sunburn recovery home remedies

7 Easy Home Remedies for Sunburn Recovery

Follow along these easy tips so you don't have to feel the burn

You’re at an elevated risk of burning if you have light skin or spend a lot of time in the sun.

More serious sunburns, in general, take longer to recover than milder burns.

The more severely you burn, the longer it will take for the damaged layer of skin to cover your body.

Mild symptoms of sunburn usually ease within 3-5 days, although more serious burns can take several weeks.

Other variables that decide how fast you recover include how well you handle your sunburn.

It also depends on whether you have a condition such as diabetes or arterial disease that slows down sunburn recovery.

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There are no miracle sunburn remedies. However, there are a variety of ways in which you can help the natural healing process of your body.

In this post, we’ll take a look at the most effective home remedies for quicker sunburn recovery.

Let’s dive in.

What are the causes of sunburn?

You lie out in the pool hoping to get a golden tan. Instead, you walk away from your lounge chair looking like a lobster that has been left too long in the pot.

Many of us even expose our skin to the sun’s burning rays, despite health alerts about sun damage.

Sunburns are caused by ultraviolet (UV) ray overexposure. UV light, such as sunlamps and tanning beds, can be from sunlight or artificial sources. 

The more you are exposed to these rays, the more likely it is to burn your skin.

People with darker skin do not burn as easily as people with paler skin. They create more melanin pigment that prevents UV damage to the skin.

What happens to the skin if you have a sunburn?

Sunburn signs occur within a couple of hours after exposure to the sun. However, it can take 24 hours for the full effects of the skin damage to show. 

It can take years for long-term damage to occur, such as an increased risk of skin cancer.

The risk of skin cancers and accelerated skin aging is increased by tanning. Sunburn can be caused by rapid tanning.

Home remedies for sunburn recovery

The following are the 7 home remedies to try if you want to treat sunburn at home.

1. Soak in soothing oats

Add Oatmeal in your bathtub and then take a bath to soothe sunburn.

Research shows that colloidal oatmeal helps tamp inflammation down and decreases scratching.

In your food processor, you can also easily grind out plain oats and add them to your tub.

Combine cool bath water with the oatmeal treatment and soak for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Gently pat the skin dry with a clean towel afterward. Rubbing off the skin to dry it would only further irritate it.

2. Consider tea treatment

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In green and black tea, tannic acid can help pull the heat from sunburn.

While research shows that catechins (an antioxidant compound) repair skin damage. 

If you’re burned around your sensitive eye region, this can be especially helpful.

Two teabags are simply soaked in cool water and placed on top of closed eyes to minimize swelling and help alleviate pain.

Related: 7 Easy Home Remedies to Heal Razor Burns

3. Eat fruits

Plants such as olive trees have their own built-in protection against the sun’s oxidative damage.

These built-in protectors act in our bodies as cell protectors. 

Those berries are shielded from oxidative damage by the same pigments that render blueberries and raspberries red.

4. Apply wheat germ oil

Especially rich in vitamin E, Triticum Vulgare (wheat germ) oil offers excellent antioxidants in topical anti-aging formulations.

 It also nourishes and reduces the loss of moisture in the skin.

5. Use Aloe vera

For all modes of burning, whether radiation, thermal, or solar, the reputable Aloe vera or Aloe barbadensis has been scientifically verified.

It has also been shown that if used before, during, and after these skin-damaging events, it has a prophylactic effect. 

The plant is mainly used for its calming and cooling effect. But, if used at less than half, the plant is useless.

It is advised that it be used to be sure of any beneficial impact at full.

6. Apply tea tree oil

An ancient aboriginal remedy is tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil. It is an effective germicide, fungicide, and antiseptic. 

Tea tree oil is a common component of many sunscreen formulations that alleviates sunburn.

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It is done by increasing the flow of capillary blood, carrying nutrients to the hazardous skin.

7. Use evening primrose Oil

Oenothera biennis (evening primrose) oil has a high GLA content that encourages healthy skin and skin repair. Normally, it is yellow. 

For people with eczema, psoriasis, or some form of dermatitis, it relieves skin problems and inflammation, making it a safe option.

Dry skin and premature aging of the skin are prevented by evening primrose skin oil.

How to prevent sunburn

Commercial preparations that block UV light, known as sunscreens or sunblocks, are available. 

Based on the capacity of the sunblock to suppress sunburn, they have a sunburn protection factor (SPF) rating.

The greater the SPF rating, the lower the amount of direct damage to the skin.

A sunscreen rated as SPF 10 blocks 90% of the UVB radiation causing sunburn. A sunscreen rated as SPF 20 blocks 95 percent.

Modern sunscreens contain both UVA radiation and UVB filters.

While sunburn is not caused by UVA radiation, it does lead to skin aging and an increased risk of skin cancer. 

Several sunscreens offer wide-spectrum protection, which means they protect against both UVA and UVB radiation.

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Related: How to Treat Bed Bugs Bite in 7 Easy Ways

Takeaway

Mild sunburn can be treated at home by using these home remedies for your recovery.

But other sunburns are just too severe to be treated at home.

You may experience nausea, chills, headache, faintness, widespread blistering, general fatigue, patches of purple discoloration, or extreme itching, see a doctor. 

Be mindful that you may have an infection compounding the issue if the burn appears to be spreading.

If you are taking prescription drugs, you can also contact your physician.

Certain medicines will increase your exposure to the sun and cause reactions, such as antibiotics, tranquilizers, and antifungal medications. 

Oral contraception, diuretics, diabetes medications, and even sunscreens containing PABA can also increase the risk of sunburn.