Sun Protection Products – Natural Remedies from Home

It’s week 3 of sunny skies and 95 degrees here in Upstate New York. In case you didn’t notice, the summer sun is here to stay and what a beautiful sun it is. However, if you’re not careful you can end up with a nasty reminder of why sun protection products are needed whenever you’re outdoors.

Recently, a friend of mine fell asleep in the sun and woke up with a very painful sunburn. After posting the incident on her Facebook page, suggestions of how to cure her sunburn woes began to pour in. I did a bit of searching and found a few natural sun protection products that might just do the trick.

• Witch hazel ~ soak a cotton ball or clean cloth in witch hazel and gently dab or apply to the singed area. Witch hazel is an astringent and has been known to provide anti-inflammatory relief.
• Tea time ~ not only are teas great for the body, they’ve been known to help relieve pain and swelling from sunburn of the eyes.
• Got Milk? ~ a great source of calcium and vitamin D and now a remedy for sunburn. 1 cup of fat-free milk, 4 cups of cold water and a few ice cubes. This concoction should be applied to the skin every 15-20 minutes.
• Aloe Vera ~ aloe is believed to be anti-inflammatory and has been used for years to treat sunburn skin.
• Hydrocortizone ~ according to Dr. Basler, applying a lotion or spray with 1 percent hydrocortizone can help relieve itching and inflammation.

Enjoying the outdoors is one of the greatest past times of summer. Remembering to apply sunscreen is important but just in case you walk up like my friend, you now have a few sun protection products that can get you the relief you’ll need.