Sunburn

• The best thing for a sunburn is Epsom salts (it isn't like regular table salt and does not sting). Take 1 full cup and add boiling water. Run a bathtub full of TEPID water (body temperature) and add in the Epsom salts, swishing it along the water in the tub. Lay in the tub for 20 minutes; the Epsom salts are very soothing. In addition, keep your skin moist with Aveena lotion and try and wear loose clothing.

• Heat removes heat. If you have a bad sunburn, take a hot shower -- as hot as you can stand -- and you will feel the burn again. When the burning sensation subsides, stop. Treat the skin with a lotion, aloe-vera based if possible.

  You may still blister and peel, dependent upon the amount of skin damage. But do not pop blisters; they are natural Band-Aid.

  I learned this from a cook: Whenever he burned himself, he would hold the burn over the stove till the burning sensation went away. Thus, heat removes heat.

I'm not convinced about aloe or Aveena working, but I Am convinced that it's almost always harmless (barring very very rare allergies), and as doing no harm is the focus here -- aloe and Aveena are okay ( know there are studies on both sides, especially with aloe which may be as good as the claims say it is -- and they may be right). If it seems to sooth, that's good enough. Note that this isn't the case for worse burns, where you may be setting up an ER tech to have to scrub the stuff off, which is painful and potentially harmful. But for sunburn? Why not?

I might consider adding in an antihistimine like diphenhydramine, taken orally. Sometimes sun reactions include a histaminic reaction, which can itch like crazy, and this will fix it. Also, with 1st generation antihitimines like diphenhydramine, they make you sleepy, which will probably help the patient get a better sleep.

As to hot water? Wow -- I wouldn't personally consider it. A burn -- even a sunburn -- is an especially wide-area injury. The reason your body has a pain response to hot water is that, after a certain temp, hot water can damage flesh. Already damaged or burned skin is more susceptible.

As to holding it over an open flame or stove -- absolutely no -- forget it.

Lots of folk remedies are bantered about in a kitchen, and some of them are great (icing a wound fast may have started in the kitchen, for instance). But this one I can't see a scientific basis for and, until I do, I'll recommend against it -- with no offense intended to the contributor. I'll be pleased to address this further in Discussion if anyone wants.

The remarks about the blisters are right on.

when you are burned (say, in a kitchen) you want to do your best to bring the temperature of your skin back to 98.6 as slowly as possible. if you put it directly under cold, it will shock the affected area causing a normal(or perhaps worse) response from the body.(ex. blistering, etc) that's why somebody might hold a burn under warm or hot water. there's a story i learned in school about a toddler who's parents were running a nice warm bath for her, she pulled a pot of boiling water off of the stove onto herself, and the dad immediately put her into the warm bath, the doctor said they saved her skin, had they not done so or put her in cold water, her skin would have come off with her clothing

I've read several inquiries online from people desperately seeking relief as they experience an unusual deep nerve penetrating itch after a sunburn.

My family has experienced this for three generations and when we finally found this soulution we try to let others know.

For intense-deep-i'm going crazy-sunburn itch ....get PEPPERMINT OIL. Be careful not to buy peppermint extract. You can find PEPPERMINT OIL in health food stores and natural foods stores. There are some pharmacists who know about this and carry it as well...not many though.

Rub the oil directly on the affected area until all of the surface is covered. If you can't reach...for back burns, have someone else apply thorougly.

The hands of whoever applies it will feel the cooling affect of the oil even after they wash their hands. It feels fine, not painful in anyway. AVOID any contact with eyes, mouth or nose however as they will be irritated by the oil.

This is the ONLY thing that works nearly instantly and permanently with this deep nerve sunburn itch that some people experience. One application is all that is necessary as Peppermint oil is pretty potent. Please try this. I know the insanity you are feeling if you are going through this right now.

Again I'm talking about unusually intensedeep nerve itching, not regular peeling skin itch that most people experience post sunburn. This deeper, intense almost pinching itch begins usually one or two days following a burn and those who experience it feel as though they are going crazy as it's intensity is nearly unbearable.

Things to avoid that only make this itch worse...don't apply any lotion or other oils. This includes pure aloe vera which seems to just dry it more. Standing under a cool shower spray can help as long as you are in it while you wait for someone to buy the PEPPERMINT OIL. Anyone who has gone through this knows that any relief brought by the spray of water goes away as soon as you get out of the shower and start to dry the itch returns.

PEPPERMINT OIL WILL remove the itch.

Just writing about this always makes me remember the insane feeling of experiencing this and makes me hopeful others will find this in time to find relief.

Once you've used it IT WILL WORK. You'll want to keep the oil on hand and avoid at all costs exposing yourself to the sun again like that in the future. We know two things about it...if you've experienced it once you are vulnerable to it happening again, and, it seems to be a genetic thing. About half of my family members have experienced it once, two of them twice. We don't risk it anymore. It is sure nice to know what to do about it though.

I research this quite a lot to see if other's have found this solution. I did see a few posts that have indicated that gold balm medicated powder has worked for some relief too. I haven't tried that (and don't intend to EVER be in the position to need to), but it's worth writing about any real relief as this is such a crazy thing to experience with no relief.