You always wear SPF 50. You always sit in the shade. You always stay inside between the hours of 1 and 4pm. You never go tanning. You are a very sun-smart person and are always prepared to go to battle against UVA and UVB rays...except that one day that inevitably happens every once in a while. And you get burned. Badly. Like, fresh lobster red. The damage is done and, while there's not much you can do to reverse it, you can at least lessen the discomfort and cosmetic damage.
For my entire childhood, my family were all strong believers of the ole tried-and-true aloe vera. There were always dozens of bottles and plants on hand, usually to be used up by my pale white, freckled, red-haired sister. While aloe is definitely soothing and cooling, I find its effects to be very short-lived. Aloe is sticky, leaves a dirty green residue and, in my experience, does not do much to reduce redness. I do still use aloe from time to time and definitely advocate that it has many wonderful benefits and uses ( I prefer my facial moisturizers to be aloe based, as they are more hydrating and soothing on my sensitive skin), but it's no longer my first line of defense for handling sunburns.
After researching some natural remedies, I found this post on a blog called Butter Believer. I was amazed, although skeptical, at the claim of minimizing a burn overnight. Sure enough, I tried it out and...it worked! Withing 48 hours the burn was almost gone! I had seen apple cider vinegar come up many times in my research and, no surprise, this post also utilizes the multipurpose liquid marvel (seriously, is there anything ACV can't do?). The ACV rebalances the skin and takes out the sting and redness. However, this post then goes on to use coconut oil as a moisturizer. It is so important to moisturize a sunburn to avoid further damage, especially peeling. However, I find that my typical moisturizers absorb too quickly on sunburns or have fragrance that irritates the area even more. Surprisingly, the coconut oil is heavy enough that it isn't immediately sucked into the skin, but it's light enough that it doesn't suffocate your skin. As a bonus, your skin smells sooo good!
I find it best to do this at night before bed. Not only is that when your skin naturally does most of its regeneration, but the coconut can be a bit greasy and you don't want to be going about your day with slippery legs!
1. Soak a cloth in cold water and wring it out. Splash some apple cider vinegar on the damp cloth and dab, DON'T RUB, over the burn. Wring out a little excess liquid from the cloth and let it drip onto the burn.
2. After the liquid has dried off, carefully apply some coconut oil over the burn.
That's it! That's all you have to do. After only one night, my bright red burn has faded to a pink and the itch is almost completely gone. After the next night, any evidence of the sunburn is pretty much gone!
Other tips I have include staying out of the sun with a burn, as this will a) make damage worse, and b) make the burn STING!!! Hydration is key. Drink plenty of water, keep the skin moisturized and take an Omega-3 supplement.
There is no way to undo the cancerous damage of excessive sun exposure and the best method for getting rid of sunburn is always prevention, but no one is perfect. You're bound to slip up eventually, and when you do, at least you'll be prepared!
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