7 Natural Remedies for Sunburn Relief

Published July 2024 ~ Updated July 2026

Sunburns can turn a day of fun in the sun into a painful, hot, tender, uncomfortable, and skin-damaging experience. While there are over-the-counter remedies available, there are many natural solutions which are gentler on your skin, easy to use, inexpensive, and free of the questionable ingredients that many of us choose to avoid. Here are the ones I come back to again and again.

First, a word of caution. Sunburn is a burn, and a serious one deserves real medical care. Please seek medical attention for severe sunburn, significant blistering, fever, chills, dizziness, nausea, confusion, or any signs of heat stroke. Everything below is for comfort and care while mild sunburned skin recovers, and none of it is a substitute for a doctor's advice.

Aloe Vera: Aloe is usually the first thing I reach for. It's long loved for how soothing and cooling it feels on hot skin, and it forms a light, comfortable layer that helps skin stay hydrated. It's gentle enough to reapply as often as you like. When you're buying it, look for organic or naturally grown aloe without a long list of added synthetics.

Pro tip: keep your aloe in the refrigerator. The extra chill makes a genuine difference. A drop or two of peppermint essential oil makes it more refreshing, or lavender for a calming scent.

Hydrosols: Hydrosols are very soothing, calming, and cooling, and they bring instant relief to hot, uncomfortable skin. They're gentle enough to use as often as you like throughout the day to keep skin comfortable and hydrated, and because they're pure plant distillates with nothing added, they're kind to skin that's already tender.

Our favorites for sun-exposed skin are Bulgarian Rose, Calendula, Helichrysum, and Cornflower. You can find all of our hydrosols here if you'd like to read more about each one.

Pro tip: keep your hydrosols in the refrigerator to increase their cooling effect. It also helps extend their shelf life as a bonus.

Cool Tea Compresses: A cool tea compress is one of the simplest, most comforting things you can do. Soak a soft cloth in cool tea or a hydrosol, wring it out, and lay it gently over the warm areas. Green tea is a traditional choice for its tannins, chamomile to calm, and mint to cool and refresh. Repeat as often as you'd like.

Oatmeal Baths: Colloidal oatmeal added to a lukewarm bath is soft, milky, and lovely on irritated skin ~ it calms, moisturizes, and comforts all at once. Keep the water lukewarm rather than hot, since heat will only make sunburned skin more uncomfortable. Follow the bath with aloe or a hydrosol while your skin is still damp.

Hydrate, inside and out: Drink plenty of water. A sunburn pulls fluid toward the skin's surface, so you'll need more than usual. On the outside, keep a spray bottle of water (or water with a little aloe mixed in) in the refrigerator and mist whenever your skin feels hot and tight.

Yogurt: A simple, cooling option straight from the kitchen. Spread plain yogurt with active cultures over the warm areas, leave it for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse with cool water. It soothes, cools, and leaves skin feeling comfortable and moisturized.

Apple Cider Vinegar: This is a well known treatment for sunburns, but it must be diluted. To use apple cider vinegar, dilute 1 part apple cider vinegar with 7-10 parts water. This can be applied as a compress, added to bath water, or poured into a spray bottle and misted onto the skin. You can also add Aloe Vera to the mixture to further boost its beneficial properties. Never apply it undiluted, and skip it entirely on broken or blistered skin.

What to skip while your skin recovers

While your skin is tender, give all of these a rest:

• Scrubs and exfoliants. Sunburned skin is already sensitive, and exfoliating it will only make it more uncomfortable.
• Dry brushing. Same reason ~ set your brush aside until your skin feels better. (If you're new to the practice, here's our guide to dry brushing for when your skin is ready.)
• Facial steams and hot water. Heat on hot skin is the opposite of what you want. Keep showers and baths lukewarm.
• Anything with a strong active. Retinol, acids, and strong actives. 

Caring for your skin after the burn

Once the heat has passed and your skin moves into the dry, flaky, peeling stage, it's ready for real nourishment. This is when a rich botanical oil or balm genuinely earns its place ~ our Alpine Meadow Body Oil smoothed onto damp skin after a lukewarm shower, or our Nourishing Botanical Facial Balm for your face.

For washing tender skin, a soft natural sea sponge is far kinder than a washcloth ~ our silk and wool sponges are the gentlest we carry. And don't forget your lips, which burn easily and are often overlooked. A nourishing botanical lip balm is a small summer essential.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a sunburn usually last?

A mild sunburn typically feels warm and looks pink within a few hours, peaks around 12 to 24 hours, and settles over about three to five days, often with some peeling toward the end. More severe burns take longer. If your skin is blistering significantly, or you have fever, chills, or dizziness, that's a sign to call a doctor rather than wait it out.

Should you moisturize a sunburn?

Yes, gently. Light, cooling hydration like aloe or a hydrosol is welcome right away. Save the richer oils and balms until the heat has fully passed, since heavy products on freshly burned skin can feel stifling. Once your skin moves into the dry, peeling stage, a nourishing oil or balm is exactly what it wants.

Is aloe vera actually good for sunburn?

It's one of the most reliably comforting things you can reach for. Aloe feels immediately cooling, sits lightly on the skin, and helps it stay hydrated while it recovers. Look for organic or naturally grown aloe without a long list of added synthetics, and keep it in the refrigerator for extra relief.

Can you exfoliate or dry brush sunburned skin?

Please don't. Sunburned skin is already tender and inflamed, and scrubs, exfoliants, and dry brushes will only make it more uncomfortable. Even when your skin starts peeling, resist the urge to help it along ~ let it shed on its own and keep it moisturized instead. Wait until your skin feels completely normal again before returning to exfoliation.

What helps sunburn pain naturally?

Cooling is the main thing. Cool (not cold) showers, chilled aloe, refrigerated hydrosols misted throughout the day, cool compresses, and lukewarm oatmeal baths all help skin feel more comfortable. Drinking plenty of water helps too, since a sunburn draws fluid toward the surface of your skin. For pain that's more than mild, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Are hydrosols safe to use on sunburned skin?

Pure hydrosols are among the gentlest things you can put on tender skin, since they're simply plant distillates with nothing added ~ no essential oils, alcohol, or preservatives to sting. They're safe to mist as often as you like. Avoid anything with added essential oils or alcohol while your skin is compromised, and always skip broken or blistered areas.

When should you see a doctor about a sunburn?

Seek medical attention for severe sunburn, widespread blistering, fever or chills, dizziness, nausea, confusion, a rapid pulse, or any other signs of heat stroke. Also check in with a doctor if a burn seems to be worsening rather than settling, or if blistered areas look infected. Sunburn is a burn, and a serious one deserves real medical care.

Be kind to your skin

The best sunburn care is the sunburn you don't get, so hats, shade, and reapplied sunscreen are always worth the trouble. But when it happens anyway, cool and gentle wins every time. By incorporating these natural ingredients into your sunburn care routine, you can enhance your comfort and restore your skin's health naturally. Remember to listen to your body and choose remedies that work best for your skin type and sensitivity. We hope that you find these natural remedies for sunburn helpful. Thank you for taking the time to read Fawn Lily Botanica's blog, we appreciate it!