Essential oils are excellent for sunburn as they help to heal and soothe burns.
The natural healing properties of organic oils heal wounds and burns on the skin very quickly. Besides EOs, coconut oil for sunburn is an effective solution.
Also, these oils make the skin soft, smoother, moisturized, and beautiful. No wonder most natural skincare products have a range of essential oils as ingredients.
A phototherapy research report says that essential oils like lavender oil have antibacterial, antifungal, carminative, and soothing properties that treat burns, skin diseases, wounds, and insect bites.
Menthol, a cooling property that is present in most oils, is excellent for calming burns.
I have come across several natural remedies for burns that have essential oils as major ingredients. Each of these oils has specific benefits for total sun healing.
For example, lavender oil heals and soothes burns and redness; frankincense oil can reduce scarring; tea tree oil prevents infection; and peppermint oil reduces pain.
You can use essential oils to treat sunburn are lavender, chamomile, peppermint, tea tree, and geranium oils.
Carrier oils, such as coconut oil, jojoba oil, and olive oil, are also great for soothing burns.
Best Essential Oils For Sunburn
Sunburns are reddish burns on the skin that are sometimes painful and swollen.
It is direct exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays that causes burns on the skin. UV ray exposure can damage your skin’s DNA and even lead to skin cancer.
You will find a wide variety of OTC lotions and creams for preventing and treating it. However, most of those creams and lotions can cause harm to the skin in the long run.
When you have UV rays burns, you may use natural remedies like essential oils that are safe and work well.
The benefits of essential oils for burns include a cooling effect, pain relief, reduction of inflammation, and antimicrobial activity.
They calm irritated skin, relieve pain, reduce redness, and repair damaged skin.
Do not apply essential oils directly to the skin, always dilute them in a carrier oil before applying.
This article explores the 7 best essential oil treatments and other popular natural remedies for burns.
1. Lavender oil
In one of the research studies published in the Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand, when twenty-seven patients with burned wounds were treated with aloe vera gel compared with vaseline gauze, the aloe vera gel treated lesion healed faster than the vaseline gauze area.
A mixture of lavender oil and aloe vera gel is excellent for the tropical healing of sunburns and all other types of burns.
Ingredients:
- 3 teaspoons of aloe vera gel
- 10 drops of lavender oil
How to use:
Fill a glass or porcelain bowl halfway with the ingredients and thoroughly mix them.
With a cotton ball, apply the mixture gently to the sunburned surface of the skin.
Repeat the application of this treatment twice a day until the burn is healed.
2. Cold compress with oil
Hydrotherapy is the external or internal use of water in any form (water, ice, steam). It is an age-old treatment of various diseases with various temperatures, pressure, duration, and site.
Cold-water compressor immersion is the finest first-aid solution for burns.
A very useful essential oil remedy for sunburn is a cold compress with lavender oil. It helps to quickly soothe the burn and reduce the pain.
Ingredients:
- a drop of lavender oil
- 2 cups of cold water
How to use:
Take two cups of cold water and add 6–9 drops of lavender essential oil.
Stir the water well for a few minutes, and ensure the oil is fully diluted.
Soak a clean cotton hand towel in the water, wring the excess water out of the towel, and then gently massage the wet towel over the burnt surface of the skin.
Repeat the cold compress for 5 minutes, three times a day.
3. Essential oil and vinegar
White vinegar contains acetic acid, a component of aspirin that can help relieve the pain, itching, and inflammation of sunburn and all other types of burns.
The antiseptic and astringent elements in vinegar help prevent infections from skin burns.
In the same way, lavender essential oil is self-protective and known for its effectiveness in healing burns and several other diseases.
A body wash or full-body bath in water treated with lavender oil and vinegar is excellent for curing sunburns.
Ingredients:
- 3 ml lavender oil (approximately 50 drops)
- 1 cup or 8 oz. white vinegar (wine or apple cider vinegar)
How to use:
Take one cup of white vinegar and 3 ml of it; blend them properly by stirring.
Fill your bathtub with cold water and add lavender oil and vinegar to the water.
Allow the solution to dilute evenly in the water. Then immerse your body in the bathtub and stay in it for 30 minutes.
4. Soothing bath blend
Chamomile is one of the most ancient medicinal herbs known to humanity.
Chamomile essential oil is commonly used for treating several ailments, including burns and bruises.
Milk is an excellent compress for minor burns.
Washing your body in water mixed with chamomile, lavender, and milk is an excellent home remedy for sunburn.
Ingredients:
- 8 drops of chamomile oil
- 8 drops of lavender or peppermint essential oil
- 15ml milk
How to use:
Fill your bathtub with cold water and add the blended ingredients.
Allow the ingredients to be thoroughly dispersed in the water.
