Avoid chemicals and try these natural remedies for treating sunburn in kids.
What do you get when you mix school holidays, amazing weather and kids on holidays? Easy! Lots of fun frolicking in the great 
outdoors, swimming at our wonderful beaches, camping and heaps of other cool activities.
As parents we do our best to protect our children and their precious skin from the sun’s rays and remember all too well that good old ‘slip slop slap’ campaign, however unfortunately there will always be at least one nasty instance of the dreaded sunburn. And it sure does hurt.
Yes, prevention is always better than the cure however if you are looking for ways to avoid the chemical ridden, store-bought after sun sprays, lotions and potions, you’ll be happy to know that there are in fact a number of very safe, very effective and totally natural solutions.
Natural Sunburn Treatments Found In The Home
The first step immediately after noticing sunburn is to apply a frozen ice pack, place the red skin under a running tap or cover the area with a cold cloth. Even grab a bag of frozen peas. No need for glamour. If possible, place your child into a cool shower or bath. The key is to remove the heat from the skin. If you choose to use a damp cloth, it will start to warm up as the heat is extracted so keep refreshing it and reapplying it.
Once the heat has been reduced, you can start to apply any of the following.
What’s in the fridge?
1. Yoghurt – grab some cold yoghurt from the fridge. Plain is best but if you can only find a tub of strawberry with Buzz Lightyear on the label don’t panic. Spread it on and once it warms up from the heat of the skin, rinse off and re-apply. Strawberries are also of great value to tender skin so use what you can.
2. Cucumber – the cooling sensation of the cucumber provides instant relief due to its high water concentration. Apply thin slices to the affected areas.
What’s in the garden?
3. Aloe Vera is very hardy plant found in many gardens and a very easy to maintain houseplant. If you are lucky to have one, grab a leaf and break it in half. Apply the natural Aloe Vera gel to the burn. It is the most common natural remedy.
4. Lemons – Grab a couple of lemons from the tree, even if you need to ‘borrow’ from your neighbor, and squeeze into a jug of cold water. Soak a cloth in it and gently apply to the affected skin.
What’s in the cupboard?
5. Green Tea – Not only is green tea full of powerful antioxidants, and refreshing to drink, it has been known to reduce skin inflammation. Simply make a batch of tea with cool water, and soak a washcloth in it. Apply it to the skin regularly.
6. Potatoes – the natural starch on our much-loved potato helps to take the sting out of a burn. Slice or grate any variety and apply to the skin.
Treating Sunburn Naturally – What To Avoid
Avoid applying anything oily such as butter, or olive oil as they can retain the heat and make the burn worse. Soap and other cleansing products can also further irritate the skin so stick to water when washing.
Remember to seek professional care if your child has severe sunburn with extensive blistering and pain, or feels unwell at all.
Natural Sunshine Is Not Always Our Friend
We all know the sun provides a wonderful dose of Vitamin D however we also know all too well that too much can cause sunburn and nasty skin conditions. Kids with sensitive skin can suffer significantly from use of the wrong skin protection and skin care. Where possible go natural.
