The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Tea
Posted by Simone (British Columbia) on 06/12/2015
★★★★★
Hi since summer is coming I thought some people might like this. It came from my daughter's Bubba. Many years ago I was burnt so bad that even a sheet on my skin was painful. She told me to brew some tea bags and let them steep. I used regular black/orange pekoe. When the tea is luke warm (too cold will make you tense up), have someone lightly squeeze the bag and dab all over. The moisture and tannins in the tea help keep the skin from drying out. The best part was there was no bad peeling and it turned into a tan faster.
Drink extra water to help keep your skin hydrated. You may want to do it a few times over a day or two. I have passed this on to others over the years with great results. Of course prevention is the best remedy.
Tea
Posted by Zark (Emerald City) on 09/04/2017
★☆☆☆☆
Tea didn't work for me - but yoghurt does! Preferably greek yoghurt - A tip I got from someone who used to work in building/construction industry.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by L. Farmer (Peoria, Az) on 07/13/2011
★★★★★
I managed to fry my thighs despite my liberal use of sunscreen yesterday. I remember hearing about this site, so decided to look for sunburn remedies. I am generally fairly skeptical of these sorts of things, but decided the only risk involved in me trying the ACV remedy for a sunburn was me smelling like a pickle. So, I gave it a shot. I'm happy to report that although it wasn't a 100% cure, it sure took away most of the red and most of the pain. I was quite amazed. I have survived MULTIPLE sunburns in my lifetime, but have never found such quick relief! I'm a believer! Long live ACV!
Tea
Posted by Anita (Muskegon, Mi) on 05/26/2010
★★★★★
I too use tea bags for sunburn in the tub. I find the best results with black tea and even better with a Chinese Black tea. I just asked at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants and they were so kind they gave me a couple boxes, but, it is not hard to find at health stores. For acute burns and chemical reactions that make you feel like your on fire-tea is a natural neutralizer. My father was a physician and this was one of his remedies. I was harvesting hot peppers from garden and making fresh salsa. I washed my hands liberally, and chopped other veggies for about an hour. Since I had even done up the dishes I was sure any acidity was long gone. Rather embarrasing, I went to urinate and in wiping process transferred via toilet paper residual pepper acicidity. Thought I was going to die! Wow! Called Dad, got in tub with 5-7 tea bags and within 2 minutes the pain lessened and by 15 I was totally back to normal. Also, like the young lady stated with burnt hand. Take 3-4 bags and steep in hot water for 10-20 sec. Open bags and like a poultice place over area and cover with a damp cloth or gauze. If blistering has started leave on for at least 30 minutes. The blistering will be gone and you avoid scarring. Hope this is helpful. Anita
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Elaine (Coventry, Rhode Island) on 08/25/2008
★★★★★
I have been using apple cider vinegar to treat sunburns since I was a kid. My grandmother was a nurse and used this method to no avail. I use it full strength on a sponge or several cotton balls. When it dries you can rub on some aloe gel so you don't smell like a pickle! LOL Amazing the money you can save with home remedies! (Not to mention how things like this really impress the kids!)
Coconut Oil
Posted by Stephanie (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) on 04/17/2008
★★★★★
I started using Virgin Coconut Oil and I love it. I usually sunburn the first time I lay out in the sun, then peel, then I tan afterwards. I usually lay out without sunscreen or tanning lotion. So, I decided to put VCO on my body and layed out in the sun for four hours. I burnt a little, but nothing compared to usual. I also applied VCO twice a day after that and didn't peel at all, but it turned into a great tan. I will use VCO forever. P.S. I also started taking it internally 3X a day-yummy.
Avoid Aspartame
Posted by Rhonda (Anadarko, Oklahoma) on 02/16/2008
A few summers ago I began to have a severe reaction to the sunlight on my skin. Burning (as a chemical would), swelling, itching and then the days following the skin exposed to the sun would peel away. I thought I was having a reaction to a new sunscreen. After complaining to my mother, she reported once having the same problems. Her pharmacist told her she was experiencing an apartame overdose. I quit the diet stuff, and after a couple of weeks I was able to go back outside. What a relief to find out such a simple solution! I'm convinced the stuff is poison!
