Nowadays, going for a beach vacation and getting sunburn is the most common problem. Overexposing of skin to sun’s ultraviolet rays increases the risk of sunburn which may present as dryness of skin, appearance of freckles, discoloration or pigmentation of exposed parts, peeling of epidermal layers and even skin cancer if left untreated. It would definitely make you worry, but relax because getting rid of sunburn redness is pretty easy. So how to get rid of sunburn redness? You just need to follow a few steps.
The Quick Way
Anti-Redness Lotion or Cream
Perhaps the quickest way to avoid or reduce sunburn redness is to apply a good anti-redness lotion or cream on the exposed parts of your skin. Use creams like skin moisturizers and anti-redness lotions on your arms, hands and limbs regularly to encourage the peeling of damaged skin. This also prevents the skin from further burning.
Home Remedies to Try
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is always in your mind when thinking about how to get rid of sunburn redness. It is a natural herb that consists of 99% water while the remaining 1% is rich in about 150 minerals and micro-nutritional elements like vitamins, calcium, copper magnesium, selenium, amino acids, sodium, zinc, tannins (astringents) and more. Selenium and tannins are long known as quick remedies for sunburns and are abundantly found in aloe vera. It is also used commercially in a number of revitalizing creams to cure sunburn.
How to Use:
Take a leaf of aloe vera and expose the gelatinous part by cutting it through a knife.
Aloe vera gel has a propensity to quickly absorb in the skin without feeling sticky or greasy.
Apply the gel on your face and let it dry. Then wash your face with cold water.
Repeat several times a day.
Potato
Potato has a soothing effect that protects the skin from the sunburn and also provides relief to the stinging feeling after sunburn.
How to Use:
Rub potato slices gently on the affected skin.
Make a paste of potatoes by grinding and applying to the sunburned area, let it dry then wash it off with fresh water.
You can also sooth your skin by potato paste tied up in a clean cloth.
Grate organic potatoes to obtain a paste and put it over the gauze. Now apply this paste over the affected area. Repeat several times a day.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is used as a sunblock and interestingly it can also heal the sunburned patches of skin. Lauric acid, a major component of the oil, promotes the healing of sunburned skin. It is also present in many cosmetic products as it prevents different types of skin irritation.
How to Use:
In order to rejuvenate or heal the sunburn skin, take pure coconut oil in a bowl. You can also mix it with a few drops of lavender oil or aloe vera gel.
Rub it on the affected skin; it gets absorbed in the skin so that you don’t have to wash it.
In some minutes, it will also relieve the stinging feeling and can also help a great deal in reducing the inflammation, itching and redness associated with the sunburn.
Precaution:
Don’t use coconut oil immediately after sunburn. At least give a one-day gap or interval after sunburn.
Cucumber
How to get rid of sunburn redness? Try cucumber! It gives a very cool and soothing effect if applied on a damaged or inflamed skin. Cucumber is 96% water and supplies a lot of healthy nutrients including Vitamin A and C, folate, manganese, silica, sulfur etc. It has natural healing properties due to high concentration of antioxidant and analgesic agents. The soothing and cooling properties make it an excellent remedy for sunburn.
How to Use:
Make a grinded paste of 1 small cucumber. Apply on the affected skin and let it rest for 20 minutes before washing it off.
Slice the cucumber and place these slices on the sunburned skin for about half and hour.
Prepare cucumber juice and take a wash cloth. Soak the cloth into the juice and give the affected area a cool compress.
Mint and Green Tea
Mint is naturally very cool and sooths sunburns too. Tannic acid and theobromine, found in green tea, relieve pain and heal damage.
How to Use:
Boil one quart of water.
Empty five tea bags of green tea and pour three cups of fresh mint leaves in a pan.
Pour boiled water to the pan and cover with a lid.
Let it rest for an hour. Then strain the liquid and chill.
Soak cotton pads or cloth in the chilled liquid and apply directly to the burned skin. You can also pour it on the burn.
You can also substitute it with black tea if green tea is not available.
Yogurt
Live cultured yogurt has a number of probiotics and enzymes which are helpful in healing damaged skin. It helps in fast recovery of pain and redness of burns and mark it that the yogurt should be plain, not flavored and it should also contain probiotics.
How to Use:
Wash your hands and apply yogurt directly to the burned area.
Let it rest for 5 minutes and then wash it off with cool water.
Ice-cubes and Water
You may use ice cubes and cool water to treat inflamed skin and sunburn. Make sure you never apply ice cubes directly on damaged skin.
How to Use:
Wrap the ice cubes in a cloth and slowly tap the red area of your skin.
Try to drink a lot of cold water on daily basis, as it will not only hydrate your body but will also keep your body temperature lower to reduce the burns and inflammation quickly.
Watch a video to learn more about how to get rid of sunburn redness:
- Try to cover up yourself in sunny weather and avoid walking in the sun. Apply sun protection creams and lotions before going out.
- Try to avoid tight clothes, wear loose-fitting clothes to avoid obstruction in healing of sunburns.
- If you have an allergy with dairy products, try a cold compress soaked in oat meal and water mixture.
- To get rid of sunburns quickly, eat foods rich in vitamin C like papaya, guava, oranges, etc.
- Prefer cold water showers until skin returns to normal.
- Visit a skin specialist if you have severe burns. An expert may provide you with a good prescription that may help you get rid of sunburns in a few days.
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