Guest Post: Sabrina Taylor - 10 Natural Sunburn Remedies

This one’s for all my sun sensitive sistahs.

I was blessed - perhaps burdened is more appropriate - with a milky white complexion and the inability to develop any sort of tan. The only sign of sunshine on my skin is the addition of a few freckles on my nose, cheeks and shoulders.

Besides being fair skinned, my skin is sensitive. Perfumed products and oily lotions are best avoided and even the least amount of sun exposure leads to a burn.

After years of dealing with unintentional burns, I ended up becoming somewhat of a sunburn remedy guru. If you suffer under the sun like me, let me share a little wisdom with you!

1. Aloe and Coconut

Most people go for straight aloe vera gel, but I like to mix it with coconut oil for extra moisture. Create a 50-50 blend and slather all over your skin. Just avoid your face with the coconut oil, so you avoid any unwanted acne breakouts.

2. Baking Soda

For Christmas one year my Nonnie gave me a booked titled 101 Ways to Use Baking Soda. A baking soda bath for sunburns was one of them. Turns out 3-4 heaping tablespoons of baking soda in a lukewarm bath make for the perfect anti-itch burn remedy. Soak for 15 minutes then air dry. Don’t rinse off your baking soda either. You’ll feel great.

3. Cornstarch

I typically use cornstarch for thickening up soups and gravies, but dusting myself in a nice layer of it after too much fun in the sun helps prevent chafing between clothes and burn zones.

I often miss applying healthy layers of sunscreen around my bikini straps and bum line and this works perfectly for those areas.

4. Lettuce

This is a very unexpected, but effective remedy; boiled lettuce. All you have to do is boil a head of lettuce and then strain out the water. Let the water cool in the fridge then dip cotton pads or a cloth in it and pat your burn with the water.

Lettuce has natural pain relieving qualities that soothe the sting and the added moisture doesn’t hurt either. 

5. Strawberries

Mashed up strawberries provide a nice cooling effect to fresh burns. Just don’t let them sit on your skin for too long or you’ll stain yourself a new shade of pink.

6. Milk

Dairy may not be great for your complexion, but a cold milk compression sure cools the sting of a sunburn.

Mix milk, water and a few ice cubes in a bowl then soak a cloth in it. Place your cold compress over the burn and enjoy the cool down.

7. Oats

Aveeno may have packaged it up, but I perfected the oatmeal bath the year I got a sunburn AND chicken pox.

Grind 1 cup of fresh oats in a blender and toss it in the bath. Soak for as long as your heart desires and enjoy how the oats alleviate pain and itch.

8. Potatoes

Good for surviving a famine and soothing burns. The juice from a pulverized potato prevents itching.

Just pulverize a potato in a food processor with 1 or 2 tablespoons of water and slather over your skin. Once dry, rinse off.

9. Vinegar

Commonly used for fish & chips, cleaning windows and preventing pasta from sticking together, white vinegar is also useful for sunburns. Just soak a cloth in it and place over the burn.

10. Water

Last, but certainly not least is water. Staying hydrated is key when you want to heal a burn. Make sure you get your daily dose of water and carry some with you if you plan on spending time in the sun. Remember, once you feel thirsty your body is already dehydrated.

I think it goes without saying, but be sun smart this summer. Apply your SPF, try and avoid too much exposure and take care of your skin. After all, you don’t want all that fun in the sun to cause skin damage later in life!

Author Bio: Sabrina is a beauty blogging, diy-creating, natural skin care lover. To help her readers feel and look their very best, she shares all her secrets over at www.topbeautybrands.com. You can stay connected with her on Facebook and Twitter.

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Thank you very much to Sabrina for this wonderful guest post! I unitentionally burnt my arms and nose the other weekend (completely my fault for not re-applying SPF enough), so this post came in so useful! If you want to read more from Sabrina, check out her posts here.

What remedies do you use to soothe sunburn?

Beauty Bird xx