Immerse your body in the bath and stay in it for 15 minutes or longer.
5. Oils and aloe vera blend
Sea buckthorn essential oil is a widely used organic ingredient in natural skin remedies.
They help to heal burns, sunburns, rashes, cuts, and several other types of skin damage.
A blend of aloe vera gel, lavender oil, and sea buckthorn oil is one of the most effective essential oil blends for sunburn.
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons of aloe vera gel
- 1 teaspoon sea buckthorn oil
- 15 drops of lavender oil
How to use:
Blend the 3 oils thoroughly in a glass bowl; apply this essential oil blend with a cotton ball over the sunburned areas of the skin.
You can wash off the applied oils after 20 minutes; leaving them on the skin for a longer time is better.
Repeat the treatment twice a day until the burn is fully healed.
6. EOs and oatmeal bath
‘Oat (Avena sativa) in colloidal form is a centuries-old topical treatment for various skin conditions.’ Colloidal oat extracts exhibit direct antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities that can heal the skin from sunburn.
Oatmeal-soaked water with a few drops of lavender has the potential to soothe sunburn.
Ingredients:
- Oatmeal: a handful
- Lavender: 10 drops
How to use:
Fill the bathtub with lukewarm water and throw in a handful of oatmeal and 10 drops of lavender essential oil.
After 30 minutes, when the oatmeal is fully soaked in the water, stir the water, and then immerse your body in the water for 15 to 20 minutes.
Instead of oatmeal, you can use baking soda with lavender oil to achieve a similar healing effect.
Ultimately, lavender oil is the best essential oil for sunburn because it works well with different ingredients.
Other essential oil blends
Let me bring home some simpler essential oil treatments for burns without going into detail.
- Apply a few drops of lavender oil with a cotton ball over the sunburnt skin.
- Tea tree oil (diluted oil in a carrier oil like coconut oil or olive oil) could be applied to sunburned skin.
- Sunburn relief can be obtained by combining Calendula lotion with neroli or rose oil and chamomile oil.
- An essential oil mixture of lavender, chamomile, geranium, and bergamot with carrier oils like almond and sesame works great. Add 2-3 drops of essential oils to 1 teaspoon of each carrier oil, and apply the oil solution mixture to the skin immediately after sun exposure.
Ways to Faster Healing and Prevention of Sunburn
Undoubtedly, essential oils for sunburn are the best skincare solution after a sunbath.
In addition to the most important thing to do for a sunburn, here are a few other natural products and general tips that can help.
Drink water
Drink a lot of water before and after being in the sun. Water hydrates the body from within and reduces the harshness of sunburned skin.
Coconut oil
Sunburn can be prevented or minimized by applying coconut oil all over your skin before sun exposure.
Some studies have given SPF ratings for coconut oil ranging from 5-10 SPF.
Even after sunburn, applying coconut oil and adding an extra amount of coconut oil to your diet is beneficial.
Vinegar
White vinegar is excellent for preventing pain and skin irritation arising from sunburn.
Dip a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and gently apply it to the burned areas of the skin for immediate relief.
Aloe Vera
It is very effective at soothing and healing sunburn.
You can apply it gel to the burned areas of the skin; repeat the application of the gel twice or three times a day till the sunburn is healed.
Carrot seed oil
Apply the carrot seed oil all over your skin before you venture out into the sun; it has SPF 35+.
Astaxanthin supplement
It is an antioxidant supplement that aids in the protection of the skin against sunburn. It’s what makes salmon, shrimp, and flamingos pink.
A study testing astaxanthin’s effects on human skin cells have shown its effectiveness in protecting the skin from UVA damage.
Vitamin D
Make sure that you do not have a vitamin D deficiency. It is an important vitamin that helps the skin be self-protective against the UVA rays of the sun. A lack of vitamin D is said to make sunburns severe on the skin.
Regular exposure to the sun
Regular exposure to the sun makes your skin immune to sunburn. This also aids in increasing Vitamin D levels in the body and keeping the skin healthy enough to ward off common skin diseases.
Lycopene diet
Lycopene is a carotenoid found in tomatoes. Cooked tomatoes provide the most concentrated and bioavailable lycopene, which helps protect the skin from sunburn. Even applying tomato paste to the skin is good protection against sunburn.
ConclusionÂ
Sunburn is a fairly common occurrence among people who spend a significant amount of time in the hot sun or take long sunbathes.
There are numerous skin lotions (chemical solutions) to prevent sunburn. However, natural products and treatments are always healthy and best for the skin.
As regards home remedies, the use of essential oil blends for sunburn works the best to relieve the symptoms of sunburn.
Among the essential oils, lavender oil is the most effective and must-have for all skin problems, including sunburn.
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