Natural Ways to Help With Sunburn Pain

If you have gotten a sunburn that is on the mild side, you don’t necessarily need fancy 
over-the-counter pain relief products. Many sunburns get relief with natural remedies. 
Keep in mind if you have a severe 2nd or 3rd degree burn, you need to see a doctor for 
medical treatment.

Hydrate Your Skin

It is more important than you think to be hydrated when you have a sunburn. This 
includes hydrating on the inside and the outside. Hydrate by drinking plenty of water 
and other healthy fluids, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, both of which can lead to 
dehydration. Hydrating your skin is best with water or herbal tea. You can then hydrate 
the skin on the outside by keeping it moist and cooled off, starting with a cool shower, 
then using cool compresses on the area. 

Apply Aloe to the Sunburn

Aloe vera gel is often sold in stores, so many people use it for their burns. The reason is 
because aloe is so soothing and cool to the skin. It cools off the burn while also helping 
it to heal more quickly. If you don’t have any aloe in the house, but have an aloe plant in 
your backyard, you can use gel directly from the leaves of that plant and apply it to your 
burn. The store-bought varieties should use pure aloe instead of having preservatives 
and other ingredients you don’t recognize.

Try Essential Oils

For more of a mild sunburn, you can use some essential oils that have been properly 
diluted. Be very careful when using pure essential oil on your skin, especially on a 
burned area. Dilute it heavily and only add more drops as needed, then spray it onto 
your burn. Soothing essential oils that are good for reducing the pain from a sunburn 
include lavender and chamomile. This should not replace medical treatments for more 
severe burns. If your sunburn is causing blisters, it is a 2nd degree burn, and needs 
medical intervention.

Wear Loose Clothing

While your sunburn is healing, you should be resting and keeping as cool as possible. 
Stay out of the sun or cover up if you need to go outside. While indoors, wear loose-
fitting clothing with breathable fabrics. Nothing you wear should be tight or restricting, so 
you might want to remove your bra if your shoulders were burned. The pain should 
subside within a few hours or the first couple of days, depending on how badly you were 
sunburned.

