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By Andrea Candee

Sunburn Relief

Q: I try to be careful and protect my children from the sun but sometimes sunburns do happen. What do you suggest as natural remedies for soothing the pain and healing the skin?

A: Parents know to limit the amount of time children spend in the sun, and to cover them with protective lotion. That having been said, even the most careful parents can let their families get overexposed. If sunburn does occur, there are several wonderful natural formulas that can easily be prepared or purchased.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR BATH
For large sunburned areas, an apple cider vinegar bath works wonders. Use a brand from the health food store that has been wood-aged, rather than one from the supermarket that may have been chemically aged. Apple cider vinegar helps to balance the skin's pH factor, its acid/alkaline balance. As with all parts of the body, when there is chemical balance, healing is supported.

  • Add two cups apple cider vinegar to a bathtub of warm water.
  • Let your child soak for 15 minutes. The skin will be calmed and soothed, and much of the pain will be immediately relieved.
  • After the bath, you can use one of the following soothers to promote further healing.

    YOGURT SKIN HEALER
    It is the antidote for the burn of hot, spicy food in Indian cooking by re-establishing acid/alkaline balance and works the same way for sunburned skin. For sunburn, I use compresses of natural yogurt to help cool and hydrate the skin.

  • Wrap whole milk, full fat, plain yogurt in several layers of cheesecloth and compress the burn.
  • Replace with fresh compresses as the yogurt warms on the skin.
  • Repeat compresses until the skin is cooled and soothed.
  • Yogurt can be spread over the entire body--turning an upsetting, painful sunburn into a fun spa treatment that girls, especially, will love. (And boys, too: my son Brian has always enjoyed our herbal "spa treatments") Leave the yogurt on for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse off in a cool shower.

    BAKING SODA SUNBURN SOOTHER
    Like apple cider vinegar and yogurt, baking soda helps to balance pH, the skin's acid/alkaline balance.

  • Add 1/4 cup baking soda to a warm bath for an effective sunburn-healing soak.
  • Have your child soak for 15 minutes.

    LAVENDER OIL
    The essential oil of lavender is one of the only essential oils that can safely be applied to the skin without diluting it in a carrier oil. Applying lavender oil will take the sting out of the burn, and heal it quickly. It's calming aromatherapy properties will help to ease the emotional upset of a painful burn.

    ALOE
    Aloe has the unique ability to help skin renew itself by stimulating cellular metabolism, thereby promoting oxygen exchange and increasing the absorption of nutrients. Aloe contains the anti-oxidant vitamins A and C; the minerals copper, selenium, and magnesium; and zinc, a powerful virus fighter. The following method works well for a localized burn.

  • Rather than cutting from the tip or half way down the stalk, cut it at its base.
  • Slit the stalk horizontally, exposing the gelatinous interior.
  • Using the thickest, juiciest section for the burn, cut a piece large enough to completely cover the burn and its surrounding tissue.
  • Place the entire piece on the area (gel and peel, gel side toward the burn).
  • Cover the aloe with roller gauze and surgical tape to keep it firmly in place.
  • Leave on overnight or, if burn occurred early in the day, cut a fresh piece of aloe to make a new dressing and leave on overnight.
  • The remaining stalk of aloe may be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated over night.
  • In the morning, cut a new piece of the refrigerated aloe to make a fresh dressing.
  • Repeat applications twice a day until area is healed.

    In Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art (Crossing Press), herbalist Mindy Green combines the essential oil of lavender with aloe to create a soothing preparation for sunburn relief.

    ALOE-LAVENDER SMOOTHIE

    In a 6-8 ounce glass jar mix together 4 ounces aloe gel (fresh from the plant or purchased in the health food store), 1/2 teaspoon essential oil of lavender, one teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and the contents of two 400IU capsules Vitamin E (puncture the Vitamin E capsules with a straight pin to release the contents).
    Tighten a cap onto the jar and shake to blend ingredients.
    This mixture may be gently patted on the affected area and reapplied as often as needed for relief of the sunburn's heat and inflammation.
    For increased cooling benefit and freshness, keep the mixture refrigerated.

    One more suggestion, feeding your children sweet potatoes will make them less likely to burn! A small sweet potato contains more than twice the daily need for beta carotene which helps to reduce the redness and inflammation of a sunburn. University of Arizona's school of public health professor, Ronald Watson, PhD: "Beta carotene accumulates in the skin, providing partial protection for 24 hours against sun damage."

    • About The Author ...

    Andrea Candee, MH, MSC, is a master herbalist with a consultation practice in South Salem, NY. She lectures for the New York Botanical Garden and throughout the country for schools and corporate wellness centers about taking charge of your health naturally. Her book, Gentle Healing for Baby and Child (Simon & Schuster), was awarded The Seal of Approval by The National Parenting Center. She may be contacted through her website, www.AndreaCandee.com or by mail at PO Box 171, South Salem, NY 10590.

    		   
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