Sunburn Remedies That Just Might Work!

We're heading into the meat and heat of summer. Sunny skies and temperatures in the 80's dominate the weather this week and no doubt for weeks to come.

With the daily grind of all that COVID-19 news, you may be tired of hearing medical information but with the 4th of July behind us, a sunburn remedy seems in order for the Yakima Valley.

The internet has a ton of DIY sunburn remedies, but two board-certified dermatologists are offering the ones that actually work. Dermatologist Dr. Kemunto Mokaya says to reduce inflammation and discomfort associated with sunburn you should take pain relievers within the NSAID family. These include ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin—the doctor says they work best when taken immediately after getting burned.

The Huffington Post reports the other thing you can do that actually works is applying milk to your skin, as the proteins in cold milk can soothe the burned skin. (take it out of the cow first)

Another option is applying hydrocortisone cream to your skin two to three times for up to a week.

Other things that will help: using a cold compress, using a compress made from black or green tea, using aloe vera gel, and upping your vitamin D intake as it has been proven to speed up healing.

Things you should avoid: rubbing alcohol, and butter or petroleum jelly. The experts also say if you’re going to be outdoors you should apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30+, and wear sun-shielding clothing.

Sunshine is important for Vitamin D to get some...just not too much too soon!