Use This Common Household Ingredient After Being Out In The Sun To Help Prevent Burning

Throughout history, many folk remedies to treat a sunburn have popped up, from peppermint to buttermilk. These remedies are ones some people swear by to help, but most of them don't have any scientific backing. Vinegar is one such folk remedy. There are plenty of people out there who believe that by spraying or soaking a sunburn in a little bit of vinegar, it will help reduce the pain of the burn.

Though some people feel vinegar works on a sunburn, there's not any scientific evidence to back up the claim, and there might actually be information that supports the opposite. However, many people still claim that it works for them. If you're desperately trying to stop the pain after a sunburn, and you have vinegar lying around your home, it may be worth trying it on a small area to see if it helps soothe the stinging. You just need to make sure you apply it correctly. 

Of course, while vinegar, aloe, and other skin soothers may help reduce the effects of a sunburn, it's more important to prevent burning initially. This not only stops you from ever needing to try out one of these folk remedies, but helps fight against some of the dangers that sunburns can cause, such as cancer. If you don't like the feel of sunscreen, or you burn even when you put it on regularly, consider using sun covers as well. In fact, covering up is better than just wearing sunscreen while you're hiking or working outdoors. 

There's no clear answer on whether vinegar works or not. Some reports say that putting an acid like vinegar on a sunburn will actually cause the problem to be worse. If left undiluted, it may actually increase the painful feeling instead of soothing it. After all, white vinegar has enough acid to help clean your concrete patio. It's no stretch of the imagination to realize that this same acid could cause burns on people, especially for those with more sensitive skin.

On the other hand, there are plenty of people that feel like this method works, soothing even the most painful of sunburns. Adding a cup of apple cider vinegar into bath water or diluting a bit of vinegar into a spray bottle of water, no more than a 50-50 ratio, helps soothe the pain of the sunburn. While white vinegar is also said to work, it's apple cider vinegar that is said to be the best thanks to its high levels of malic acid.

The reason vinegar is said to work is because of its ability to balance pH levels, which helps soothe the skin and reduce any burning. High levels of malic acid in the vinegar should also help produce new skin cells faster, therefore removing the burned, dead cells which caused the pain sooner. 

If you are going to try out this vinegar trick to see if it helps your sunburns, there are a few steps to take when trying it for the first time to make sure you don't hurt yourself. The first is to always dilute your vinegar. While some people won't suffer from burns after putting straight vinegar on their skin, it has a good chance of causing burns, dryness, and irritation for many. The best method is to take a cool bath and add a little bit, usually about a cup, of vinegar into the water. That way, the mixture is properly diluted. Additionally, start with small, mild sunburns. That way, if the vinegar doesn't work, or makes things worse, then it won't be so painful.

If you end up buying vinegar and it doesn't work, don't worry too much about wasted money. There are many ways to use vinegar in your daily life. You can even take it with you to ensure a bug and chemical-free camping experience.