Sunburns can either make or break a vacation (or stay-cation), so when you're peeling and look like a lobster, it can seem like there is no relief in sight. Even when you slather on aloe from the bottle, you might still feel nauseated and dehydrated. Here are some tips for relief at home, because it might hurt too much to leave the cool, cool bathroom floor.
1. Take a cool bath
Add some lavender or peppermint essential oils to the water and soak while napping or catching up on some Netflix. The same way minty toothpaste and water makes your mouth feel chilly and fresh, the oils will help with your skins temperature overall.
Make sure you drink water or Gatorade because you've probably gotten dehydrated and need to add some electrolytes to your system as well. If you can't bear to drink water, have an iced coffee because eventually the ice will melt and become water.
2. Cool compress
If you can't make it to the bathtub and feel extremely tired, first check to make sure you don't have sun poisoning, then take a nap. According to MedicineNet, take some cool washcloths and wrap them around your burns so that while you sleep they can have some time to feel better.
3. Dairy and other foods
The same way dairy helps when eating spicy foods, it can also help soothe your skin. Instead of cool water you can dip washcloths in milk.
Or you can use a yogurt mask to cover the burns. Another food item that you can make into a paste or a mask includes cucumbers. Blend them up with the yogurt and it can be two in one. The starch in potatoes has also been known to draw out heat so it can also be made into a paste. If you don't have potatoes, you might have cornstarch in your spice cabinet to apply to your burns.
4. Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar may sting when you apply it, and might not be the first step in your recovery, but I have found it to help. If you douse a washcloth or cotton balls in the vinegar and dab it over your burns, it will eventually turn it into a tan. If you have an intense burn that has caused blisters, you may want to skip this step, or wait a couple days because open wounds from popped blisters could hurt even more.
5. Aloe
If you like your products to be organic, and happen to have an aloe plant on hand, you can break apart one of the thick leaves and apply it to your skin. This has no ingredients you can't name and can be found right in your house. If you aren't the type to own plants but are planning a day in the sun, it may be a worthy investment. The plants barely need to be watered and can be forgotten about for days at a time. As long as it's in the sun, it can live. Along with the many other benefits of the aloe plant, you can put it in your smoothies and even in your hair.
