Ways to Naturally Heal Sunburn

Now that spring is in full bloom and summer is just around the corner, it's time again to be out enjoying the sun's rays.  And while those rays can be quite enjoyable, they can also wreak havoc on your skin and cause a pretty nasty sunburn.

Don't let your sunburn turn into days of pain.  Instead try some of those natural ways to fight the pain of sunburn:

• Use vitamin E.  While there are plenty of sunburn remedies that you can buy over-the-counter, just look in your cabinet for any lotion that contains vitamin E and aloe vera.  The vitamin E and aloe vera add nutrients back into the skin that the UV rays have left unbalanced.  The aloe vera also gives the cooling effect that is much needed for that sunburn.
• Check the kitchen cupboard and the refrigerator.  Items like vinegar, mustard, yogurt, tomatoes and avocados all contain extra vitamin E and will help to relieve the burn just as any cream or lotion would.
• Try Lavender Essential Oil.  When used in conjunction with aloe vera, the oil helps to promote new skin growth and heals first degree burns.
• Opt for green tea.  Green tea is perfect for reducing the swelling of the skin associated with sunburns, as well as taking out the sting of the burn.  To make the green tea compress, bring a pot of tea to boil then pour it over 1 teaspoon of loose green tea.  Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes and then mix with an equal amount of cold water.  Once the mixture is cooled, soak a clean cloth in it and put it on the sunburned skin for five to ten minutes.  This can be applied several times a day.
• Cool down.  Take a cool bath with 1 cup of black tea and 1 cup of apple cider vinegar to the bath water.  The black tea helps to reduce the swelling and the apple cider vinegar helps to soothe the pain.

Whatever natural method you decide to go with to treat your next sunburn, be sure to treat the burn right away.  Prolonging the treatment of the burn will only prolong the agony of the pain, so take care of your burn on day one.