Sunburn is common when you remain exposed to the sun for long without any sunscreen. It causes redness and pain and in more severe cases it can cause blisters and skin peeling. In the long term treatment Sunburn can cause complications ranging from freckles, dark spots , wrinkles to Melanoma and other skin conditions.
Even sometimes sunscreen protection is not enough to avoid sunburn. Once you realise that you have got sunburn then it should be treated immediately to avoid any further damage. Aloe vera is an excellent home remedy for sunburn skin. It gives immediate pain relief and can protect your skin from any long term damage.
Occasionally sunburn is unavoidable.
Table of Contents
- How Aloe Vera Treats Sunburn
- How to Use Aloe Vera for Sunburn
- Other Benefits of Aloe Vera
- Other Remedies for Sunburn
- Other Tips and Precautions
How Aloe Vera Treats Sunburn
Aloe vera has been touted as one of the best home remedies for sunburn.
The glycoproteins in aloe vera relieve pain and information and the polysaccharides repair damaged skin cells.
American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends using aloe vera to get rid of sunburn symptoms.
In Spite use of aloe vera to treat Sunburn for ages and recommendation of AAD there is still not enough scientific evidence to prove that aloe vera heals sunburn. A small sudy conducted in 2005 even revealed that it has no effect on sunburn. ( 1 )
Yet, those who have used aloe vera to treat sunburn will swear by its usefulness.
Some researchers have found that aloe vera:
- Aids in skin healing from burns
- Moisturizes the skin
- Avoids skin peeling normally associated with sunburn
Aloe vera can treat mild sunburns but for severe sunburn you will have to consult your doctor to get medical help
How to Use Aloe Vera for Sunburn
You can use aloe vera in many different ways to get relief from the symptoms of sunburn.
1. Aloe Vera Gel
- Apply fresh Aloe Vera Gel extracted from aloe vera leaf on the sunburn skin
- Leave it there until it gets dry and absorbed by the skin
- Rinse it of with water if it feels sticky
- Do it 3-4 times daily
You can use aloe vera gel from any reputed manufacturer if the fresh leaves are not accessible.
2. Aloe Vera Ice Cubes
This preparation gives instant relief from Sunburn.
- Extract fresh aloe vera gel from leaf
- Add equal amount of water and blend in a blender
- Fill the ice cube trays with aloe vera water mix
- Freeze in the refrigerator
- Gently rub aloe vera ice cubes on the sunburn affected skin
- Do it 2-3 times during the day
3. Aloe Vera Spray
- Freeze aloe vera ice cubes as mentioned above
- Toss one aloe vera ice cube into a mixer blender
- Add one cup of ice cold water
- Churn the blender for 30 seconds
- Fill the mix in a spray bottle
- Spritz aloe vera spray on the sunburn affected skin
- Do it twice daily
- Can keep the spray bottle in the fridge for up to 2 applications
4. Aloe Vera and Helichrysum Oil
Helichrysum essential oil is an excellent home remedy for sunburn as well as for other kinds of minor burns and wounds.
- Mix one teaspoon of Aloe Vera Gel with one teaspoon of water
- Add two drops of helichrysum Essential oil and mix well
- Apply on the sunburn affected skin
- Do it 2-3 times a day
5. Aloe Vera and Cucumber
Cucumber absorbs heat from the skin and gives inflammation relief
- Peel and cut ½ cucumber in small pieces and toss into a small mixer blender
- Add 2 tablespoons if Aloe vera gel
- Churn the blender for 30 seconds to make fine paste
- Jeep the paste in a sealed glass container in refrigerator.
- Apply cold aloe vera cucumber paste on the sunburn affected skin
- Leave it there
- Rinse off if it feels sticky after sometime
6. Aloe Vera and Tomatoes
Tomato is an excellent remedy for skin discoloration. Adding it with aloe vera makes it suitable for not only getting rid of sunburn pain but for your skin to get back to original color fast.
- Cut 2 medium size tomatoes remove the seeds and scoop out the pulp from the skin
- Add one tablespoon of fresh aloe vera gel and mix in a small blender
- Keep it in refrigerator for sometime to get cold
- Apply on the affected sunburn are if skin
- Leave it there for 30 minutes
- Rinse with cool water
7. Aloe Vera and Yogurt
Yogurt helps in fast healing of rashes.
- Mix 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel and 1 tablespoon of yoghurt in a blender for 60 seconds
- Keep it in refrigerator for some time to cool
- Apply on sunburn area
- Leave it for 15 minutes
- Rinse of with cool water and dab it try with towel
- Do it twice daily
You can increase the quantities of all above preparations if your sunburn affected skin area has to cover your entire body.
Other Benefits of Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is not only good for sunburn and other skin conditions but is also an excellent remedy for many other health conditions as under:
- Moisturizes skin, scalp and hair
- Heals rashes
- Soothes skin irritation
- Reduces inflammation
- Treats minor burns
- Heals cold sores
- Boosts immunity
- Improves digestion
- Treats constipation
- Eliminates ulcers
- Lowers blood sugar
- Reduces cholesterol
- Delays aging
- Alleviates menstrual problems
- Reduces Arthritis pain
Other Remedies for Sunburn
In addition to Aloe Vera Gel there are many other simple home remedies for sunburn that can heal it and give pain relief. A few of the popular ones are listed below:
- Cold milk
- Baking soda
- Corn powder
- Potato paste
- Cool bath
- Apple cider vinegar bath
- Oatmeal bath
- Helichrysum essential oil
- Wrapping damp towel
- Witch hazel
- Coconut oil
- Cucumber
Tips and Precautions
If you take the following precautions when you can avoid sunburn all together without any need to treat it. But sometimes it's not possible. So do the following
- Apply sunscreen whenever you go out in the sun
- Take shelter, wear protective clothing, use caps or umbrellas to avoid direct sun exposure
- Consult your doctor in case of severe sunburn
- Use sunglasses
- Hydrate yourself with water to reduce dehydration caused by sunburn.
- Apply aloe vera or other moisturizer
- Stop using Aloe Vera Gel in case
- you get local skin irritation which may be possible in some cases.
Long in the regular song overexposure can cause skin cancer and other complications in the long-term so take care.