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Helpful Tricks for Soothing Sunburns

You spent all day at the beach, you wore sunscreen and maybe reapplied it after a few hours, but you’re still sunburnt! Sunburns happen, even without spending the whole day at the beach! Getting lobstered tends to happen in much less time today than in our grandparents day. Sunburns can be miserable, especially for the little ones who may have never experienced one before. Here are some facts you should know about sun exposure:

Facts about sunburns

● Unlike burning yourself on the stove, sunburns are a unique kind of burn because they are not immediately apparent. You can’t usually tell your skin is burning until much later; redness develops between three and five hours after sun exposure. Burning peaks at about 12 hours and fades within 72.

●Did you know that you can get a sunburn in just 15 to 30 minutes? Children and those with light, fair skin and hair have less melanin and are at a higher risk for sunburn compared to adults and people with darker colored skin.

● Sunburns are caused by UVB rays while UVA rays cause cancer-increasing damage beneath the skin surface.

● Those that live in the mountains or or near the equator are at a higher risk for developing a burn since the ultraviolet rays are stronger in these regions.

● Certain medications, such as ibuprofen and motrin, make the skin more susceptible to burning. If you or your children take any medications, it is important to check the label for sun exposure warnings.

Soothing the burn

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As parents, our child’s comfort is our own and soothing that sizzling burn becomes a priority when you come home from the beach. Here are some helpful remedies that you can utilize:

● When you arrive home, encourage your child to take a cool shower or bath to help reduce the inflammation. You can even add some chamomile tea bags, lavender oil, baking soda or oatmeal to the water for a soothing effect.iDepending on the severity of the burn, give them an appropriate dose or asprin or ibuprophen to reduce the swelling and pain.

● Aloe Vera is the classic go-to for burns. You can usually find it in drug and department stores and often times it is a green or blue gel. Aloe Vera is a plant that looks a bit like a cactus with gel-filled leaves. You can buy an Aloe Vera plant for your own home to use for any kind of burn, scrape, or itch. The gel straight from the plant, however, is not green or blue but rather clear. Better yet, whether you have a plant or a bottle from the store, store it in the refrigerator for a cool touch, just store plant gel in a jar.

●Another product that doesn’t require you to rub it onto a painful sunburn is Solarcaine Cool Aloe Burn Relief Spray Formula. It provides an instant cooling effect, the healing properties of aloe, and the pain relief of Solarcaine–all in an easy-to-apply spray. You can find this product at most drug stores and large retailers.

● Baking Soda is not only great for cookies and household cleaning but also for burn and even rash relief. Take a couple tablespoons of baking soda and mix into cold water. Use a soft washcloth or cotton balls to apply the solution to the burn.

● Apple cider vinegar is another great household-item remedy that brings much relief to sunburns, especially when it is refrigerated. Raw, unfiltered vinegar is the trick to the soothing power and it can also aid in healing the burn because it helps to balance the pH (alkalinity) of sunburned skin.  Though it does have a more foul scent, this is sure to do a wonder! It is also safe for sunburns that develop blisters and reach the peeling stage. A great brand for this liquid gold is known as Bragg’s and you can find it at most grocery and health food stores.

● Witch Hazel is another soothing astringent for sunburns. This solution is used for both facial cleansing as well as first aid purposes and you can apply it with the same method of apple cider vinegar.

● Coconut oil has astounding healing properties and it is quite popular for its numerous uses today. Among these many uses, coconut oil promotes healing by moisturizing the skin and killing any potential germs since it is antibacterial. For a more soothing effect, add a few drops of peppermint oil. Coconut oil melts quickly with body heat so apply it quickly as a lotion.

● For severe burns with blisters present, do not pop or scratch them since this can lead to infection and increased pain. Instead, let them remain uncovered and soothe them gently with cold water. To avoid rupture, put some aloe vera gel or apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle.

● Vitamin E oil or gel, as long as it is real and not synthetic, with bring much moisture back to the skin and promote healing as well. If you have vitamin E supplements, take a few capsules and pop them open over the skin, lightly rubbing them into the skin.

If you haven’t already, Make a habit of checking on your kids throughout the day for sunburn, especially young kids who may not give any attention to it. Burns can be overlooked in bright daylight and since they take time to manifest on the skin, try limiting how much time they are outside and bring them in for activities in the house for a break. The best source of protection while they play? Use that sunscreen! But despite even our greatest efforts to protect our family’s skin, burn happen. So equip yourself with remedies to soothe that sun-baked skin and keep your children informed about sun exposure.

 

 

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Postal Address

506 East Hastings Rd.
Suite B
Spokane WA 99218

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Phone: 509.252.4746
Fax: 509.789.1640

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