Many of us ignore doom-and-gloom sun-exposure warnings. After all, that bronze tan looks wonderful. If you’ve overexposed your skin to the sun and end up with sunburn, the home remedies that follow can make your feel better until Mother Nature can heal the burn. Keep in mind, though, that the remedies given here cannot reverse the damage caused by the sun’s rays. “Once you’ve been overexposed to the sun, the damage to the skin is already done. But you can make yourself more comfortable while you wait for it to get better.” says James Shaw, M.D., chief of the Division of Dermatology at Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center and associate clinical professor of medicine at Oregon Health Sciences University, both in Portland.

Apply cool compresses to the skin. Shaw advises using cool compresses to help ease the pain of sunburn. To do this, soak a washcloth in cool water and apply directly to burned areas. Don’t use ice on the sunburned skin. Rewet the compress often and reapply it several times a day. You can also add a soothing ingredient, such as baking soda or oatmeal, to the compress water. Simply shake a bit of baking soda into the water. Or wrap dry oatmeal in cheesecloth or a piece of gauze and run water through it. Then toss out the oatmeal, soak the compress in the oatmeal water, and apply it to the skin.

Stay out of the sun. Skin that is sunburned is much more vulnerable to additional burning. “Stay indoors and out of the sun for several days after getting burned,” says Margaret Robertson, M.D., a dermatologist in private practice in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Be aware that when you are outdoors during the day, even if you’re in the shade, you’re being exposed to ultraviolet light. While shade from a tree or an umbrella helps, much of the sunlight your skin is exposed to come from light reflected off surfaces such as concrete, sand, and boat decks. Ultraviolet rays can also penetrate clothing. As much as 50 percent of the sun’s damaging rays can get through clothing. So if you’re already sunburned, indoors is the best place for you.

In addition to staying out of the sun while you have sunburn, Robertson says it’s important to stay cool. A burn causes the skin’s blood vessels to dilate and literally radiate heat from your skin. You’ll be more comfortable if you drop the room temperature down and keep it cool inside. So turn on the air conditioner or switch on a fan.

Cool off with a soak. A good way to cool the burn, says Shaw, especially if the burn is widespread, is soak it in a tub of cool water. Avoid using soap, which can irritate and dry the skin. If you feel you must use soap, use a mild one, such as Dove or Aveeno Bar, and rinse it off well. Definitely skip the wash cloth and bath sponge. Afterwards, pat your skin gently with a soft towel.

Robertson says she prefers cool showers to baths for treating sunburns. “If you soak too long in a tub,” she explains, “you can dry out the skin and increase peeling.”

Toss in some oatmeal. Frank Parker, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Dermatology at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, likes the cool-soak idea, too, but he suggests adding skin soothers such as oatmeal or baking soda to the bath, Prepare the oatmeal like you would for an oatmeal compress – wrap the dry oatmeal on cheesecloth or piece of gauze, run the water through it as it’s coming out of the faucet, then throw out the oatmeal. Another way to do this is to try Aveeno powder, an oatmeal powder, at your local pharmacy of health-food store; follow the package directions. If you use baking soda, sprinkle it liberally into the water. Keep the soak to 15 to 20 minutes in order to avoid over drying the skin. When you get out, let the water dry naturally on your skin so that you don’t wipe off the baking soda or oatmeal.

Bring on the aloe vera. The thick, gel-like juice of the aloe vera plant can take the sting and redness out of sunburn, says Shaw, especially if it’s applied immediately to a new burn. “Aloe vera causes blood vessels to constrict and can take some of the redness and soreness out of your burn,” he says. Aloe vera is available at nurseries in plant form. Simply slit open one of the broad leaves and apply the gel directly to the burn. Apply five to six times per day for several days.

Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. Non-prescription pain relievers such as aspirin and ibuprofen can relieve pain and cut the inflammation of sunburn, says Robertson. Take the medication with food as directed on the bottle. If you find that aspirin or ibuprofen upsets your stomach, try taking an enteric-coated form of aspirin. Another option that’s easier on the stomach is acetaminophen. While it won’t bring down inflammation, it will help to relieve the pain from sunburn.

Drink up. You can easily become dehydrated when you’ve got bad sunburn. Robertson says to drink plenty of fluids, especially water, like you would if you had a fever. “It’s important to stay hydrated,” she says. “Keep drinking until your urine is relatively clear. If your urine is cloudy, you may not be drinking enough.”

Try a topical anesthetic. Topical anesthetics like Solarcaine may offer some temporary relief from pain and itching, says Robertson. She recommends that you look for products that contain lidocaine, which is less likely than some of the other anesthetics to cause an allergic reaction. Because some people do have allergic reactions to such products, she advises testing a small area of skin before using it all over.

Topical anesthetics come in both creams and sprays. The sprays are easier to apply to sunburn. If you use one, avoid spraying it directly onto the face. Instead, spray some into gauze and gently dub it on your face.

Get relief with hydrocortisone. Over-the-counter hydrocortisone creams or sprays can bring temporary relief from sunburn pain and itching, says Parker. Look for those containing 0.5 percent or 1 percent of hydrocortisone.

Moisturize. The sun dries the skin’s surface moisture and causes cells and blood vessels to leak, drying the skin out even further. In addition, while cool baths and compresses can make you feel better, they can also dry your injured skin. To prevent drying, apply moisturizer immediately after you soak, says Shaw. For even cooler relief, chill the moisturizer in the refrigerator before using.

Watch the blisters. If a sunburn is bad enough, the skin blisters. Robertson warns, “A bad sunburn with extensive blistering can be life-threatening.” If you have extensive blistering, see your doctor immediately.

If you have just a few blisters, watch that they don’t become infected. Don’t pop them and don’t remove their protective skin coverings, says Robertson.

Take a tincture of time. Ultimately, the one thing that will heal your sunburn is time, says Robertson. No product can speed up the process. Even when your sunburn is healed, be careful in the sun, because it will take several months for your damaged skin to return to normal. If you overdo it in the sun while your skin is still healing, your skin will burn faster and be more damaged than before.

This information was taken from The Home Remedies Handbook.