Best remedy for sunburn

1ST time at DW

Earning My Ears
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Our first trip to WDW in Sept. for FD,DH and I are on:cloud9:,even with sunblock we will probably get too much sun,searching for best remedies.Thanks in advance.
 
I was just told a month or so ago if you put Vicks Vapor Rub on a sunburn you won't peel. Then a couple weeks later I did get sunburned and put some one and I never did peel. The only down thing is if you have it on your face.. be careful as that smell is STRONG. ;)
 
We went in August last year, and I was a bit worried about sun burn. We did use sun block on the kids every day, but I stopped bothering with it after about the second day, and I didn't burn at all. Of course that doesn't mean you will have the same experience, but I think that unless you are normally prone to burning easily, with sun block you should be just fine.
 
I have heard that you can steep (haha literally!!) in a cool bathtub with green tea (like 3 bags) and that helps, and I've also heard that cucumbers help- you put sliced cucumbers on your skin until they get warm, and then put fresh ones on. Aloe (FROM THE FRIDGE... aahhhh) is my favorite, though.
 


I swear by Aloe Vera. Banana Boat and Panama Jack both have good products. The sooner you get it on the better. I normally don't peel if I apply as soon as I see any evidence of burn.
 
Please, please be careful with this. As someone with blonde hair and blue eyes, I've got to tell you: I've had more than my share of sunburns, and they HURT!!!

I received radiation treatment this past winter, and started to get a nasty "sunburn" under the band of my bra. My radiation oncologist suggested, before trying anything prescription, that I use Aquaphor. It's thick-- almost like vaseline-- but it really did help. (So did going to work braless-- and I teach high school!!!-- but that's a different post altogether :) )

I'm planning to bring some to WDW in 10 days, just in case!

It's Over The Counter; I got it at CVS.

Here's the lowdown according to google:


Aquaphor Healing Ointment
Advanced Healing for Dry, Cracked or Irritated Skin Aquaphor Healing Ointment protects dry, cracked or irritated skin to help enhance the natural healing process and restore smooth, healthy skin.

Clinically proven to reduce healing time
Creates a protective barrier that seals in moisture
Helps heal raw, irritated skin caused by radiation treatments, facial resurfacing procedures and Atopic Dermatitis
Soothes and helps protect extremely dry, chapped or chafed skin and lips caused by winter weather or diabetes
Soothes and protects minor burns
Fragrance-free, preservative-free, non-irritating
Eucerin Promise: High quality ingredients and clinically-proven formulas that help keep your skin healthy. Eucerin skin care is safe for sensitive skin and so effective that it's been trusted by dermatologists for years.
 


As someone who can burn through SPF 70 sunblock in under two hours, I second the Aloe Vera recommendation. At home I have an aloe plant itself I use (cut off a spine, squeeze the goop out and onto the burn, smear liberally). I would like to post a warning against the sleeping in the bathtub suggestion. Speaking from family experience, even an adult can drown in a bathtub without realizing what's happening. Another thing that won't necessarily help stop you from peeling, but will help you feel better is slightly damp (not dripping wet) cold facecloths on the affected areas. DH wondered at my millions of face cloths when we first got married until my first bad burn... And facecloths work better than towels because they weigh less so they don't hurt as much. Change them or rewet them with ice cold water as soon as they warm up to body temperature.

:grouphug: to everyone for a great trip!

Heather
Pop Century Sept 19-27 can't get here soon enough!
 
Having had a melanoma removed last April and several precancerous spots since, I cannot encourage you enough to avoid being sunburned.

For sunscreen to be effective, it has to be applied every two hours or if swimming, excessive sweating, etc...every hour. Buy the ultra sweatproof kind and if you get the spray, it's very convenient to carry with you and apply at the park. I get the stick for my daugter's face.

We have been to WDW twice since and have never gotten sunburned. Really, you can avoid getting a sunburn.
 
A lot of studies out now say that drinking caffine after a sunburn decreases damage.

Green tea teabags applied to the skin reverse damage as well . I also brew tea and put it in a spritzer bottle and spray it on.

They also now have a aloe with lidocane ( spelling?) in it. The same stuff the dentist uses to numb your gums! lol My mom swears by it.

Oh I also heard a little bit of milk in the bathwater is good.
 
My aunt (and now the rest of the family) swore by apple cider vinegar.

Just soak a wash cloth in it and lay it over the burn and it will take the heat right out of it.

(You will smell like an Italian Salad but the heat will be gone.)

I'm still trying to figure out how to pack a bottle of vinegar for my trip.

Oh and Noxema works nicely also.
 
I love Banana Boat blue menthol sunburn stuff but it's hard to find. I fell in love with it when I got ROASTED in Hawaii. All the locals told me to go get the blue stuff! It's a little uncomfortable at first as you feel hot but that's the stuff pulling all the burn out.

I got 2nd degree sunburn at a track meet once, and I had sectionals 3 days later. The blue stuff cleared me up so I could compete.
 
My aunt (and now the rest of the family) swore by apple cider vinegar.

Just soak a wash cloth in it and lay it over the burn and it will take the heat right out of it.

(You will smell like an Italian Salad but the heat will be gone.)

I'm still trying to figure out how to pack a bottle of vinegar for my trip.

Oh and Noxema works nicely also.

I am with you on the vinegar!
My family has used this trick for ages and it has never ever let us down.
The sting normally goes away by the next day and we either peel little to none at all, plus we end up with great looking tans somehow, no redness, but most of us have olive complexions. Still the fair skinned blue eyed ones still swear by the vinegar trick too. :thumbsup2

I am sure they have vinegar at the resort CS or restaurant so I would just go there and ask for some if you need it on your trip instead of packing it.
 
I second the Noxema - an old, dependable sunburn treatment. It goes on cool and feels great.

I would either use Noxema or Aloe Vera - but if you use Aloe Vera, I would recommend the blue kind with Lidocaine. It will give you the same cooling effect and take the sting out of the burn.

Don't be afraid to put it on really heavy and don't rub it in all the way.
 
I just tried a new product by Vaseline, aloe Fresh Moisturizing Daily Body gel that has 100% aloe vera in it. It was great for my sunburn pain and also prevented me from peeling.
 
Real aloe from the plant. It's soothing and rehydrating and takes the sting away almost immediately. The only pitfall is that it can be sticky so laying down afterward is a little awkward but if you can sit up for a while while it dries, you're golden!
 
I also believe that taking ibuprofen and drinking a lot of fluids can help, in addition to the topical remedies. I tend to burn too, and these things help me feel better faster.
 
We're old fashioned here - aloe, either straight from my plant at home or from a botlle of 100% aloe gel that I keep in the room's fridge when we travel. But for the most part, we don't get burns any more. We all have sun hats and the kids wear rash-guard styled swimsuits, and that seems to prevent those few burns that sunscreen wasn't enough to protect against.
 
We leave on Saturday and in prep for our vacation, DD (16) and myself opted for tanning beds - now, we have dark skin and rarely burn - BUT, we opted for the 800 watt air-conditioned bed - legs and arms and face are beautiful, but daughter's butt (she wore a thong) and my stomach burnt badly. No blisters, just really, really red. The vinegar tip is fantastic! Thanks a million.

We have basically no sun here in Maine this summer - we are longing for 90 degrees --can't wait!

We have 4 more tanning visits left before we leave, we will both cover out sensitive areas completely and hopefully arrive in sunny Florida with deep dark tropical tans! :cool1::cool1::cool1::cool1:
 

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