I took my 4 yr old to the waterpark yesterday. I used spf 30 lotion on the both of us. He is mildly sunburnt and I am really, super red, hot, achy, feverish. Any suggestions how to ease the heat & discomfort? Thank you soo much.
White vinegar & a paste made of bakign soda & water work well to take the heat out.
There is also a spray out called Solarcaine. It is a numbing agent mixed with aloe. Helps greatly with the pain if it is really bad
It sounds like you have heat stroke if you are feverish and achy. That is serious so you might want to call a nurse help/hot-line to get advice from them.
What I use:
-AloeVera
-cold wet wash cloth placed on burn
-Milk on a towel/washcloth placed over burn
The last 2 you should keep replacing the towel/cloth as frequently otherwise it does not work as well.
If the skin is still hot/warmer then normal when you touch it then you are still 'burning' and need to stop that ASAP and the last 2 are best for that... or take a cool bath. It is just like running water over a finger you burned on the stove/oven.
Drink a lot of fluids to stay hydrated!
Keep up on all the above until the skin is back to normal temp and you feel better!
Just a note regarding the SPF... the number stands for how much long you can stay outside without getting burned. So if you start to 'burn' in 5 mins with a SPF of 30 you can stay out 30 times longer... which is 150 mins (so 2 1/2 hours). And also make sure that the sunscreen says it protects from UVA and UVB rays or full sun coverage along with being water/sweat proof, otherwise you are not fully protection yourself from the sun.
I just did this to myself last Sunday. UGH! My boys had NO burns (not even a tinge of pink), but I got a doozy!
Moms: we really need to remember to take care of ourselves as well as our children!!! :)
I alternated paper towels soaked with SeaBreeze (pulls the heat out), MelaGel (ointment for the burn), AloeVera gel, and a heavyduty hand lotion (Renew) before bedtime. And, I drank a lot of water.
Of course, I only did this for my legs that started to swell from the burn and made my skin hurt, and ignored my face and shoulder that also got burnt. A week later, my face has been peeling for 3 days, my shoulder feels like it is about to start peeling, and my legs aren't painful anymore and are turning tan.
Good luck!
Do NOT use Noxema! It holds the heat in and causes your skin to burn deeper. It feels cool but it is actually damaging your skin.
If you have an Aloe plant, use that. Also, extra virign coconut oil is supposed to work wonders.
I got 2nd degree burns on my shoulders (the rest of my skin was purple!) when I was in the Philippines. Aloe vera was my saving grace.
White vinegar has worked for us. Just put it on a washcloth and wipe it on. I usually hold the cloth on for a minute or so. Sounds weird but when I do this, the sting and redness are gone by the next day.
My husband and myself have done oatmeal baths. You can buy the packs at the store and soak twice a day, really does help with the itching and discomfort. Good Luck!!
If you are feverish, check with your doctor or nurse help-line. You may have gotten more than a normal sunburn. Especially if you are sick to your stomach or head. Sunstroke is tough to deal with and affects you long after the sunburn ends.
Aloe Vera works great! Keep it in the fridge so it's cool when you put it on :)
I use the original noxema. Works great. I use it myself and my boys.
Helps cool down as well.
Hope that helps.
I second the Noxzema. I have used that on my sunburns. It feels cool on impact. I love it and it smells good to me as well. I have also tried vinegar and that works pretty well too.
