DIY Cooling Burn Cream

It’s that time of year when the sun is shining and we tend to get burned. As a family of fair-skinned redheads, we know all too well that as hard as you may try, burns happen! And sometimes, they are pretty intense. Afterburn care is vital to help your skin heal correctly and to shorten the amount of time that you feel discomfort from your burn. We want to give you a list of what we recommend and why we recommend them, as well as provide our personal DIY Cooling Burn Cream!

So what should you do if you get a sunburn?
First and foremost, cool that burn! Run the burn under cool (not cold) water or run a cool shower for at least 10 minutes. If cool water cannot be tolerated, use a cool compress. Do not submerge the burn in water or use ice to cool it. This can actually damage the tissue further. Next, clean the burn. Use a mild soap and cool water to gently clean the wound. Do not break blisters if they are present! This can increase your risk of infection. If the blisters do break on their own, carefully remove the dead skin to decrease infection risk. A health care provider can do this for you if you are uncomfortable. Finally, cover the burn. See what to use to best care for your wound below, as it varies depending on the severity of your burn. Then, cover the burn with sterile gauze 

For mild sunburns, our first line of defense is aloe vera gel. We do use moisturizing oils like coconut oil, but this is not to be done until the burn has cooled completely, as it has a tendency to trap heat, potentially worsening your burn. You can even use calendula oil for its added benefits!

• Aloe Vera is anti-inflammatory and can help to relieve the pain and slight swelling associated with sunburns. It encourages circulation and inhibits the growth of bacteria. It also helps to cool and moisturize the burned skin, preventing the peeling that usually accompanies a sunburn.
• Coconut oil is moisturizing and antibacterial. It can help to restore moisture to your skin and heal your burn faster. However, this oil is for use on mild sunburns only. If your burn is more severe, skip this oil and substitute a small amount of calendula oil instead.
• Calendula Oil is an awesome healing oil. It is anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, meaning it kills off any harmful pathogens that can put you at risk of infection. It is also a powerful antioxidant. It preserves healthy tissue while facilitating wound healing and collagen maturation.
• Frankincense Essential Oil has strong antiseptic properties and helps to heal wounds faster. It can reduce scarring and can help with sun-damaged skin by promoting circulation and the restoration of skin cells.
• Lavender Essential Oil helps to calm and soothe the burn! It is antimicrobial and works to keep the burn free of harmful bacteria. It has the added benefit of relieving some of the pain that is accompanied by sunburns.
• Peppermint Essential Oil steals the show in this burn recipe because it provides the cooling sensation that we long for when we have a sunburn. The oil promotes circulation and healing while also providing some pain relief.

This recipe is made for older children (12 years old or older) and adults. If you are needing a burn cream for kiddos (ages 2 to 11), use the same measurements, but only use five drops of each essential oil.

Now that you have some informational building blocks, feel free to customize our recipe to better suit your needs! Sunburns are not fun. But as hard as we try, they happen! To learn more about handling burns, read up on our burn post!

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