Use dairy products to soothe sunburn

Want quick and effective remedies to treat sun tan and sunburn? Try dairy products like milk and milk products, says an expert.

Tanya Joshi, Senior Dietician and Nutritionist at Freshmen's Valley, shares some tips on how dairy products can soothe and nourish your skin.

* Cool milk compress: Milk compress is one of the quickest, simplest and low-cost methods. Milk is gentle on skin and can be used directly. The fats, proteins and pH of milk have soothing and anti-inflammatory effect on the skin.

Directions: Wash the face, hands and all the affected body parts with water and air dry slightly before applying milk. Take equal parts of milk and ice cubes in a bowl. Dip a clean cotton cloth or towel in milk and apply gently on the inflamed areas. Leave it for 10-15 minutes. The milk will dry on the skin and will form a thin protein layer that seals the moisture in, reduces heat and eases discomfort. Wash off this milk film. Repeat this step two to three times. Skimmed milk is best as using full fat milk can make the skin too oily.

* Yoghurt: Yoghurt contains abundance of live bacteria known as probiotics and enzymes that help reduce sun burns and heal the skin. It helps the skin recover faster. You can use yoghurt alone or mix it with gram flour, tomatoes or cucumbers to make a pack.

Directions: Wash the face, hands and all the affected body parts with plain water. Apply cool yoghurt or yoghurt pack directly to the burned areas. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Wash it off with cold water. Gently pat skin dry

* Milk and oatmeal: Oats are rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components. For severe full body sunburn, oatmeal is a lifesaver. It reduces itching and helps to soothe sunburned, irritated skin.

Directions: Oatmeal can be used in two ways. Oats-milk-honey pack -- take one cup uncooked oats and grind it to make powder. Add half cup plain milk and two teaspoon honey to this oatmeal powder. Mix well and apply the pack to sunburned skin. Leave it for 15-20 minutes. Wash off gently with cold water.

Another is Oatmeal-milk bath. Mix cold water and whole milk in the ratio of 2:1 in a bucket. Take one cup uncooked oats and grind it to make powder. Add this oatmeal powder to the bucket. Enjoy the soothing milk-oatmeal bath.

* Milk powder-almond oil pack: Milk powder and almond oil works wonders for sunburn and tan. It moisturises the skin, reduces the effects of suntan and imparts a clearer tone and texture to the skin. Ingredients- Milk powder, almond oil, honey and lemon juice.

Directions: Mix milk powder with a few drops of almond oil, a teaspoon of honey and lemon juice until it gets thick enough to use. Apply the pack on the tanned area. Leave it for 20 minutes. Gently massage for a couple of minutes. Wash off with cold water.

Poultry products too are very useful when dealing with a sunburn.

* Egg white: If your sunburn is painfully hot, egg white is an instant remedy. You can use egg white alone or mix it with orange juice to make a pack.

Directions: Wash the burned area with cold water. In a bowl separate egg white from the yolk and beat it. If making a pack, add two tea spoons of orange juice to the egg white. Apply plain egg white or pack on sunburned skin. Let it dry and apply a few more layers if needed. Wash off gently with cold water.

--IANS

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