It seems like I’ve been waiting for summer to get here for months. It’s finally getting hot out and I’m ready to hit the pool!
I’ve always had fair skin, so I have always had to be careful about how much time I spend outside and which sunscreen I choose.
No matter how careful I am though, I always seem to get at least one bad sunburn each year. It could be when we go on vacation, a day spent gardening, or a kayak trip that gets me.
My Sunburn Relief Spray
I’ve always used aloe vera to soothe my sunburn because that is what I thought was supposed to work. However, most aloe vera gels on the market are made with many added ingredients like parabens, alcohol, fragrance, and polysorbate.
These added ingredients are not beneficial to skin and can actually irritate sunburn even more. That’s why I now turn to a natural aloe vera gel (find one here). I also like to use aloe vera juice in recipes like sprays and lotions. It works just as well as aloe vera gel and helps cut down on the sticky feeling.
Another one of my favorite burn remedies is lavender essential oil. I use it for any type of burn: sun burn, kitchen burns, and even cuts and scrapes. Lavender helps to soothe and heal skin quickly because of the high percentages of linalool (a naturally occurring chemical). Lavender is also great for topical pain relief. One of my favorite DIY Burn Cream recipes is made with lavender.
As always, whenever you are burned, it is important to restore moisture to the affected area. Particularly in sun burns, the skin is depleted of lipids (the fatty acids needed to moisturize the top-most layer of skin). One of my favorite oils that is super rich in lipids is olive oil. It works amazingly as a moisturizer.
Instead of using plain olive oil in the following recipe for a sunburn spray, I decided to use one of my favorite oils: Trauma Oil. This oil is a blend of calendula flower extracts, arnica flower extract, and St. John’s wort extract. These powerful herbs help to soothe burns and support fast healing. They are blended with olive oil and absorb quickly into damaged skin.  If you can’t find Trauma Oil, you can make your own or you can simply substitute plain olive oil or another light carrier oil. Sweet almond, jojoba, grapeseed, or flaxseed oils would be fine. (Find these carrier oils here.)
I normally make this recipe ahead of time if I know we will be spending time outside. It’s always nice to have it waiting for me after a trip to the pool. Even if I don’t burn, it makes a great moisturizer and always helps my skin feel soft and refreshed.
Homemade Natural Sunburn Spray
Ingredients
- 1 cup organic aloe vera juice – we recommend natural aloe juice, which requires refrigeration once opened (find an organic, preservative free aloe juice here)Â
- 20 drops lavender essential oil (find 100% pure lavender EO here)
- 1 oz Trauma Oil – you can also substitute sweet almond, olive, or jojoba oil (find Trauma Oil here)
Instructions
- Using a funnel, pour aloe vera juice and Trauma Oil into a small spray bottle.
- Cap and shake well.
- Add in 20 drops of lavender essential oil.
- Cap and shake again.
- Spray liberally on sunburn every 2-3 hours.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Â
To Use
The more frequently you reapply this spray, the more quickly your sun burn will begin to heal.
Note: If  your sun burn blisters or begins to look infected, always seek medical treatment. As with anything, use your best judgement. Sometimes sun burn can be more serious than it appears and sun poisoning can be very dangerous.
More Help for Sunburn
Still struggling with sunburn? Check out these 4 Natural Sunburn Relief Remedies and this DIY Natural First Aid Kit.
If you like using this recipe on sun burns, you’ll love this Homemade St. John’s Wort Oil for Simple Burns.
*******
Suze says
I can’t find the recipe for Trauma oil, nor can I find it on the website link. Would you be willing to share your recipe for trauma oil? Vacationing in a couple of weeks, this is definitely coming along!! Thanks!!! 🙂
Katie Vance says
Absolutely Suze! I use the Herb Farm Trauma Oil Compound made with Olive Oil Extract. The ingredients are extracts of Calendula Flower, Arnica flower, and St. John’s Wort (tops) and Organic Olive Oil. If you find the extracts, you could blend a few drops of each with about 2 oz. of Olive Oil. Hope this helps!