sunburn remedies

[jaxkai]

i was reading the thread on things people forgot and so many people forgot suncreen or aloe for a burn i thought maybe others could think of alternatives for sun burns. ive lifeguarded for years and years so some really good ones, noxema it smells but it takes the red out and you feel good right away tea bags, make a cup of tea or 3 or 4 then lay the tea bags over the burned area for some reason it takes the red out too doesnt stink and not too messy and i would think tea bags would be easy to find. ive heard people use milk but ive never tried that one myself :) any other ideas and if this is a dumb thread please ignore me lolol

[MamaParrotHead]

Solarcaine (accept no generics or other brands) spray works WONDERS. And is less messy and more portable than milk and aloe vera plants. I've heard aloe vera or Noxema (or any other kind of gel or heavy cream) isn't good bc it traps the heat in the skin and makes the burn worse. The cooling ingredient in Noxema is simliar to the one in the Solarcaine spray and the spray isn't greasy and is lighter to allow the sunburn to heal.

[Cozzette2]

My Mom used to soak us in vinegar, ooowww, did it ever stink and wouldn't be practical on a ship:D

[lillian marie]

Use 50 plus sunscreen and reapply it often. I like the hypoallergenic ones made for kids. If you get a sunburn aloe gel seems to work well and the solarcaine takes the pain away at least for awhile. I hope you can cruise sunburn free.

[wrp96]

When I got a severe sunburn on a cruise a few years ago, I went to the spa and basically instead of a seaweed wrap, they made me a milk wrap which I slept in for an hour. Helped reduce the redness and sting. I still blistered in a few spots (yes it was that bad, I wasn't paying attention and forgot to reapply sunscreen), but thankfully they were limited.

[Cattie]

I ordered this before going to Mexico in May. It is the best I've ever used. It takes the burn out and redness away. I burnt the tops of my ears and by that night they didn't even hurt!

 

http://www.batab.com.mx/eng/store/products05.php?id=BA250

 

It's not good though if you're allergic to bee's, it has bees wax in it.

[k2excursion]

Definitely some great advice so far on here, but never forget that one of the best sunburn remedies is cold water. Get in the shower and run cold water over the burn. We're always taught in the first aid class that I have to take annually at my job that a burn, at it's root, is a lack of water. Many other options help to feel better, but do little to actually heal. There was one product, that's escaping my mind right now, that they say is better at healing than running water. I've heard of the milk thing too. That definitely sounds good. I'll have to ask our first aid trainer the next time I see him.

[sweetsixteencruisers]

but use balmax (yes, diaper rash cream) Take a shower, do not use soap use a moisturing shower gel. Soap will dry your skin out more. Then apply the balmax, wear a white t-shirt and go to bed. Works wonders!!

 

~Sweet~

[Anyislandwilldo]

This may be a bit out of the way but if you cruise to Aruba, pick up the Aruba Aloe. It has worked the best out of any product I have picked up in the states.

[LovableGluttons]

I know this sounds odd, but try Benadryl.

 

I'm a registered nurse and sunburn patients that came to the ER I worked in were given Benadryl.

 

Only problem with it is usually the grogginess side effect.

 

It cuts the histamine response which makes the sunburn hurt.

[Molly BPOE]

On our first cruise my DH was excited to go to St. Maarten because he could "let it all hang out" at Orient Beach. I sat in a lounger in the shade and read while he snorkeled. About an hour and a half after he had been out, he comes up the beach and says "I probably should have put on sunscreen". He is greek so he rarely uses sunscreen as he does not burn. Well, let me tell you his buttocks had not seen the sun in 25 years and burned to a crisp! One of the folks on our roll call suggested the tea bags. They work! By the next day he could sit comfortably again. I will never forget that trip. I told him to be happy he was not floating on his back:eek:

[cruisinthemed]

Sour cream...the best thing I have ever triedWorks great on all kinds of burns. If I burn myself in the sun or while cooking, I always go for the sour cream

[RWolver672]

My mother in law always swore by tea. Not in the bags, just dabbing a cloth in tea and putting it on the burn.

[zqvol]

i was reading the thread on things people forgot and so many people forgot suncreen or aloe for a burn i thought maybe others could think of alternatives for sun burns. ive lifeguarded for years and years so some really good ones, noxema it smells but it takes the red out and you feel good right away tea bags, make a cup of tea or 3 or 4 then lay the tea bags over the burned area for some reason it takes the red out too doesnt stink and not too messy and i would think tea bags would be easy to find. ive heard people use milk but ive never tried that one myself :) any other ideas and if this is a dumb thread please ignore me lolol

 

 

Of course the best remedy is to use liberal amounts of sunscreen throughout the day and avoid the sun burn all together!:D:D:D

[footballfu45]

This summer I got burned really bad. I think I had sun poisoning because about a day after I got it, I had INTENSE itching before I started peeling. I tried aloe, solarcaine, lotion, and milk but it all made the itching worse. The only thing that helped was a very hot shower, and Benadryl. If I could tough out the pain of the hot shower, the itching would stop for about 15-20 minutes which would almost allow me to get to sleep. The next morning I tried Benadryl and that really took the edge off. I wish I would have thought of that first.

