DIY Cruelty Free and Vegan Cures for Sunburns

Cruelty-Free Vegan Treatments For Sunburns

Sunburns are not only for summer. Harmful UV rays can cause painful burns no matter how hot or cold the temperature. Prevention may be best, but what’s to be done when the damage has set in?

Thankfully, there are a number of vegan and cruelty-free treatments that can bring relief to sore skin. Aloe vera is perhaps the best known. Simply take the leaf of an aloe vera plant and use the gel from inside the leaf on your burns. If the burn is large, cutting the leaves lengthwise and applying them like you would a bandage maximizes the area covered.

Witch hazel is another soothing topical treatment for burned areas. This extract is an astringent that reduces swelling, and as it evaporates you’ll be left with a pleasant cooling sensation. Bathing the sunburned skin with vinegar has much of the same effect, though some might find the smell unpleasant. If the sunburn is small or on sensitive skin, tea and tea bags also relieve pain. Both black and green tea contain tannic acid, which soothe irritation.

If you have the time and inclination, or if the burn is particularly large and painful, an oatmeal bath might be the way to go. The bath should not be any hotter than lukewarm, but you should likewise take care not to make the water too cold. Use two cups of uncooked oats in your bath. This may sound messy, but if you put the oats in a sock or a mesh bag the oats will stay contained. Let the oats soak for a while, squeeze the sock or bag to get the full effect, and soak in the water–though  not too long, as your skin may dry out.

Once the initial pain is gone, the next step is keeping the skin moist and clean. A vegan, cruelty-free moisturizer should be applied to the burned skin whenever it feels dry, as this lessens the impact of cracking and peeling. If peeling does occur, continue to moisturize and protect the new skin.

And as always, hydrate! Burns not only affect the skin; they affect your entire body. A sunburn is an injury, and your body is fighting to heal itself. Drinking water keeps your metabolites in balance, your blood volume up, and your organs healthy. Remember, your skin is your most visible and vulnerable organ, and it needs all the health and protection that it can get.

Remember that cruelty-free applies to yourself as well. Be kind to your body and be careful in the sun.