Coconut Oil
Posted by Chrissy (Olando, Florida) on 01/11/2008
★★★★★
I use coconut oil anytime that I get a sunburn and it works like a charm to relieve the skin and to help prevent peeling. I also know that when people in my family began to cook with it instead of any other oil they had a drop in cholesterol
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Patrick (Conowingo, Maryland) on 07/17/2007
★★★★★
Hello, I've been visiting your site for a while, but I would like to be added to the "YEA'S" on a few home remedies.
Cayenne Pepper for Sore Throat. This is how I first found your site. Nothing is worse than a sore throat, last year I had a killer sore throat with no other symptoms. After reading about cayenne pepper I decided to gargle it. Gargling a teaspoon of cayenne pepper in about 6 oz of warm water every couple of hours did a great job of healing my sore throat really quickly. However it was really nasty and made me dry heave a couple times. I just discovered a new sore throat yesterday. This time I am simply warming up about a cup of water in the microwave, adding some honey for taste, and dashing in a good amount of cayenne pepper (3-4 dashes). I am not gargling with it, because I'm just not good at gargling, So I let each sip sit in the back of my mouth a bit and then I swallow it. It actually taste pretty good. It's like tea with a little kick!
Apple Cider Vinegar for Acne. My wife has always had trouble spots for acne right on her cheek next to her ears. Apple Cider Vinegar is the only thing that has had a real effect. She applies it once or twice a day, with a cotton ball. Great results. We also just received Apple Cider Vinegar capsule that we can take to avoid drinking it. They are available at GNC, but we order them online for cheaper.
Apple Cider Vinegar for Sunburn: I recently went boating and got sunburn on both my ankles from sitting funny. When I got home both ankles seemed to have about the same amount of burn, however the right ankle was hurting me slightly more at the time. I decided to try an experiment. I applied Apple Cider Vinegar to only my right ankle and left the left ankle untreated. I simply applied Apple cider vinegar with a Cotton ball 2 or 3 times a day. After the first night, my right ankle was in a great deal less pain than my left ankle. I kept applying it to my right ankle and by the second day there was no pain at all, while my left ankle was severely painful and sensitive to touch. I stopped applying apple cider vinegar to my right ankle after about 3 days because it just didn't hurt, My left ankle continued to hurt until day 7 when it the skin started peeling. The skin on my right ankle did not start peeling until day 9. Everyone should try this to convince themselves that Apple Cider Vinegar really works!
Egg Whites
Posted by Cyndi (Martinez, Ca) on 01/01/2023
★★★★★
I used egg whites on a sunburn a few years back. I used a blush brush and brushed it on several times creating a layered effect. The egg white completely took the burn out of the skin and I was no longer in pain. It works great and I'll always use it for every burn from now on.
Yogurt (and Lactic Ferments)
Posted by Zark (Oz) on 01/08/2022
★★★★★
Success! After getting sunburn at the park yesterday I tried Lactic Acid, which I happened to have now in pure powder form. I mixed about half a teaspoon Lactic Acid in ~ 20 ml water (about an ounce of water). Applied it, and relief was instant :-)
So that's confirmation, lactic acid is the key ingredient that alleviates sunburn. This can be found in:
Sour yoghurt (eg Greek Yoghurt), sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi, kefir, and other sour cultured dairy such as sour cream
Aloe Vera
Posted by Kimberly (Fl, Usa) on 06/09/2015
★★★★★
I recently got sunburned (my bad for not using sunscreen) I didn't think I was outside long enough. Well I tried every suggestion on the website - but the most I got was 5 minutes temporary relief. I even bought aloe vera sunburn gel. But when my spouse read about the gel there was not that much aloe vera in it. We had 99.9% Aloe Vera juice in the refrigerator. It was quite a shock going on (was cold being in the refrigerator) but this helped me more than anything. It also took a lot of the redness away. I used it several times through out the day. Hope this suggestion helps someone else if they happen to get sunburned.
