You didn't wear sunscreen? And now you are treating sunburn blisters and pain. Not fun!

There are many types of sunburn treatments, from doctor-prescribed, to over the counter, to natural sunburn home remedies.

When you are camping, your first aid kit should contain some kind of remedy for treating sunburn and to help relieve sunburn pain.

Mild To Moderate Sunburn? What Happens Is....

A sunburn will start to show a few hours after your sun exposure and can progressively get worse for the next few hours or even days.

The main signs are red skin, pain and tenderness when you move, and later blisters and peeling skin.

Should Your Doctor Treat Your Sunburn?

Most sunburns are not life-threatening, merely very uncomfortable. So your sunburn remedies will mainly consist of sunburn pain relief measures. However, sometimes a you might need to treat a severe sunburn by seeking medical treatment. If you have a severe sunburn which covers more than 15% of your body, a high fever, and/or vomiting with dehydration, then you should have a doctor treating your sunburn.

A severe sunburn is sometimes called sun poisoning. Read about symptoms of sun poisoning to determine whether your severe sunburn needs medical attention.

Sunburn Remedies

There is no such thing as a sunburn cure. Once the skin is burned, there are only sunburn remedies to make you feel better. Keep the skin cool and moisturized.

If you are burned while out camping you can take a cool shower, or even soak cloths in cool water and place them over your skin to help cool down the burn.

While you are still camping and outdoors it is important to keep your skin protected from any further sun damage. Follow good sun protection methods to keep your skin covered up. Use long-sleeved shirts, hats, sunglasses, and long pants. Or remain in the shade, especially during the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the rays from the sun are strongest.

Once you arrive back home, taking a cool bath will help cool the burn as well. Placing Aveeno oatmeal in the bath is also very soothing and moisturizing.

Next, a good soothing skin gel or lotion, such as aloe vera gel, can be applied. If you cannot stand to have the gel put on your skin you can also use a spray preparation such as Solarcaine.

Finally, taking an anti-inflammatory such as naproxin or ibuprofen helps to relieve some of that sunburn pain.

If you do get blisters it is important not to break them. This will increase your risk of infection. You can cover the blisters with a light gauze pad if it is necessary.

Once your skin begins to peel, keep applying the moisturizer.

Don't Forget Noxzema!

A wonderful soothing remedy that has stood the test of time is Noxzema cream. As a young girl I can remember lying on my couch after a day at the beach, burned to a crisp and unable to move and my mother would slather this rich, thick white cream all over me.

Noxzema contains camphor, menthol, and eucalyptus, which contribute to the unmistakable smell of clean skin and soothing relief. These ingredients, mixed in rich creamy white lotion, immmediately provide a cooling, tingly sensation and help pull the warmth of the burn out of the skin, as well as keep the skin moisturized, a wonderful remedy for treating sunburn.

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