Key to Being…

The sun is strongest between the hours of 10:00am and 2:00pm.  Though the sun is a great source of Vitamin D, which is essential for the body, limit your exposure during those hours especially if you are fair-skinned.

Remedies

• Aloe Vera, native to Africa, is by far one of my favorite plants and remedies. I grow it at home because it’s great not just for sunburn but also a great remedy for healing other types of burns. Aloe vera also stimulates cellular metabolism and helps skin renew itself. The gel inside reduces inflammation, eases pain and speeds healing.
  Cut the stalk at the base and slit it horizontally to expose the gelatinous core. Cut a large piece of the thickest and juiciest part of the stalk and gently rub the jelly interior over the sunburned area.  The most potent aloe juice is at the bottom of the stalk.  Repeat every couple hours until inflammation has calmed.  Refrigerate the rest of the aloe, and use it the next day to make a fresh compress.  A little aloe bonus: add it to salads as it is rich in vitamins, enzymes, amino acids and minerals.
• Apple cider vinegar helps balance the skin’s pH (acid/alkaline balance). Get an organic, unfiltered brand that has been wood-aged. Soak a cotton ball or gauze in it and apply to burn.  Freshen with a new compress if needed and keep until pain lessens.  Vinegar should only be applied to first degree burns and should not be put on cut skin.  Read details on types of burns explained.  And check out these other marvelous medicinal uses of vinegar as well as practical home uses for vinegar!
  After the application, use the aloe vera or lavender oil remedy listed here to speed healing.
• Yogurt helps counteract hot and spicy foods by re-establishing the acid/alkaline balance. It works the same way for sunburned skin. Get plain, natural, full-fat yogurt with live cultures (preferably organic).  Wrap it in a thin 100% cotton towel and place on burn. Replace with fresh yogurt as it warms on the skin. Repeat until the skin is cooled and calmed.
  Alternately, you can just spread the yogurt on the entire body or affected area, and then rinse off in a cool shower.
• Dissolve ½ cup baking soda, Epsom salts or oatmeal in cool bath and soak.  This will ease inflammation and lift heat.
• Boil a head of lettuce for a few minutes, discard the leaves, and chill the lettuce water in the fridge.  Soak a cotton cloth in the cooled water and apply to sunburn to lift the heat and inflammation.
• Boil some black tea, let cool, soak a cotton cloth and apply to sunburn.  Tannins (astringent plant polyphenols) contained in the tea promote healing and take away heat from the sunburn.
• Lavender oil became popular as medicine in the middle ages and is famous for being a relaxing herb.  It soothes the skin and is one of two essential oils that can be applied undiluted to the skin (tea tree is the other). Lavender promotes healing of the skin, calms the nerves and eases the pain of the burn.
  If the sunburned is a large area, lavender essential oil can be combined with a carrier oil, such as sweet almond, castor, coconut, olive or sesame. Don’t apply oil to a fresh burn as that will make it burn more. Depending on the severity, wait a couple hours to a day before applying.  Check out the many other powerful uses for lavender, including depression, stress relief and headache fighter!
• Calendula is a versatile and popular herb in Western herbal medicine with bright orange petals.  Its antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and cooling properties are great for inflamed skin and sunburns, speeding up repair of the skin and helping prevent spread of infection.  Like aloe, it’s contained in many over-the-counter burn products.   To use, steep 1 heaping tablespoon of herbs in 1 cup of water.   Let stand about 10 minutes, strain and when it cools soak a clean cotton cloth or piece of gauze in it and apply to affected area.
• Leave any blisters you may have intact, as it will speed healing.

References
- “The Herbal Drugstore” Linda B. White, M.D., Steven Foster, and the Staff of Herbs for Health, 2000
- “Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine”, Andrew Chevallier, FNIMH
- Mayo Clinic- Folk Remedies for You
- Botanical.com