important to look after your skin throughout the summer especially if you get sunburned.
Below we have listed a few skincare treatments that can help your skin if you have been in the sun for a long time and have got sunburned.
Please Note – These are aftercare treatments and should not be applied to the skin with the thought they will protect the skin when going out in the sun. You will need sunscreen and protective clothing for that.
ALOE VERA – Aloe Vera gel is soothing, healing, cooling and hydrating for skin that has been in the sun for a long time. It will stop the skin from peeling and the anti-inflammatory properties of aloe vera will help soothe irritated skin.
WITCH HAZEL – Witch hazel moisturises the skin and reduces any inflammation. Its high tannin content makes it a great treatment for healing sunburned skin. However, it’s important to remember that witch hazel is not a sunscreen.
LAVENDER OIL – This is known to be an anti-inflammatory which can help soothe the skin. A few drops of lavender essential oil in a carrier oil such as jojoba oil or coconut oil aids skin recovery from sun damage.
If you want to know more about certain oils, carriers and ____ Read more here.
Also check out what kinds of oils you can use to massage your body and which ones to mix together here.
BLUE TANSY OIL – Diluted blue tansy essential oil has a soothing effect and can heal sunburned skin. This essential oil must only be applied to the skin once a few drops are added to a carrier oil, water, lotion, or cream.
COOLED GREEN TEA – Cooled green tea has a soothing and healing effect on sunburned skin because it contains tannin. It’s the tannin in the tea that helps reduce inflammation. Dip cotton wool in green tea, squeeze a little then apply tenderly to the sunburned area.
COCONUT OIL – Coconut oil is effective in healing burned skin, but only once the skin has cooled down! It’s a great moisturiser to help the dryness and itching you may experience from the burn. This can be applied directly onto sunburned skin.
ROLLED OATS, MILK & HONEY PASTE – This paste is excellent for sunburns and the recipe is very easy to prepare. All you need to do is grind half a cup of rolled oats in a grinder. Pour this into a bowl and add a quarter cup of full fat milk and 1 tablespoon of honey. Once all the ingredients are combined, apply the mixture to the sunburned skin and leave it for 20 minutes.
BAKING SODA – Add a little water to baking soda to make a thick paste. Very gently apply this paste to the sun burned area for soothing relief. This will bring relief to the irritation and pain whilst reducing the damage caused to the affected area.
CORNSTARCH – This can be effective in helping ease the pain of your sunburn.
Add some two tablespoons of cornstarch into a bowl with a tablespoon of water or milk. Mix the ingredients together and add water if the paste is too thick. Apply the paste to the sunburned area for an instant cooling and soothing effect.
You can also dust a little cornstarch over the burned skin to help reduce friction between the affected skin and clothes or bed sheets.
MASHED CUCUMBER – Mashed cucumber will have a cooling effect on sunburn because of the vitamins and minerals it contains. It can help repair the damaged skin whilst providing pain relief.
Mash some cucumber in a blender and then apply it to the sunburned area. Alternatively you can put sliced cucumber onto the affected area, however, mashed cucumber is more effective..
PLAIN YOGHURT – Yoghurt can be helpful for sunburns due to the probiotics in it that can help repair sun damaged skin. Apply plain yoghurt over the sun burned area and leave it for 15 minutes. Wash away with water.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR – The cider vinegar will act as an antiseptic, protecting the skin from bacteria. It can also help reduce the itching and irritation caused by the burn. Dilute apple cider vinegar with water and pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Spray onto the skin for a cooling effect.
If you would like to share stories about your own remedies for sunburnt skin, please let us know on our forum and social media! Share some of your thoughts with others and start a conversation.
DISCLAIMER
Before you start any new diet, health programme, exercise routine, and ingest or topically use any oil, vitamin, mineral, product or compound, it is very important to consult your doctor, therapist or do a patch test to make sure you do not have any adverse reactions.
We do not offer any form of medical or psychological advice. The information in our wellbeing articles are offered for educational purposes only. Our wellbeing articles are not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease. Thank you.
