I thought I would make this post about simple diy
fixes for everyday summer ailments. (Maybe the next couple of posts, depending
on how many idea I come up with/steal liberally from the interwebs.) I got the
idea because Feisty Pants was helping her father with yard today and got a
little over heated. (Read that as pointing to various parts of the yard and
yelling, "Goo, you missed a spot!" while laughing at her own joke) So we came
in and turned on the a/c and got a cool cloth. And then the tylenol for the
heat headache as we didn't quite get her cooled down quick enough. The heat is
NOT her friend. So she's currently chillaxin' on the couch with Goo and I now
have an idea for this post. And probably several more because, while we should
be the kind of organized parents who proactively take care to make our
complicated life run smoothly, we are actually the kind of parents who end up
knowing the poison control center's phone number by heart. (Hippie Pants as a
toddler thought every flower and tree was edible. And she could run faster than
me.)
So why don't I start off with what seems
to be the most common summer bummer and list some easy and helpful sunburn
remedies? Here are the ones that everybody I know swears by.
1) White Vinegar- I swear that white vinegar is proof that the Universe
loves us and does not want us to use nasty chemicals that do horrible things to
our endocrine systems. It's non toxic. You can clean with it. It deodorizes
anything. And it's a great addition to a home remedy kit. (Heck in a pinch you can spray it on a salad or make pickles.) In the case of sunburn, try diluting with
water (half and half) and put it a spray bottle and mist yourself. You can even
freeze into ice cubes and rub (carefully) over tender burned skin. Or add a cup
of vinegar to a tub of water (lukewarm) and soak.
2)Cucumbers- for a small burn (say the apples of your cheeks) simply cool,
slice and apply. I've heard a few people have pureed it and blended with water
and applied directly to skin for larger areas.
3)Plain yogurt- simply apply yogurt to skin. Allow to sit for a few
minutes, rinse off in a cool shower. Dry GENTLY.
4)Tea bags- either cool used tea bags and apply directly to skin for small
burns (eyes, cheeks) or steep a strong tea and pour into a spray bottle to mist
skin.
5)Lettuce leaves- boil lettuce leaves in water, strain, and cool liquid in
your fridge. Use a cloth to gently apply to burned skin (or even use in a
compress)
6)Oatmeal- this works for all kinds of skin issues, not just sunburns.
Place dry oatmeal in cheesecloth or gauze (personally I used old pantyhose) tie
shut and toss into tub for a skin soothing bath. You can even use oatmeal in a
cheesecloth and soaked in water as a compress.
7)Witch Hazel- soak a towel in witch hazel and use as a compress.
8)Baking Soda- add a cup or two to a tepid bath and soak. The trick with this one is to NOT dry off when you get out but let the water dry naturally on your skin.
With any of these you can add some aspirin or tylenol to ease swelling and
pain and drink LOTS of water as sunburns are dehydrating. Stay cool.
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