Sooooo, did you manage to avoid a sunburn over the long holiday weekend?

I’m not judging; we’ve all been there.  But please don’t go buying that nuclear-waste-green “aloe” gel – it’s loaded with crappy chemicals.  I’ve gathered some great natural sunburn remedies (that work), most of which are already in your kitchen.

PURE ALOE VERA:  Duh, I know.  Go buy a plant or some organic aloe vera gel/juice in the refrigerated section of a health food store.  Apply liberally.  It dries tight and sticky, so it works best for the face or smaller surface areas without joints.

STRAWBERRIES: Once, when my mom forgot to apply sunscreen to her feet, I watched her slice up strawberries and apply them to her horrible sunburn.  You could literally see the steam rise.  Apparently, the tannins in strawberries ease the sting of sunburn and draw heat from the skin.  If the surface area of the sunburn is larger, you could also puree the berries.

RAW, ORGANIC APPLE CIDER VINEGAR: The acetic acid in organic vinegars eases inflammation, pain, and itching.  You can apply with a cotton ball or, if the surface area is larger, fill a spay bottle and apply after a cool shower.  Let it dry and don’t rinse.

OATMEAL: Grind it up at least 1 cup of organic oatmeal in your food processor and put it in a sock or pantyhose, tying off the top.  Drop it in your bathwater (cool to tepid in temperature) and soak for about 30 minutes.  The polysaccharides in oatmeal will coat and heal your skin, while the water cools you down and keeps your skin hydrated and moist.

COCONUT OIL: What doesn’t this stuff do?  It is very light, so it’s easily absorbed, and it the medium-chain fatty acids are nourishing for the skin and can be absorbed topically.  It is also an effective burn reliever, calming the skin’s burning, itchy sensation.

PURE LAVENDER OR CHAMOMILE OIL:  Soothing, moisturizing, naturally antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory, these oils mixed with some clean water and aloe would make a great sunburn-relief spray or salve.

PLAIN, ORGANIC, FULL-FAT YOGURT WITH PROBIOTICS: Greek yogurt is a good choice.  Slather it all over and leave on for at least five minutes.  Rinse off in a cool shower.

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Sorry about some of the uncooperative, upside-down photos in my last post.  They were an unwelcome surprise on Friday morning.  Wordpress can be kind of deceiving and annoying, don’t you agree?