15 Best At-Home Sunburn Remedies That Work Better Than Aloe
Take the sting away with items in your own home.
getty To prevent sunburn, you have to apply sunscreen all day long. But maybe you didn't realize you missed a spot, or your tube of sunblock was expired, or your hat didn't protect you as well as you thought it would. Despite your best efforts, you've wound up trying to figure out how to heal sunburn.
Chances are it’s painful and itchy. This is your time to soothe your skin and get sunburn relief in the moment. There are a lot of products you can buy, but there are also a surprising number of home remedies for sunburn that may already be waiting in your pantry.
1. Shea Terra Organics Cape Aloe Healing Gel
Save your sunburned skin with this powerful cape aloe healing gel. Cape Aloe from South Africa is the most active aloe in the world and is more potent than the Aloe Vera we’re used to. Cape Aloe's amazing properties include high saponin, sterol, vitamins, minerals, and amino acid content, and once applied to skin, it helps cells build a protective barrier and provide cells the nutrients they need to repair skin.
(Amazon, check for rates and availability)
2. Recess Body 301 Aloe Wipes
The first wipe dedicated to aloe for both face and body. These aloe wipes soothe and moisturize sunburn, windburn, and dry or irritated skin. These are fragrance-free and naturally scented with aloe.
(MyRecess.co, $26)
3. Skinfix 12-Hour Miracle Ointment
Clinically-proven and dermatologist-tested as a must-have beauty item to heal multiple skin conditions. This natural multi-tasker for cracked cuticles, heels, elbows and lips also works to heal mild cuts, scrapes and burns, and you can even lather it on your face to soothe chapped skin and redness from long flights and cold temperatures. Formulated with Jojoba, Sunflower and Coconut oils and free of lanolin, soy, gluten, parabens, phthalates and preservatives.
(Amazon, check for rates and availability)
4. CV Skinlabs Rescue + Relief Spray
This soothes itching, burning, irritated and inflamed skin. This refreshing, milky emulsion provides deep, hydrating moisture while calming and soothing flushed, sensitive skin. A multitasking formula, it brings instant, cooling relief to itching, burning, irritated, and inflamed skin caused by sun exposure, rosacea, eczema, rashes, laser treatments, chemical peels, shaving, waxing, minor burns, and radiation treatments.
(Aillea, $34)
5. Savor Beauty Lavender Toning Mist
Spritz the Lavender Toning Mist onto affected areas to cool and heal them. Studies show that lavender soothes skin, making it an ideal natural remedy for after-sunburn care and healing.
(Savor Beauty, $34)
6. BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin
Dubbed as the "miracle in a bottle," Astaxanthin treats skin not only on the outside but also in the inside. Since sunburn is an inflammatory process and astaxanthin is a powerful anti-inflammatory, this supplement is a natural partner in skin health. Even Heidi Klum and Gwyneth Paltrow allegedly use this to "help fight wrinkles, improve elasticity, reduce visible signs of UV-aging, and reduce the risk of skin cancer.”
(Amazon, check for rates and availability)
7. Aveeno Soothing Bath Treatment
This relieves dry, itchy, and irritated skin with 100 percent natural colloidal oatmeal. When dispersed in water, this fragrance-free colloidal oatmeal powder forms a soothing milky bath that works as a natural cleanser, provides temporary skin protection, and relieves irritation and itching.
(Walmart, $6.97)
8. NaturSense Aloe Vera Gel
Keep Aloe Vera Gel in your fridge. Aloe is like nature’s first aid — naturally anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal. It’s great for healing that sunburn and giving a soothing feel.
(Amazon, check for rates and availability)
9. Aspirin
Aspirin acts as an anti-inflammatory, suppressing chemicals in the skin that cause redness and swelling. Who knew that something so simple could be used to treat your sunburn?
(Amazon, check for rates and availability)
10. Hirt's Gardens Aloe Vera in 4" Clay Pot-Medicine Burn Miracle Plant
Often called the "Medicine Plant, "Miracle Plant" or the "Natural Healer," Aloe Vera is a plant of many surprises. It flourishes in warm and dry climates, and many people mistake it for a cactus, but it is a member of the Lily family. It stays moist where other plants would wilt and die, closing its pores to prevent the loss of moisture.
(Amazon, check for rates and availability)
11. Fairlife 2% Reduced Fat Ultra-Filtered Milk
Cold milk can be a powerful asset. Soak a cold washcloth in cold milk and then apply it to your sunburn. The lactic acid and chill will both ease the burn.
(Jet.com, $5.29)
12. Gel Cold Compresses
These gel cold compress ice packs are soft to the touch but durable enough to be used dozens of times. The packs gently provides soothing cold therapy and stay pliable during treatment. And it won’t turn into an immovable hard brick like most standard ice packs.
(Amazon, check for rates and availability)
13. Lipton Black Tea Bags
Studies show that black tea may have anti-inflammatory properties, and its ability to reduce inflammation could prove to be a source of relief for sunburned skin. What a relief!
(Amazon, check for rates and availability)
14. Omega Nutrition Certified Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
If you have a bottle of apple cider vinegar in your pantry, use it to complete an effective sunburnt skin treatment at home. Fill a spray bottle with ACV and spray it on the burn, or spray a washcloth and gently massage the area.
(Amazon, check for rates and availability)
15. Quaker Oats, Old Fashioned
Oatmeal can actually be an effective home remedy for sunburn relief. Sure, those oatmeal cookies are a great snack, but instead save some for a bath when you spent too much time in the sun. You'll find it quite soothing!
(Amazon, check for rates and availability)
Aly Walansky is a NY-based lifestyles writer. Her work appears in dozens of digital and print publications regularly. Visit her on Twitter or email her at alywalansky@gmail.com.
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