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Sunburn? This Soothing Spray with Essential Oils Comes to the Rescue!

How to Make Sunburn Soothing Spray with Essential Oils

One day when I was young, my mother brought home two drinking glasses from Pizza Hut. [Remember when, from time to time, fast food restaurants would offer limited edition collectors' glasses for purchase? My family’s “fancy” holiday stemware, which are still used for serving milkshakes on Christmas Eve, likewise came from Arby’s!] These particular glasses had Charlie Brown characters on them and miraculously held up for years before breaking. Anyone else grow up with part of this set?!? 

Vintage Pizze Hut Charlie Brown Collectors' Glasses

On one of them (the second from the right in the picture above), Lucy admonishes everyone within earshot, “There’s no excuse for not being properly prepared!” While I’m guessing my mother wasn’t intending to teach us any lessons through cartoon character glassware, somehow that message stuck with me and still runs occasionally through my mind. 

I remembered it last Monday while packing for our annual pilgrimage to the beach. In my mind, beaches = sun + sand + crashing salt water waves. In the case of my other half, beaches = sun = sunburn. EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. While Gabby and I slather on a natural, non-toxic sunscreen before hitting the beach or getting on a boat, he opts out. You know how this story ends. Not well! By evening, a lobster has taken up residence in our beach house!

So, I come prepared to deal with the aftermath, arming myself with something to cool, soothe, moisturize, and heal his skin. This year, I made a burn soother spray devised by Lea Harris of Using Essential Oils Safely ahead of time so that I was well prepared for the inevitable. Lucy would be proud! 

Most everyone knows that aloe vera gel is great for soothing sunburns, as well as for moisturizing skin that is tight and dried out from the sun. Add some skin nourishing essential oils and a moisturizing carrier oil to it and you’ve got power packed relief in a bottle. 

The other skin-soothing ingredients:

Jojoba is frequently referred to as an oil, but is actually a liquid wax made from pressing the beans produced by the jojoba bush. It penetrates skin easily, having a molecular structure that closely resembles the sebum that is naturally produced by our skin [NOTE: Sebum is the oil that lubricates and waterproofs our skin]. Jojoba is extremely moisturizing and has anti-inflammatory properties thanks to myristic acid, one of its main components. This secret ingredient also makes it an excellent carrier oil for blends that benefit muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries. 

Among its many uses, Helichrysum is especially known for its skin healing abilities. It also relieves pain and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Inherently calming and soothing, Lavender is well renowned as a pain reliever with an ability to gently cool, soothe, and heal the skin (think burns, itching, rashes, irritation, etc.). It is often combined with helichrysum and geranium for skin trauma and healing.

Frankincense also has excellent pain relieving and skin healing properties. It is useful in blends designed to protect the skin and reduce inflammation.  

These three are exactly what you want in your arsenal when dealing with sunburn! Think of them as three of your best outdoor friends.  

And now, here's the sunburn-relieving spray recipe…

1 ounce aloe vera gel

1 ounce jojoba oil (or other carrier oil… marula oil is a great choice for sunburns)

30 drops helichrysum

20 drops lavender

10 drops frankincense  

Add the aloe and jojoba to a two ounce glass spray bottle or PET plastic* squeeze bottle.  Shake well. Add the essential oils and shake well again. Remember to shake before using to ensure the essential oils are evenly distributed before applying. For an additional cooling effect, store the squeeze bottle in your refrigerator. Do NOT store the spray bottle in the frig, as the cold causes the jojoba to set up some, making it impossible to spray. 

* PET plastic is a non-reactive plastic that doesn’t leach chemicals into its contents. In cases where glass isn’t ideal (like if you’re using the container in the shower or want something squeezable), PET plastic is a good choice.

Other skin healing options

If you don’t have aloe vera gel on hand, you could try this spray from Mommypotamus, which uses witch hazel or apple cider vinegar. If you’re looking for something even thicker and heavier, you could try making a batch of Andrea Butje’s “Heal Me, Helichrysum!” Body Butter, which contains the same three essential oils together with avocado oil, mango butter, and aloe butter. Sounds luxurious, right? This would be a great way to show a little extra TLC to any sort of burns or really dry skin.

Looking to learn more about essential oils and their uses? Need to know where to find pure, therapeutic, and ethically sourced helichrysum, lavender, and frankincense? Follow the links! Or simply email me with your questions or comments and I’ll reach out to you directly. Would love to connect with you! 

Wishing you a super fun sunburn-free summer! If, however, you do get a bit too much sun, you'll be well prepared and empowered to know now to counteract it. Leave a comment below letting me know if you try any of these recipes and how they work for you!

  


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