Recipes for Sunburn Relief

Prepare for the hot days of summer by making your own herbal sunburn remedies:

Aloe vera gel

Break off one leaf from an aloe vera plant. Using a sharp paring knife, remove the outside skin and the thin latex-like membrane that is attached to the skin (this part can cause intestinal distress if mixed into the gel).

Place the remainder of the leaf in a small bowl. Use a spoon to "mush" the leaf until it is gel-like. Apply directly to burn. This mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for a week.

St. John's Wort oil

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dried St. John's Wort (medicinal species; not from your yard)
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Fill a small glass jar with the dried herbs. Fill the jar almost to the top with olive oil. Return the lid and shake the mixture well.

Continue to shake once a day for two weeks and allow it to sit at room temperature. After two weeks, squeeze the mix through a cheesecloth. What has been strained is then ready for use. Apply directly to the affected area. This mixture can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a year.

Contributor: Dr. Robin Dipasquale, ND, Bastyr University faculty member
Date: 2001

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