Sunburn Remedies From Your Kitchen

Sunburn Relief

Cucumbers
Cucumbers have been used on eyelids to reduce puffiness so sunburn relief via this member of the gourd family is a no brainer, according to Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas, M.D., Ph.D.. As for the reason why? "Cucumbers have a lot of ions and minerals. To reduce the water content in the skin, slice cucumbers into thin rounds and place over puffy eyes for twenty minutes," She explains.


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Oatmeal
If you think this breakfast cereal made of rolled oats is only nutritious for your diet, think again. It's nutritious for your skin, too! Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas notes, "This has been used in baths to help soothe atopic dermatitis (eczema) and poison ivy." For proper sunburn relief, she recommends the Aveeno oatmeal bath packets which should be put into a bath of warm but not too hot water for about 15 minutes.


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Fresh pickles
Whether it's a Dill or Gherkin, it matters not. For centuries various sorts of pickles have been used to soothe the skin, according toSvetlana Kogan, M.D., board certified internist and founder of The Doctors at Trump Place. "This is partially due to the pH of the pickle. In fact, a lot of facial crèmes are based on pickles." She recommends applying thin slices of pickles for about 15 minutes and repeating every few hours as necessary.


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Dairy products
Sure, the calcium is good for your bones but dairy also creates a soothing at-home remedy for sunburned skin. Alexiades-Armenakas, M.D. recommends a bath of goat milk or goat yogurt instead of well-known milk baths and yogurt masks because they're "less apt to have high hormone levels." Another remedy? Dr. Kogan recommends cold sour cream or even milk which has gone bad. "It's a very good cooling effect for the skin." For instance, with sour cream she recommends applying it directly to the sunburned area for about15 minutes.


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Green tea
"Green tea, once cooled can be applied to sunburned skin to reduce the redness," says Dr. Alexiades-Armenakas. "This is scientifically proven. Or, you can place green tea in the refrigerator, put it into a spray bottle and spray it onto sun burnt skin." She also mentions that after black tea bags are cooled, they're an excellent antidote to reduce sunburned eye puffiness. Simply apply to the eyes for20 minutes.


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Strawberries
They make a refreshing summer treat, but what you may not know is this ripe fruit also soothes aching, sunburned skin. Strawberries are cooling in nature and generate body fluids which are helpful after too much fun in the sun, says Kristen N. Burris, L.Ac., M.S.T.O.M., nationally recognized acupuncturist and herbalist. "These yummy little berries packed full of Vitamin C and silicon: both essential for arterial and connective tissue repair."

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Potatoes
For skin that's been overexposed to the sun, Burris recommends applying a poultice of smashed, raw potato (including the skin) to the hot, burned area of your skin. She notes, "Potato reduces inflammation and has antibiotic properties healing burns and preventing infection."


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Eggs
Although they make a protein-filled meal when they're boiled, scrambled or fried, eggs are also good for the skin. Eric Braverman, M.D., founder of PATH Medical, says eggs tighten your skin. "A little bit of egg treatment helps with inflammation." Burris adds, "Crack an organic egg, discarding the egg white and yolk. Carefully remove the skin membrane from the shell and apply the sticky side to your burned skin. Allow the egg skin to dry on your burn and do not get it wet for two days. Eventually the egg will dissolve and your burns will be healed."


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Corn starch
Erika Schwartz, M.D., Cinergy Health Medical Director, recommends applying corn starch powder as if it's powder you would use on a baby's diaper rash, only this time it's applied to the sunburned skin. "Dust it like powder and cover [the burn], leave it on until you shower." She recommends leaving it on for 24 to 48 hours.


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Lettuce
"Take a head of lettuce, boil it in water, discard the leaves, and let the juice sit in the refrigerator," explains Dr. Schwartz. Next, she recommends applying the juice to cotton balls and dabbling it on to the burn and reapplying every few hours as necessary. "Vitamin C has great antioxidants and it fights free radicals."