Every single time you get sunburnt, your risk of skin cancer increases. Five or more sunburns more than doubles your risk of developing life-threatening melanoma. This is because your skin absorbs UV radiation from the Sun, and this damages the genetic material in your skin cells. Not only is sunburn a health risk- but it is also sore and irritating. So how do you cure sunburn at home? Express.co.uk spoke to Dr. Nitasha Buldeo, Founder of Organic Apoteke, Doctor of Skin, Scientist and Medical Expert for Home Remedies for Sunburn to find out exactly how to treat your sunburn.
How to cure sunburn at home
You can make your own sunburn-healing products using products you may already have at home.
Dr Nitasha recommended three home-made products to soothe burnt skin.
These are rose water, slices of cucumber, and aloe vera gel.
Read on to find out how to make them.
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Rose water
Rose water is the key to soothing, healing, and cooling your skin or scalp.
Dr Nitasha said: “I remember as a child playing out in the South African sun all day and complaining to my grandmother that I had a headache. Out came the home distilled rose water.
“She poured a small amount onto her palms and then would put it onto the crown of my head applying pressure as she allowed the rosewater to be absorbed by hair and scalp.”
“If smelled wonderful and always worked. Rosewater was also sprayed on red, inflamed sum burned skin to soothe and heal.
“This is one of the reasons we use organic rose distillate and rose oil in the entire Organic Apoteke Rejuvenating Range of products.
“The Organic Apoteke Rejuvenating Face Cream is wonderful for sunburn due to its high concentration of rosewater and rose oil.”
How to make your own rose water at home
To make your own rose water, you’ll need some roses and some distilled water.
Take the petals off the stems, and run them under luke-warm water.
Pop them into a pot and cover them with around a litre and a half of water.
Heat them on a medium to low heat, and bring the water to a simmer and cover the pot with a lid.
Let it simmer for around 20 to 30 minutes until the petals have lost their colour.
Put the petals through a strainer and gather the water.
Store the water in a glass jar and throw away the petals.
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Aloe vera gel
Aloe vera is another healing agent that can be used to combat sunburn.
Dr Nitasha said: “Once again South African memories, for severe sunburn where skin blisters, aloe vera gel will do the trick.
“It soothes the area, and with regular application speeds up healing. “Acemannan is the main functional ingredient in Aloe Vera.
“It is a complex carbohydrate known to accelerate wound healing and reduces radiation induced skin reactions.”
How to make aloe vera gel
Many branded aloe vera products contain additives like dyes, so you are better off making your own.
All you need to make aloe vera gel is:
- An aloe vera leaf
- A knife or peeler
- A blender
- An airtight container
Only use one or two leaves and make the gel as and when you need it.
This is because the gel will only last a week, so you don’t want to make it in bulk.
If you have an aloe plant, cut off one of the outer leaves from the base of the plant.
Take care to wash it well, and stand it upright in a bowl for 15 minutes to encourage the resin to drain out.
Once it has drained, peel off the skin using a knife or peeler.
You could also order a leaf online if you don’t have a plant.
Scoop the gel out of the leaf with a spoon and pop it into a blender for a couple of seconds until it is liquefied.
Apply the gel on affected areas.
