Home remedies for sunburn

When the hot summer makes its mark in the form of a Sunburn leaves on the skin, you don't necessarily have to go to a doctor or pharmacy. In your own kitchen there are some natural and inexpensive home remedies against sunburn ready to bring such an undesirably “hot body” back to bearable temperatures.

What helps against sunburn?

Even if the prophylactic effect of the various chemically produced sun protection creams clearly overshadows that of the natural home remedies, the latter can certainly provide relief and healing for an existing sunburn - without any chemical ingredients, but with the good feeling of sunburn to have effectively fought with home remedies and without "paid support" from the pharmaceutical industry.

In the case of severe sunburn, which is noticeable in the form of unbearable pain and / or blistering on the burned skin regions, a doctor must be urgently consulted. In principle, when fighting a sunburn (as with other burns of the body), cooling and moisturizing measures are essential. Therefore, above all, plenty of clear water should be drunk in order to provide the body with the moisture it needs to fight sunburn.

The resulting internal cooling effect is effectively supported by the external application of the following home remedies against sunburn in order to ensure rapid regeneration of the skin. In the case of extensive sunburn, a “skin spread” made from yoghurt or quark is recommended (dilute with milk if necessary), which supplies the affected areas with moisture and at the same time provides a pleasantly cooling effect.

Danger: The layer should be removed before it dries up, otherwise on the one hand no more air can get to the skin and on the other hand great pain can arise when removing the sticky mass. “Cold milk wraps” (preferably with full-fat milk) are also good for doing something good for sunburned skin in the form of a natural protective cover. These can also be changed quickly and easily as soon as the pleasant effect has disappeared. The lactic acid also promotes the build-up of the skin's protective acid mantle.

Quick help

A damp, cool tea bag promises quick help for small burns such as on the nose, neck or feet. Depending on the size of the affected skin regions, (pocket) tissues or bandages soaked with vinegar, tea or lemon juice are also suitable. Furthermore, raw cucumber slices or green lettuce leaves placed on the skin provide a cooling, calming and moisturizing effect.

Another easy-to-make home remedy for sunburn is a spray bottle filled one-third with apple cider vinegar and two-thirds with water. This mixture, rich in vitamins and minerals, gives the skin a pleasant cooling effect and can be used several times a day (store the spray bottle in the refrigerator beforehand if necessary).

Ice cubes or so-called cool packs also provide relief, but should only be used for light sunburns and even then only for a short time, as they could inflict additional frostbite on the skin cells, which are already damaged.

Vegetable oils such as linseed or olive oil applied to the skin should also be avoided in acute sunburn, as they literally deprive the skin of the air it breathe.

Alternative remedies

Alternative home remedies for sunburn are not only found in the kitchen. A bathtub filled with cold to lukewarm water (depending on what is more pleasant) is particularly suitable for large-scale burns and is enriched with about a liter of kefir and a few tablespoons of honey. This mixture cools the entire body and thus alleviates the pain of burns particularly effectively and also supplies the skin with nourishing ingredients.

A cup of violet blossom tea consumed several times a day supports the healing process from the inside after a sunburn. When cooled, the tea is also suitable for external use (for example in the form of a compress). The same applies to the medicinal plant called sage, although this home remedy for sunburn should only be taken in moderation (maximum 15 grams of sage leaves per day) for reasons of overdose.