Beat the Heat: Natural Home Remedies for Sunburns

In hot weather, it can be easy to accidentally get overheated or sunburned, even if we’re careful. Soothe sensitive skin with these spa-like treatments you can make with grocery-store ingredients.




Yogurt Mask  
To relieve the heat and redness of a sunburned face, apply a thick paste of cold yogurt and chamomile essential oil. Because yogurt is a good source of lactic acid (a natural alpha-hydroxy acid), it gently smoothes rough skin. Yogurt also has mild bleaching action, and if applied often (three or more times a week) can help lighten discoloration caused by excessive sun exposure. Greek yogurts are thicker than other varieties. If your yogurt is runny, strain it through cheesecloth to remove excess moisture.


2 tablespoons thick, plain yogurt, strained if necessary
2 drops chamomile essential oil
1. Mix yogurt and chamomile essential oil.
2. Smooth the mixture over your face and neck.
3. Leave mask on for 15 minutes, then gently rinse skin with tepid water.


Lavender-Baking Soda Bath 
The quickest way to relieve the heat of a sunburn is to take a cool bath. Cool water helps lower skin’s surface temperature, and baking soda and lavender essential oil soothe tender skin.


1 cup baking soda
10 drops lavender essential oil
1. Add baking soda and lavender essential oil to a tub of comfortably cool water and stir well to dissolve the baking soda.
2. Soak for 15 minutes or more.


Aloe-Green Tea-Lavender Mist 
To cool skin and encourage rejuvenation, mist on a mix of green tea, aloe vera juice and lavender essential oil. (Refrigeration aids its cooling power.)



1/4 cup brewed green tea, cooled
1/4 cup aloe vera juice (available at grocery and natural food stores)
1/4 teaspoon lavender essential oil



1. Mix together green tea, aloe and lavender oil in a spray bottle. Shake well.
2. Spray liberally onto skin as often as desired.
3. Refrigerate and use within 2 weeks.


Sip ’n Sigh  
Green tea contains high levels of skin-rejuvenating antioxidants. If you’re sunburned, drink three cups of green tea daily (try it iced!) for an extra boost of healing power.


Burn Out 
It’s best to avoid sunburns, but many commercial sunscreens contain potentially harmful chemicals. Opt for all-natural versions to keep burns at bay.


Read more: Natural Home and Garden