The Sustainable Spot

This weekend we were blessed with the most spectacular sunny weather after a series of storms that held us hostage indoors for the previous week.  I happily packed up my beach bag, lathered myself with SPF 30 from head to toe and brought my beach umbrella as an extra measure of protection from the strong summer sun.  And somehow even after taking all of the necessary precautions and staying under the umbrella for the majority of the day I managed to get burned in the most creative place I have ever been burned as of yet.  I guess when I was floating on my back in the water enjoying my meditative moment lulled by the waves the sun got the one place I hadn’t thought of protecting…my eyelids.

The next morning I awoke to two very puffy bright pink eyelids and scrambled for anything and everything to alleviate the pain.  And since my burn was so close to my eyes I didn’t want to use anything with chemicals.  So I looked up some natural remedies for sunburns and was able to relieve my soreness with ingredients I already had at home and felt safe using around my eyes.  Although I didn’t find any actual scientific studies that proved the efficacy of these solutions, they definitely helped alleviate my pain.

Here are some natural remedies for soothing your sunburn including the ones that relieved mine!

• Cool Cucumber Compress – Place refrigerated cucumber slices on affected area or mash peeled cucumber into cool paste and apply to skin.  This worked perfectly and effectively for my eye burn!
• Oatmeal Bath – Oats have anti-inflammatory properties that can help a burn if added to tepid bath water and used as a soak.  Colloidal oatmeal works best as it is already pulverized, otherwise you should put oats in food processor to make them finer to mix well with water.
• Aloe Vera – This is the age old gold standard for sunburn care!  Take leaves directly from an aloe plant and rub juice onto burned skin.
• Tea Bag Compress – Apply tea bags soaked briefly in cool water to burned area.  I used black tea bags on my eyelids as my second line of treatment after the cucumber compress and it helped immensely!
• Vinegar – With antiseptic properties that can relieve pain and restore pH balance to your skin, vinegar can be a great option.  Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar can be used and delivered by spritzing on skin from a spray bottle, dabbed on from a cotton ball, soaked in a bath or used as a compress on a cool wet washcloth.
• Honey – This antibacterial agent has been shown to help heal wounds.  Apply directly to burned skin.  Manuka honey is recommended.
• Baking soda – This household baking ingredient helps restore alkalinity to the skin.  Mix with water and apply with cotton ball or add to tepid bath as a soak.

I hope you enjoy the summer sun and avoid having to use these remedies but here they are in case you need them.  Would love to hear if you have a special natural solution that helps soothe your sunburn!