Sun Queen's Recipe
Posted by Sun Queen (Colorado, US) on 06/23/2014
★★★★★
Colorado sun can be brutal and burn skin in no time flat. I recently got a severe burn and I made my own "lotion" that worked like a miracle. First, I have to note that I tried an experiment: applying pure bergamot oil to my left leg immediately after coming in out of the sun and then to my right leg about 4 hours later. My left leg never burned, peeled, or hurt, but rather turned brown and skin stayed healthy. My right leg was still red, peeling, and tender after a week. I used the below lotion on both legs every night before bed and every morning after a shower, which kept my left leg healthy and helped my right leg heal.
Sunburn Relief: (All organic, pure ingredients) 1/2 cup Coconut Oil, 1/4 cup Castor oil, 1/4 cup Pure Aloe Vera liquid (not the gel or with any additives), 1/4 cup ACV, 2 Tbsl vitamin E oil, Then 3-20 drops of the following: Bergamot oil, Tea Tree oil, Neem oil, Tamanu oil, Rose oil, Almond oil, Grapeseed oil, Rose Hip Seed oil, Jojoba oil, Rosemary oil, I don't add the ACV if the skin is broken (cracked or peeling) because it stings too much. If your skin is badly burned, be sure to cool it off with ACV or earl gray tea (bergamot) cold compresses before applying the oils, because oil can sometimes magnify the heat.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Coconut Oil
Posted by Lauren B (San Francisco, Ca) on 05/10/2014
★★★★★
Apple Cider Vinegar & Coconut Oil for Sun Burn
This absolutely helped my horrible sunburn! I did the below routine 3x in 24 hours, and didn't even get to start it until 36 hours after sun damage. I noticed a slight reduction in pain/redness but the REAL help was with reduced peeling in the following 5 days. I KNOW from past experience I would have peeled much worse.
-Take 2 paper towels together, fold to the size of affected area
-Lay on a plate of ACV, let them soak it all up
-Place damp/soaked paper towels on sunburn
-Let sit for 20 minutes
-Lather in coconut oil after dry
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Jordanna (Tel Aviv, Israel) on 04/21/2013
★☆☆☆☆
I'm a big fan of apple cider vinegar, so when I saw it listed as a cure for sunburn, I wanted to try it. I used it only on the right side of my body, and left the left side untouched so I could see if it did anything. The ACV made no difference.
Egg Whites
Posted by Lolita (Cushing, Oklahoma) on 11/04/2009
★★★★★
It is amazing what egg whites can do. My sis-inlaw got on this website after seeing that her niece was developing a bad sunburn and she used paper towels and egg whites and put it on her back where it was the worst. Our niece never complained about the burn or any of the usual discomfort that comes with a burn also as bad as the burn was it should have left scars and you couldn't even tell anything was ever there thanks- Lolita
Vinegar
Posted by John (Pearisburg, Virginia) on 10/02/2009
★★★★★
Vinegar cures Sunburns quickly!
I remember when I was about 6 or 7 year old, always going to the swimming pool. At times I would come home with a bad sunburn on my shoulders and back, so my mom would have me lay on my stomach while she would take a small bowl filled with vinegar. Then she would soak a small rag in the vinegar and rub and message the vinegar into the sunburned area, within 5 to 10 minutes later the painful sting of the sunburn was gone. It's also very effective if you have gotten sun poison Too, In just the same technique but takes a little longer to cure.
EC: Any particular type of vinegar, i.e., apple cider vinegar or white vinegar?
Sour Cream
Posted by Zark (Oz) on 01/28/2025
★★★★★
Yes, this will work exactly as per yoghurt remedy due to lactic acid content. Lactic acid, which makes it sour, appears to be the key. It's effective and fast!