[CapeCodCruiser]

Definitely some great advice so far on here, but never forget that one of the best sunburn remedies is cold water. Get in the shower and run cold water over the burn. We're always taught in the first aid class that I have to take annually at my job that a burn, at it's root, is a lack of water. Many other options help to feel better, but do little to actually heal. There was one product, that's escaping my mind right now, that they say is better at healing than running water. I've heard of the milk thing too. That definitely sounds good. I'll have to ask our first aid trainer the next time I see him.

 

 

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!!!

 

The first and foremost thing when dealing with sunburn is to GET THE HEAT OUT - any heavy creams or salves will only hold the heat in. Cold water - compresses or a spray bottle filled with water and keep spraying the affected area to keep it moist & cool. Also you can take aspirin, ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory medications.

[mama_hao]

Cold compress works great. We went to a cruiselines private island(not Carnival's)on an overcast day. I was sitting in the sun and just forgot to reapply sunscreen. My chest got really burned. That night in the cabin I took cold soda cans and kept rolling them over the burned area. When the can got warm I switched it out for a cold one. I just kept doing that. The next day I was still red but not hot to touch or sore.

[keishashadow]

I know this sounds odd, but try Benadryl.

 

I'm a registered nurse and sunburn patients that came to the ER I worked in were given Benadryl.

 

Only problem with it is usually the grogginess side effect.

 

It cuts the histamine response which makes the sunburn hurt.

 

 

years ago nurse in my ER suggested both benadryl and a Pepcid AC before bedtime

 

im not a medical peep &have no idea why it worked for me, but it does takes the red out:D

 

was told many people also use Pepcid AC to get rid of the tell-tale red cheek thing they get from over indulging in one too many adult beverages.

[gail811]

Noxzema and aspirin works for our family. Our doctor recommended it when my son got sun poisoning. (after he chewed him out for not using sunscreen!) I recently lost my brother to melanoma, so now I do everything possible to prevent burns. With that said, on our Dream cruise in June, in spite of our best efforts, we still managed to get a little too much sun. The aspirin/noxzema combo offers quick relief.

[MrPete]

i was reading the thread on things people forgot and so many people forgot suncreen or aloe for a burn i thought maybe others could think of alternatives for sun burns. ive lifeguarded for years and years so some really good ones, noxema it smells but it takes the red out and you feel good right away tea bags, make a cup of tea or 3 or 4 then lay the tea bags over the burned area for some reason it takes the red out too doesnt stink and not too messy and i would think tea bags would be easy to find. ive heard people use milk but ive never tried that one myself :) any other ideas and if this is a dumb thread please ignore me lolol

 

Someone talked me into Milk of Magnesia once.

[smoore16]

I hear that Solar Recovery works wonders. I've seen it in surf shops and they also have a website.

[Mrs. Ram]

I have a REALLY embarrassing story about sunburn. On our last cruise we invited a friend to come along and she was "the sun queen," at least until she burned. That night at dinner she was miserable and she swore up and down that butter takes out the burn. I have heard the opposite of this from others so dont try butter! Well, she was taking the butter that goes with the bread and rubbing it all over her at the dinner table:eek:. I was REALLY embarrassed! I kept looking around hoping that nobody noticed! Our waitor found it quite amusing. Not sure which he found the most amusing, the fact that she was doing this at the table or that the rest of us were so embarrassed!:o

[pkrchkr]

Careful my darlings.. My DH tested postive for abnormal cells on a mole a few years ago and his skin specialist said .. there is sun screens and sun blocks... it is the blocks you want to use.Make sure you use a water proof sunscreen and reaplly after swimming especially in sea water as it magnifies the sun rays..We got sun poisoning last time we were in the western Caribbean and will not make that mistake again. Chose Sunblock over sunscreen and reapply regularly...but should you get burned Aspirin( or another NSAID) as well as cold water.. Do not put anything like zinc cream or oil based products on it as it will only seal in the heat..My user name is the slang for an Army medic..I do know a few things..or at least our military thought I did:D..be careful out there

[VictoryLover2]

VINEGAR..... As mentioned before.... The key is to stop the burn, cool it down fast. Vinegar has a very fast evaporation time, faster than rubbing alcohol. With the fast evaporation it will draw the heat out, dab it on or mist it from a spray bottle, do not rub, reapply as often as needed, about 1/2 hour or so, follow with a cool shower, not cold, cold will make you shiver which is the body trying to heat it's self up. After the cool shower take two regular strength aspirin, this will help with the pain plus it is an anti-inflammatory and will help with the tissue swelling. Ibuprophen will also work if there is a sensitivity to aspirin.;)

[dustyroad]

VINAGER for me too. i grew up in a small town that had a lake. we were there from morning too almost dark everyday. the first week was murder on us for sunburns. my mother put vinager ( white i beleive ) on our burn. it stung like the dickens for a moment but after that the burning feeling was gone. it worked wonders and it was a cheap remedy.