Milk bathe for sunburn
Washington State is seeing an increase in sunburns this year. With record heat, Washington residents are going to need to soothe those sunburns. Milk bathes are a long time remedy that have worked for years.
Let’s cut to the chase
Here’s how you treat a sunburn with a milk bath:
- Pour 1 gallon (if you have it) of milk into a tub of cool water.
- Soak for 20 minutes and bath with cold water.
- Note: Don’t use soap while bathing.
- Repeat daily.
What kind of milk?
Whole milk, and nothing but whole milk. The fat and the protein in the whole milk locks in moisture while reducing inflammation. Buying anything but whole is buying something not as quite efficient. But if all you have is 2%, use that. Don’t limp to the store and squeal in pain as a passerby brushes past your arm, sending you into fetal position.
Why it works
Protein found in milk reduces pain and discomfort.
The fat content in milk locks the moisture in the cells to keep the skin hydrated.
It prevents the skin from drying out.
It heals rashes caused due to sunburn.
Its moisturizing properties soften the skin.
While milk can calm the heat from the sunburn, the proteins in whole cow’s milk also work to reduce inflammation and soothe the skin. Keep the temperature cool and allow the lactic acid to remove any dead skin that might be inflamed and irritated.
Buttermilk?
Buttermilk is amazing for normal recipes. But using buttermilk for your sunburn will be similar to that of milk but, but is also super hydrating for your skin. Buttermilk’s moisturizing capabilities is key to relieving sunburn pain.
The buttermilk provides the lactic acid, an alpha-hydroxy acid that helps the body shed dead skin cells quickly and, most importantly, gently. That gentle exfoliation is why lactic acid is one of the main ingredients in our Triple Milk Peel. The lactic acid will help speed up the peeling stage of your sunburn, leading to faster healing overall.
The lactic acid in buttermilk helps shed the dead skin cells. This cleaning speeds up the shedding process skin goes through.
Don’t like baths? Try this: