So you slathered on sunblock, but somehow, someone in your family still baked like a lobster? Try these 10 great remedies for soothing a sunburn, all recommended by our readers. Many of them require only ingredients you already have somewhere in your home. Well known as a skin soother, aloe is one of the most commonly recommended and effective sunburn remedies. "Aloe, aloe, aloe, and more aloe," Jennifer M. recommends, and Kellie T. agrees, "Aloe vera gel would be the best!"Numerous readers recommend applying a vinegar-soaked cloth (often apple-cider vinegar) to sunburned skin to ease the heat and sting. As Jodi K. shares: "I swear by vinegar! I know it sounds nasty and painful, but every time I've gotten a sunburn, I dab on white vinegar with a washcloth. It takes the sting off the burn — the heat of the burn — right out of your skin! It will also keep you from blistering or peeling if you haven't already. Seriously, give it a try!" Oatmeal is an easy at-home remedy for sunburn, as Cara S. shares: "When my husband had a really bad sunburn, I sponged him down with a washcloth filled with oatmeal.
The oatmeal soothed the pain and stopped the itch." Rori C. adds, "If you have any Aveeno Oatmeal Bath packets on hand, those are great." "You might want to try some vitamin E," recommends Jessica K., one of several moms who advised that vitamin E in various forms can aid your skin's healing process. Either pop open a vitamin E gelcap and apply it to the area, or find a cream with vitamin E at the drugstore. Yet another of baking soda's many household uses is relieving itchy skin caused by a sunburn. Corena U. relays, "A bath with baking soda and/or [a] cold shower can be helpful when the itching starts." Who knew that your favorite cheap snack could double as a sunburn soother? Elaine E. explains: "Plaster it on, and let it dry, and then wash off with warm water. The yogurt draws the heat of the burn. It does work, and it's cheaper than lotions." "I found Noxzema works the best for sunburns," says Iris H., one of many moms who recommend this trusty face cream for sunburn relief.
"Just put it on, and let it dry, wash it off, and do it again," advises Ashleigh L. "It saved me from second-degree sunburn when nothing else would." Cornstarch is yet another sunburn remedy you probably have right in your cupboard. "Cornstarch feels great on sunburned skin," shares Jenna B. "It dries the moisture [and also] cools it and soothes it." Another natural remedy for sunburn is cucumber. As Bethany E. advises: "Keep a cucumber in the fridge, and keep slicing bits off and smoothing over your burns with the cool slices. Get some more once it warms up." If you or your child is badly burned, you may want to supplement other natural remedies with a pain reliever for more comfort. Dawn K. advises, "Give her some Tylenol or Motrin to help her pain at bedtime, so she can sleep."How to Prevent and Treat SunburnThe summer months are a time for swimming, outdoor activities, days at the beach --- and sunburns. If you forgot to thoroughly apply sunblock before a day outside in full sun exposure, you're likely to find yourself with a painful, red, itchy burn.
Fortunately, there are a number of effective home remedies for relieving uncomfortable sunburns. Vitamin E oil, for example, can be used to treat the affected area and help heal the skin. Vitamin E oil is generally sold in gel-capsule form, with the capsule protecting the oil inside. Prick a vitamin E oil capsule open with a pin and squeeze the oil onto the affected area of skin. Work the oil into your skin gently, being sure to thoroughly cover the entire area. You can also eat vitamin E oil to help heal your body from the inside out, as, when ingested, it will reduce inflammation and skin damage. The recommended dosage is five capsule per day for one to two days; consult your doctor before taking supplements of any kind. The reason sunburns are so damaging to your skin is because exposure to ultraviolet rays produces free radicals in your body. Free radicals are unstable molecules that steal electrons from your healthier molecules to stabilize themselves. Ingesting antioxidants is helpful, but to protect your skin, a topical application is more effective.
Vitamin E oil isn't the only home remedy that can provide relief from a painful sunburn. Two cups of apple cider vinegar added to a warm bath will soothe large areas of sunburned skin by helping to balance the skin's pH factor. A 1/4 cup of baking soda can also be added to a bath if you don't have apple cider vinegar. Yogurt is another topical skin healer. Make a compress using yogurt and cheese cloth and apply it to the affected area. Aloe vera is another soothing skin cure; A single bad sunburn is usually enough encouragement to take good care of your skin the next time you find yourself planning a day outdoors. Always apply sunblock with a high SPF rating that offers full-spectrum protections against both UVA and UVB rays. Reapply sunblock every hour, more often when swimming. Be sure to use waterproof sunblock for days when you'll be swimming. Fast Relief for Sunburn How to Stop Itching Sunburned Skin Home Remedies to Treat Sunburn on Dark Skin How to Get Rid of a Sunburn on Dark Skin
5 Things You Need to Know About Using Aloe Vera For Sunburns Vitamin E Oil for Burns How to Remove Peeling Skin From a Sunburn How to Prevent Your Skin From Peeling After a Sunburn How to Care for Sunburned Skin Is Vitamin E Oil & Aloe Vera Good? How to Get Rid of Peeling Skin Fast Are There Benefits of Aloe Vera Juice for the Hair? How to Treat Sunburn With Noxzema How to Treat Itchy Skin From a Sunburn Can Sunburns Affect the Baby During Pregnancy?Tocopheryl acetate is the ester of Tocopherol (q.v.) and acetic acid and is classified as both an ester and heterocyclic compound. It is used as an antioxidant and a skin-conditioning active and is known by its more common name, Vitamin E. Vitamin E has been a hotly discussed topic in skin care for some time, but recent scientific research is proving its ability to assist the skin in various ways and showing that it has a very beneficial effect in helping prevent the signs of premature ageing.
Scientific studies show us that Vitamin E (or often known as, Tocopherol) has very specific benefits to the skin: Apart from all of these excellent qualities, Vitamin E also enhances and helps with the penetration of other compounds into the skin and is itself well absorbed by human skin. Vitamin E has a natural affinity to the skin but the amount of Vitamin E is reduced in the skin when exposed to sunlight. Environmental pollutants, as well as oxidative material in the body, cause the formation of “free radicals” which are unpaired oxygen molecules, which wreaks havoc on the cells, and cause extensive damage, which can result in premature ageing.Vitamin E is a very effective antioxidant, chemically mediated by the phenolic OH group of the chromane ring, and helps to remove the formed “free radicals” and thereby ensures that oxidative damage is lessened and decreased, by disrupting the chain reaction caused by the free radicals. UV radiation from the sun is what causes us to tan, and helps the body to make its own vitamin D, yet exposure to the rays also cause an array of negative reactions in the skin.
The first and most well known in the short term is sunburn (erythema) which leads to degenerative changes within the cell, causing age spots and leading to the loss of elasticity, which in turn will result in dry coarser skin, as well as wrinkles and lines. Another factor that must be considered with UV radiation from the sun is that it causes the skin to become photosensitive and may also cause cancerous growth – starting with actinic keratosis or solar keratosis and then developing further to basal cell and squamous cell cancer, as well as malignant melanoma. When Vitamin E is applied to the skin, a reduction of erythema, sunburn cells, chronic UV-B–induced skin damage, and photo-carcinogenesis is experienced It should be noted however that Vitamin E does not itself have a sunscreen action. While there is no absolute protection from the sun, cosmetics and moisturisers containing antioxidants, such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C and Beta-Carotene, can counteract damage to cell membranes, DNA, and skin proteins due to oxidation caused by sunlight.
These materials don’t work like sunscreens, but they help minimise the damaging reactions in the skin, especially when used in conjunction with sunscreens. When Vitamin E is combined with Vitamin C, and applied to the skin, it helps to reduce the formation of sunburn cells and offers good photo-protection. Other studies have also shown that Vitamin E protects the fibroblast in the skin – these are the cells that make collagen, glycosaminoglycans, as well as the elastic fibres and glycoproteins found in the extracellular matrix of the skin. It is also important to remember that when exposing the skin to the sun – the resultant burn or tan is an inflammatory reaction of the skin, and in the quest for achieving a youthful looking skin, it is of prime importance to prevent and to reduce any inflammatory conditions. The topical application of Vitamin E has also proven to be effective in reducing sun-induced skin wrinkling and has excellent skin moisturising properties, also helping to prevent transepidermal water-loss by the skin, thereby increasing the natural moisture content of the skin.
Another factor that plays a major part in skin ageing is cross-linking of protein that occurs in the skin – which is even more prevalent when the skin is subjected to UV radiation. In this case, Vitamin E has also proven to be effective in preventing excessive cross-linking and resultant ageing, as well as protecting the natural enzymes in the skin. As we age the degeneration of DNA – which carries the blueprint of our cells, can occur, and such damage to the DNA can also result not only in skin problems, but also in premature aging. It has been shown that topical application of Vitamin E also prevents the degeneration of DNA, especially when compromised by photo-damage. Vitamin E is one of the best fat (lipid) based antioxidants. Oxidative stress causes free radicals, and if they are not reduced or eliminated, they cause deterioration of the cells. This oxidative stress is also caused by normal cell metabolism, but is exasperated by a variety of environmental factors, including UV radiation, pollution, tanning, smoke, heavy-metals in the environment.