Sunburn sometimes can be very painful. Fortunately, there are a number of remedies available for sunburn relief and, of all, essential oils work the best on sun damaged skin. Use of essential oils for sunburn helps to treat sunburn naturally while keeping your skin flawless, glowing and supple. Therapeutic essential oils also help promote skin health as they contain anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anti-fungal and antibacterial properties.
In an attempt to get relief from sunburn quickly, people don’t hesitate to use cosmetics like creams, salves, and lotions, as well as undergo certain medical and chemical procedures but these can have uninvited side effects. Therefore, one of the most natural and safest methods is to use essential oils for sunburn. As many of these oils contain cooling properties, they offer you immediate relief from sunburn. These essential oils hydrate your skin and make it look healthy and glowing.
Essential oils are the secret weapon for sunburn relief. Some of the most effective essential oils for sunburn include lavender, sandalwood, frankincense, peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils;
Because of its antifungal, antibacterial and carminative properties, lavender essential oil is extremely useful in healing sunburn and treating other skin problems. This essential oil for sunburn relief should be sourced from a quality and trusted place, and should not contain any additive because synthetic components can make sunburn worse.
How to use – Mix a drop of lavender essential oil into aloe vera gel and apply the mixture on affected area of the skin, which gives immediate relief from sunburn. Also, if sunburn is spread over a large area of the skin, all you need to do is to mix a handful of oatmeal and 7-8 drops of lavender oil in a tub of warm water. Stir the bath gently with your hand and immerse yourself in it. The soothing properties of the bath will effectively alleviate the discomfort caused due to sunburn.
Sandalwood essential oil contains cooling property and can be used to calm sunburn inflammation, to soothe and cool burns, to help you get rid of uneven tans and to germs that can cause infection.
How to use – Mix 1- 2 drops of sandalwood essential oil, 1 drop of turmeric essential oil and approximately 30 gms of oil together. Apply the mixture gently onto affected skin for immediate relief. Turmeric essential oil has good antiseptic property.
For sunburn, use therapeutic frankincense essential oil which has been tested for purity. Sunburnt skin is painful to touch and using frankincense essential oil will help nourish the sun damaged skin and bring back the original luster of your skin. This is the ideal solution for relieving the pain following sunburns. Frankincense essential oil works wonders on the dry plus sun damaged skin as it helps rejuvenate the skin by hydrating it and provides necessary moisture to it.
How to use – Frankincense essential oil is a powerful skin tonic. Mix1-2 drops of the oil to aloe vera gel and apply it gently on the affected area of the skin.
Peppermint essential oil is also known as natural cooling agent, and menthol contained in it helps numb the pain caused due to sunburn. Peppermint essential oil, when used, helps hydrate and cools your sun-burned skin immediately. This extremely potent essential oil should always be used in diluted form.
How to use – Mix 1- 2 drops of peppermint essential oil and 1-2 tsp of aloe vera gel together. Apply the paste gently over your sun-damaged skin for soothing the burns.
Eucalyptus essential oil helps quickly relieve sunburn. This oil has anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties that alleviate sunburn in no time. Its application on sunburnt skin numbs the pain, thereby providing soothing effect with its mentholated goodness. Its antibacterial properties also protect the sensitive, sun-burned skin from infection.
How to use – Make your own eucalyptus spray. Just add 2-3 drops of eucalyptus oil and 1 tsp of pure aloe vera gel to a cup of water and pour the mixture, which also acts as a natural emulsifier, into a clean bottle. Spray on the affected area before you go to your bed. Make sure to shake well the solution before using it. The other way to use it is to soak a towel in water containing 4-5 drops of cooling eucalyptus oil and gently dab the affected area with the towel for immediate relief.
The use of essential oils to treat sunburn is an effective and reliable way. Sun-damaged skin becomes extremely sensitive, therefore, it takes its own time to heal as treating sunburn with essential oils is a natural healing process. Therefore, resist the urge of over application of essential oils, which are extremely potent, on sun-burned skin as this might aggravate the condition. You should also speak with your doctor before using essential oils to treat sunburns.
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