Sunburn is the bane of summertime, thwarting tans and forcing people to cover up. It can happen at 
any time of the year though, because it is the expose to the ultra-violet rays of the sun that cause it. When you’re getting bombarded with UV light, your exposed skin ups its production of melanin. The best thing to do is prevent sunburn, but even when you do try to protect yourself, you may end up burned anyways. To avoid peeling and get rid of the redness and stinging, here are 5 tips and home remedies for sunburn that are simple, fast, and effective.
- Potato paste
You will need…
-2 potatoes
-A grater, blender, or knife
-Cotton balls, cotton pads, facial tissue, or gauze
Directions
Wash and scrub your potatoes thoroughly, and then either grate them over a bowl or cut them up and put them in a blender. There is no need to remove the peels. If you’re using a blender, give them a whirl until they’ve become quite liquid. If they seem too dry, you can add a small amount of water. Pour out the mixture, soak cotton balls thoroughly in it, and apply to sunburn. An easier perhaps more effective method would be to soak gauze and lay it over the burn.
- Cool milk compress
You will need…
-Gauze or a clean, soft, washcloth
-Chilled milk
Directions
Pour a bowl of milk high enough so that you can thoroughly soak your compress in it. When the gauze or washcloth is saturated, let the excess liquid drain off. Drape across your burn, pressing gently so that it stays in place, and leave it on for as long as needed. If the milk in the bowl becomes room temperature chill it before re-dunking your compress.
- Cornstarch/baking soda for fighting burns
You will need…
-Cornstarch or baking soda
-Cool water
Directions
How much cornstarch or baking soda you need will vary depending on how big of an area you want to cover. Whichever one you are using add cool water-not cold- little by little until it has reached a paste-like consistency. Smear the paste gently over your burn and leave on until the heat or pain has let up some
- Cool off with mint & tea
You will need…
-1 quart of boiling water
-5 green tea bags
-3 cups of fresh mint leaves
-Cotton pads or a clean soft cloth
Directions
Bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Remove the strings and tags from the 5 tea bags and add them, as well as 3 cups of fresh mint leaves, to a pan. Pour the boiling water over the mint leaves and tea bags and cover with a lid, letting is sit for approximately an hour so you can get all the good stuff out of it. Strain and then chill. When the mixture has chilled thoroughly, use cotton pads or a clean soft cloth soaked in the liquid and apply directly to the burn. You can also pour it over the burn if you wish. If you find yourself without green tea you can substitute black tea, which also contains tannins.
- Season with vinegar
You will need…
-1 cup roughly apple cider vinegar
-a spray bottle (optional)
-Cotton balls or something similar for application
Directions
Try this after taking a water only shower if possible. Fill a spray bottle with pure unfiltered apple cider vinegar, and spritz it onto your burn, or soak cotton balls and apply. Let it dry.
On top of that, home remedies for minor sunburns are generally easy to whip up, and usually cost little to nothing. Also, forget racing to get a tan, the long term effects just aren’t worth it. Be patient; protect yourself from harmful rays, and rest assured knowing that when you get older you’ll radiate a healthy glow that can’t be beat, no matter what color your skin is.