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Well, you did it.  You didn’t heed my advice from an earlier post , and you spent the entire day frolicking in the sun with no sunscreen.  OUCH!  Now, what can you do to ease your pain and suffering?

Here are five helpful suggestions….

1.  Aloe Vera:  The aloe vera plant produces a gel-like substance that has “magical” healing properties for sunburns (and other skin injuries).

If you happen to have an aloe vera plant, break off a large piece and remove the outer skin.  The magical goo is on the inside.  Rub the sticky goo on the affected area.  Of course, we don’t all have one of these plants sitting around the house (this is my plant pictured above), but there are many after sun gels on the market that contain aloe.  For many years, my family has used Panama Jack After-Sun Skin Care Multi-Packs (Pack of 1, After Sun Burn Relief Gel) .  The product labeling looks a bit different than mine, because mine is older and well used…but it is the same thing.  Extra tip: Keep this in your fridge. It feels wonderful to put this cold gel on a hot sunburn!

2. Tea:  Some folks suggest a certain kind of tea for this, but when you are hurting and can barely move because of a sunburn, you’ll use what you have around.  We make a lot of iced tea, so I always have the Lipton Family-Sized Black Iced Tea Bags, Decaffeinated, Unsweetened 48 ct in my cupboard.  Using 3-4 of these tea bags, boil them in water and let it cool.  You could add some ice cubes to get it cooled quicker for faster relief.  With the tea bags, dab the tea over the affected area, or pour the tea into a spray bottle to spray on burn as needed.

3. Milk: Cold milk is an easy treatment that gives immediate relief to a MILD sunburn.  Dip a cotton ball in the milk and dab it gently on affected areas. Let the milk dry on the skin, as it forms a layer to keep the moisture in. If the smell of milk bothers you, this may not be the best remedy for you… but in my opinion the relief far outweighs the little nuisance of a milk smell!  Leave this on for a few hours, wash off , and repeat as needed.

4.  Apple Cider Vinegar: Simply mix 1/2 cup vinegar with 1/2 cup water and apply to the affected area as needed.  A spray bottle could also be used for repeated use.

5.  Menthol Foam Shaving Cream: I have never tried this remedy, but I’ve heard it works wonders.  Apparently, this doesn’t work with just any shaving cream, and this particular type can be difficult to find on store shelves. It has to be foamy menthol shaving cream. Click on the link and you can get it from Amazon.  Apply the shaving cream all over the affected area and let it sit. You should be able to feel it bringing out the heat. After 30 minutes, rinse it off in the shower. Repeat if needed.

Remember, PREVENTION is the best thing that you can do for your skin this summer!  Wear a stylish summer hat, load up on the sunscreen ( this Neutrogena Beach Defense Sunscreen Body Lotion Broad Spectrum Spf 70, .is marvelous for sunburn protection), and have a safe and FUN summer!

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