Beach Holiday- Sunburn-Now What?

Just in case you couldn’t resist the desire to prance along the beaches “one beautiful summer afternoon”, here’s what to do when you come back looking (and feeling) like a fried peanut. Do not panic, we all forget to slather sunscreen and wear a hat sometimes! Look no further than your kitchen cabinet for immediate relief from the nastiest of sunburns.

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize

The importance of this cannot be emphasized enough and has to be given top priority. Skip your favorite fancy lotions (they are loaded with fragrances and synthetic ingredients) that can irritate sun-burnt skin further. Choose from natural, organic stuff like raw milk or Aloe Vera extract. They work like a magic wand and this, I speak from personal experience. Alternatively, use a basic moisturizer and pop open a Vitamin E capsule to fortify it.

Black Tea

No ladies, we are not talking about a tea party here! Make a diluted version and pour it into an ice-tray. Now that you have a respectable stock of iced-tea cubes, you can rub one over your face and body every few hours. Anything cool would obviously feel blissful over sun- burnt skin. The anti-oxidants in the tea would give a push to the healing process. You could also pour a chilled concoction all over as the final rinse after a shower.

Fruits and Veggies

Soothe parched, sensitive and leathery skin with papayas, tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers and any other “cool” vegetable or fruit that you may have. No citrus stuff please! Either rub a slice over affected areas or just leave them on as a pureed face pack. These darlings are packed with nutrients and minerals that revitalize the skin and speed up the regeneration process. Chuck the science behind it and wallow in the mess. As long as it does the job, who cares!

Do Not’s

As much as you would like to choose the fast track to recovery, lay your hands off scrubs, bleaches and make-up for a while. If you ignore this piece of advice, your skin will scream back at you for a reminder!