It plagues many of us every summer, and catches a large number of us by surprise. The dreaded sunburn is the villain of summer, and the majority of us have felt its wrath. Treating sunburn can not only help you cope with the discomfort, it can also help the healing process. There’s no need to go out and buy a lot of fancy creams and salves to soothe your burning skin. There are many home remedies for sunburn and chances are, you already have the ingredients on hand for at least one of these.
- Gel from the leaves of the aloe plant is perhaps the best-known natural treatment for sunburns. While bottled aloe is commercially available, many people grow this fleshy plant in their kitchens.
- A mixture of lavender oil and yogurt can also help in treating the sunburn.
- Soak a piece of cloth or cotton gauze in cold whole milk and apply carefully to the burned skin. Leave it for 15 minutes to 20 minutes, and then wash with cold water.
- For instant relief, mix instant mashed potato mix with crushed ice.
- A cool cucumber is often used for soothing burns. Simply slice open a cucumber and wipe it directly onto your skin.
- Apply a mixture of 1 part tomato juice and 6 parts buttermilk to the burned area.
- And for what is perhaps the most interesting remedy, Preparation H can take down the swelling and relieve the pain.
The threat of sunburn shouldn’t stop anyone from enjoying the summer heat, but whenever possible, sun exposure should be kept to a minimum, with maximum sunscreen protection. Whether you’re playing sports, gardening, or just lounging, knowing what protective measures to take can help you to enjoy the outside without pain.
If you notice a hole in the upper left-hand corner of your Farmers' Almanac, don't return it to the store! That hole isn't a defect; it's a part of history. Starting with the first edition of the Farmers' Almanac in 1818, readers used to nail holes into the corners to hang it up in their homes, barns, and outhouses (to provide both reading material and toilet paper). In 1910, the Almanac's publishers began pre-drilling holes in the corners to make it even easier for readers to keep all of that invaluable information (and paper) handy.
