Natural, Simple and Cheap Sunburn Remedies

When it comes to sunburn remedies, everyone seems to have their own special "recipe" to soothe the pain. There are also dozens of ready-made (and often expensive) lotions, creams, and gels that claim to help relieve sunburn pain, heal the skin, and prevent peeling. But, if you really want to heal a sunburn fast, you don't need to make any crazy concoctions or spend a lot of money!

Here are a few simple, cheap and effective natural sunburn remedies you can try next time you forget the to put on the sunscreen...

1. White Vinegar -- One of the best home remedies for sunburn is white vinegar. First clean the burned skin with cool water. Don't rub or use soap because that can dry and irritate the skin even more. Pat the skin dry with a soft towel. Then apply the vinegar. You can soak towels with it and lay them on the burned skin for a few minutes. Or you can fill a spray bottle with vinegar and spray it directly onto the skin. It will smell bad at first but the smell will soon dissipate. Let the vinegar dry (which usually takes about 5 minutes). Your skin should feel much, much better almost immediately!

2. Unsweetened Tea -- Applying cold, sugarless black or green tea to sunburned skin can help relieve the pain and speed healing. Tannins and antioxidants in the tea will make your skin feel better pretty quickly. Simply soak some towels with the tea and lay them on the sunburned areas. Cold, wet tea bags are especially useful for sunburned eyelids because the tea won't sting your eyes like the vinegar.

3. Whole-Fat Milk -- People have been using whole milk to soothe sunburns for centuries. The fat and other compounds in the milk will relieve much of the pain as well as moisturize the skin to help with healing. Just soak a soft towel in the milk and dab it on the skin for about 20 to 30 minutes. Afterwards take a cool shower or rinse with cold water to rinse the milk off. Again, be sure not to use soap!

4. Vitamin E/Aloe Vera/Apple Cider Vinegar Balm -- You can make a sunburn balm that's just as powerful as anything you can find in the drugstore by simply mixing some vitamin E oil with apple cider vinegar and aloe vera gel. All 3 ingredients are pretty inexpensive and can be found in just about any health food store as well as many grocery stores. Break open 3 or 4 vitamin E capsules into a small bowl and add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and a third of a cup of aloe vera gel (the fresher the better). Mix them together well and apply the balm to your sunburned skin. Do this twice a day for the next few days. This natural remedy is extremely effective at cooling sunburned skin while providing nutrients that greatly decrease the time needed to heal damaged skin!

A few other simple things you can do to heal a sunburn quickly include: drinking lots of pure water throughout the day, eating lots of vitamin C-rich foods, and staying in the shade until your sunburn completely heals.