All Natural Sunburn Relief to the Rescue

We all know to apply and reapply sunscreen. We also know that there are times when you fall asleep on the beach, gently lulled by the sound of the waves, or times when you are lounging poolside, and you’re just too lazy to go back to your apartment and get that sunscreen you forgot…

Sunburns happen. Luckily, we’ve got a few remedies for you. If you have run out of aloe vera gel, simply travel to your refrigerator…It turns out that vegetables can help mend your painful skin. However, which vegetable works the best. If you’re looking for quick relief, you can slice up the vegetables and lay the slices on your skin. If you have a little more time on your hands, and want a more intensive treatment, follow the directions below.

SEE ALSO 5 Different Ways to Treat Sunburns

The first sunburn remedy uses potatoes.

Directions:

1. Slice a few pieces of raw potato, and cut the slices into small pieces. There’s no need to peel the potatoes; use the skins too.
2. Grind the potato in a blender until it is pureed.
3. Soak a cotton ball in the pureed potato, and apply the mix to the skin.

Pros:

• Potatoes are high in antioxidants, including vitamin C, flavonoids, and several other nutrients.
• Many say that potatoes soothe the skin, and relieve the pain from a sunburn. Besides burns, some also apply potatoes to infections and boils.
• Potatoes contain the enzyme catecholase, which allegedly lightens skin tone.

Cons:

• While many claim that potatoes are helpful for skin irritations, sources like WebMD state that more evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of potatoes when applied to the skin.
• Potato leaves a starchy residue behind on skin.
• The potatoes left a lingering scent, which was not too strong, but as the cucumbers left no scent at all, it was noticeable.

The second sunburn remedy uses cucumbers.

Directions:

1. Cut a few thin slices of cucumber.
2. Blend them in a blender, including the cucumber skin.
3. Apply to skin using a soaked cotton ball or your fingers.

Pros:

• Unlike the potatoes, cucumbers did not leave a residue on my skin, so you can apply the cucumber without worrying about cleaning it off later.
• Cucumbers are mainly composed of water and fiber, but they also contain vitamin A, which is important for skin maintenance and helps keep skin moist, which is important for burned skin.
• Like potatoes, cucumbers contain vitamin C, which can help repair damaged skin.

Cons:

• Cucumbers do not blend easily, and you may need to add water to create a paste.
• Be sure not to use an entire cucumber; a few slices go a long way.
• The cucumbers did not seem to lighten my burned skin as much as the potatoes did, although more scientific evidence is likely needed to truly rate the lightening powers of one over the other.

SEE ALSO Skin Brightening Treatments for Your Body

Verdict: Both the potatoes and cucumbers worked to soothe my sunburns, so use whichever you have on hand. If you’re making a trip to the store, however, choose cucumbers! They left no aftereffects such as smell or residue, and were slightly more cooling.

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How do you seek sunburn relief?

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