Prevention is ALWAYS better than cure, especially in the case of Sun exposure, but because we all know Sunburn happens when you least expect it, I decided to share my sunburn remedies with you just in case!
Did you know that it takes around 5 hours for sunburn to fully develop, which means that if you burn at midday it won’t show fully until around 5pm. If you continue to lie in the sun after midday you will continue to burn even more. Redness on your skin means you have already burned and it will develop later. That’s why you always glow red at night on holiday if you’ve caught the sun.
There are actually lots of different natural remedies for Sunburn, ranging from grated potato to essential oils, but these are my go to remedies usually based on the fact that wherever I am I can get my hands on the necessary ingredients.
Firstly run a cool bath with a cup full of epsom salts dissolving in it. Once the water is ready add either 5 drops of peppermint essential oil or a teapot full of brewed and cooled peppermint tea ( usually 3 tea bags ). Then add 5 drops of lavender essential oil. Bathe in your cooling, soothing bath for at least twenty minutes. You can also make up a spray bottle of cooled tea ( normal or green ) and 5 drops each of peppermint and lavender oils. You can use this to spray your skin with at regular intervals.
If you don’t have a bath then run a sink full of water, epsom salts and tea/essential oils and soak a cotton cloth in the solution and lay it on the sunburned area leaving it on for a while. If you have a fan its lovely to lie there with the cool compresses and the breeze blowing on your skin. The important thing is to cool the skin as much as possible.
Once out of your bath or after your cloth treatment, GENTLY pat your skin dry and apply Aloe Vera gel or natural 
yoghurt with live cultures or any available aftersun product. Put something light and preferably cotton on to wear to allow your skin to keep cool and breathe. Drink plenty of water.
Keep applying Aloe whenever your skin starts to feel tight or sore, I keep my Aloe gel in the fridge in the summer, it’s lovely to apply to warm skin that way.
For the following 24 hours at least, stay out of the sun, wear a light cover of clothing, drink lots of water and take cool baths or showers. Be as nice to your poor burned skin as possible, and my best advice is don’t leave home without your sun cream on, ESPECIALLY on a cloudy day.
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