Sophie Uliano's Natural Sunburn Remedies

Natural remedies really, truly work.

1. Oatmeal: Oatmeal is so soothing for burned, irritated and itchy skin. Simply toss 1 cup of old-fashioned oatmeal in your blender or processor. Process into a fine powder. Either add ½ a cup to a bath of tepid water, or empty 1 cup into a large square of cheesecloth or muslin – tie into a little bundle by making 2 knots, and run under warm water. You can then use this as a compress on painful areas of sunburn.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple Cider Vinegar is also soothing and healing for badly sunburned skin: Just add 1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar to a bath of tepid water. Soak for as long as you can.
3. Baking Soda: Baking Soda is a wonderful remedy because it helps to restore the acid/alkaline balance of your skin. Add 1 cup of baking soda to your bath, and when you get out, instead of toweling off, let the baking soda dry on your skin dressing in loosely-fitting clothes.
4. Aloe Vera: Aloe Vera is the go-to plant for burns. If you are using it from the actual plant, cut the leaf as close to its base as you can, and then slice the leaf open horizontally before squeezing out the fresh gel, which you can apply directly to your skin. You can also pour Aloe Vera juice into an ice cube try, and when your skin has healed from the initial burn (never put ice cubes on a fresh burn or broken skin), you can gently smooth the cubes over the affected area).

Do not apply ice directly ever! Ice is a Sunburn Don’t!
Putting ice on your sun damaged skin can cause an even worse burn. Instead, wrap an ice pack or a packet of frozen veggies in a damp towel. Butter… tbd?
There are certain foods that actually help you prevent sunburn.
You need to load up on tomatoes, pomegranates, and strawberries because all 3 fruits contain specific compounds that have been designed by nature to help protect our delicate skin from the burning rays.
Moisturizing - wait until the redness, stinging or blistering has subsided before you moisturize.
• The best way to nourish your skin post-burn is to slather yourself in raw coconut oil.
• To moisturize your face, use a chilled rosewater spray, which is soothing and moisturizing. Resist picking off the skin, and instead use a really gentle sugar scrub to remove the dead skin, and follow up with coconut oil. Sophie’s favorite remedy for really bad sunburns:

1. 4 ounces plain yogurt & 20 drops of Lavender Essential Oil & 1 oz aloe vera gel (yogurt leaves a healing protein film on your skin, lavender prevents infection).

Sunburn remedies for very sensitive areas, like your eyes…
Here are 2 simple remedies:

1. Soak Chamomile tea bags in very hot water to open up the flowers, and then chill them in the fridge for a few hours. When they are really well-chilled, apply to your burned eyes.
2. Slice up a cucumber – chill the slices and apply to burned eyes. Cucumbers draw out the heat.

Check Sophie out at SophieUliano.com. Follow Sophie Uliano on Twitter @SophieUliano, find her on Facebook at GorgeouslyGreen and check her out on Pintrest: GorgeouslyGreen.