In the first part of our series on the subject of sunburn, we looked at the background to the development of sunburn. In the second part, we now want to address the question of whether natural home remedies can provide relief in the treatment of sunburn and give tips on the correct treatment. First of all: For mild sunburns (1st degree), natural home remedies can provide effective relief. First and foremost, you should cool the affected area.
To quickly get rid of the symptoms of sunburn, we give the following tips:
-
Drink plenty
The skin is deprived of moisture by a sunburn - the burn from the sun's UV rays dries it out badly. Learn more about the side effects of sunburn here. Intake of sufficient fluids in the first step is important to speed up the healing of the skin.
-
Cool the skin
Cool the skin by taking cold or lukewarm showers or applying damp cloths. Tip: Use 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda per litre of water to create bicarbonate of soda water. Soak cloths or T-shirts and then place them on the skin. This will provide initial relief. Afterwards, you can cool the skin with home remedies for sunburn. Cold tea bags, milk or curd compresses, effectively relieve discomfort due to their cooling effect.
Chamomile extracts in ointments or lotions also have an anti-inflammatory effect and can speed up the healing process of burns. A similar effect is also attributed to gel made from aloe vera leaves.
-
Supply skin with nutrients and antioxidants
The antioxidants contained in fruits and vegetables counteract sun-induced skin ageing. Especially citrus fruits as well as legumes, vegetable oils and cereals are recommended here. Vitamins E, C and B5 are also important substances that you should supply to your stressed skin.
-
Avoid the sun
Especially during lunchtime from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, you should retreat to the shade from now on.
Basically, all people who spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer months should make sure they have good sun protection. First and foremost, sun protection should be provided by avoiding direct sunlight and wearing suitable clothing. You can find out more about natural sun protection here.
