I’m not totally sure if this is more MPSIMS material or not, but here goes…
Ok, the story is, Dem and I were at a play today up on Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County. The weather was sunny and fiercly hot and I, being a dork, forgot to think about sunscreen. By the end of the day I was pretty well toasted on my arms. They are pretty red and itchy. Now, for me I usually just let it heal, but i’m wondering, what are some good remedies to cut that hotness my arms are still feeling (i dipped a towel in ice cold water and placed it on my arms, and in a minute it was warm).
When I was in the Caribbean they had my sister smear yogurt on her sunburn (plain…no fruit). After about 5 minutes take a cool shower to wash it off. Seemed to work but maybe it was a placebo effect and the locals like telling tourists this stuff for a good laugh. Dunno…personally I’d go for it even if it is a placebo thing happening…end result is you feel better and that’s what counts.
As an aside my parents tried this another time but somehow no one mentioned the wash after 5 minutes part so they left it on till it dried and got crusty. Now THAT was funny (kinda gross too).
Well, the reputable sources on first aid will all tell you that the only real treatment for first-degree burns (like most sunburns) is to keep them cool, and wait. Anything else you do may ease the pain, butit won’t help the healing process. Easing the pain too much, as, erhaps, with lidocaine, might be a bad thing; the pain serves as a reminder to go easy on that area of skin for a while: Anything you do to a sunburn that makes it hurt (scratching, rubbing, etc.) is going to be bad for it, numb or not.
I have a blue gel in my cupboard called “Insurance”. I have used it on people who got VERY red and the burn is always almost gone the next day. It prevents peeling, too.
I use aloe vera gel that I keep in the fridge. Hell, I’ve had it since the mid-80s, but it still works. (Being a rain-person – ironically living in L.A. – I tend to avoid the sun when I can. But the airshows!)
Witch hazel is great for cooling the burn at first, but it will dry your skin.
Clinique makes a lotion called “After-Sun” with aloe in it - it feels great, soothes the tightness, and if you use it liberally for several days it will also help cut back on the amount of peeling you do. Doesn’t smell flowery, either.
Also, take some aspirin or ibuprofen for the pain, & drink lots of water - if you were out long enough to get fried, you’re probably a bit dehydrated, too.
From my mother’s store of Scottish lore (and 42 years of nursing):
Cold, wet tea leaves. The tannin in the tea is excellent for the skin. Don’t use this if you have actual blisters on your arms, as it makes it more difficult to rinse off after the leaves dry out.
I asked the same question over in mpsims and got some great answers.
Some great answers here also. I never thought of witch hazel and I use that for my face anyway. Maybe because I use it as an astringent the thought of it makes me burn. But I bet it would work.
I have been using silvadine and apple cider vinager water. Working wonderfully and turning into a tan which is a plus.
Homer, I really like ya’ bud, but you should be drawn and quartered for that! Okay, maybe it would be funny if I weren’t burnt in such a sensitive area.
Doob, go check it out over there. There are a few that arent mentioned here and I can’t remember them. I haven’t figured out how to pull links or whatever yet so I can’t put it here for you I can only tell you it is in mpsims under I burned my…
My parents told me of the time they went to Puerto Rico and got bad sunburn. They were told by a local to make a paste out of water and baking soda and cover the area then shower off after 10 minutes. My parents did as suggested and they claimed it took the sting right out.
Kricket, witch hazel works because it evaporates so quickly, which works to cool your skin. You can pour it straight on, or soak a cloth in it & dab your skin. It’s just like getting rubbed down with rubbing alcohol when you have a fever.
But because it’s drying, you really do need a moisturuzer afterwards.
Okay, maybe it would be funny if I weren’t burnt in such a sensitive area.