By Alyssa Gregory

Traveling comes with a unique set of woes. The one I fall victim to the most is the dreaded painful sunburn.

As a strawberry blonde, I’ve been “blessed” with enough red in my hair to have the white, untannable skin.  But not enough to claim being a gorgeous redhead. 😦  My snow white skin mixed with my forgetfulness makes me an ideal candidate for sunburn remedies.

So whether you fried yourself lounging on the beautiful beaches of the Amalfi Coast or slightly sun kissed your skin a little too much hiking through the countryside and vineyards of Chianti try one of these sunburn home remedies to relieve the pain. Sunburns should never slow down your travels.

1. Let it soak

You’ll Need:

• A large bowl
• EarlGrey Tea Bags

Do this within 6-8 hours of initial burn to be most effective.

Brew 5-7 Earl Grey tea bags in your coffee pot filter, other teas don’t seem to work as well, and let it brew. Transfer the tea into a large bowl and add the teabags that you used to brew the pot of tea.

Let it cool to room temperature, soak a clean towel into it, wring it out and apply directly to the burned area for a minimum of 30 minutes.

2. An apple a day

You’ll Need:

• Clean washcloth
• Raw apple cider vinegar
• Organic coconut oil

First, wet the washcloth with cold water, then splash on a little apple cider vinegar to the cloth. Dab the cloth onto the sunburn, soaking the skin. Once the skin has dried, usually takes only a few minutes, liberally rub on coconut oil to the sunburned area. Continue for the next several days applying lots of coconut oil to keep the skin hydrated and help ease the skin peeling.

3. Twist on an old favorite

• Bottles of pure Aloe Vera
• Ice tray

Sometimes rubbing Aloe Vera leaves over your entire body is easier said than done. So when you have large expanses of sunburned skin to cover Aloe Vera gel is extremely helpful.

To plan ahead, especially for those like me who are aware of their forgetfulness, make Aloe Vera ice cubes. The Aloe Vera ice cubs promise you the traditional relief along with the added benefit of icy coolness on your overheated reddened skin.

It is easy to make the ice cubes. Just fill an ice tray with gel Aloe Vera (the kind that contains some water is recommended because it makes it easier to freeze).

Disclaimer, everybody’s skin is different and these remedies might or might not work for you. Don’t use if you’re allergic to any of the ingredients in the recipes.

Have nowhere to go to get a sunburn? Check out Florence for Fun’s beach trips including Croatia, Amalfi Coast, and Cinque Terre!

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