Herbal Sunburn Relief Ice Cubes

My family moved closer to the ocean a few years ago and since then we’ve been at the beach a lot. I’m all for healthy sun exposure, but sunburn is something I want to avoid. Now I rarely get sunburned, but when I do, I try to soothe the area with natural remedies. These sunburn ice cubes contain skin-soothing ingredients that help speed up sunburn healing and provide instant pain relief.

Being Irish, when I was younger I used to slather on sunscreen (and get nasty sunburns) but since changing my diet and using certain supplements I’ve noticed my tolerance to the sun has improved a lot – but that doesn’t mean I’m still tanning for hours!

If I reach my limit, I cover up or seek shade. I rarely use homemade sunscreen. Moderate, healthy exposure to sunlight is important to ensure I get enough Vitamin D (which has many benefits in itself). I’m not afraid of the sun, but I do try to be careful not to get a sunburn. But despite my best efforts, sometimes I get a sunburn.

Ice cubes to soothe sunburn

Over the years, I’ve come up with a variety of cooling sprays and natural remedies to soothe sunburns, but they go bad quickly in the fridge, and even though they’re quick to make, they need to be mixed every time you need them. One of my favorite sunburn remedies is fresh aloe vera, which is quick and easy to make.

However, if you don’t have your own aloe vera plants growing, these calming cubes are the next best thing.

Before I go into the details of how each ingredient works, I want to be clear about why I chose herbal ice cubes. Obviously, ice feels good on warm sunburned skin, but many health experts don’t recommend it. They do, however, recommend cold showers and compresses.

Ice is thought to act as a vasoconstrictor, reducing blood flow to the area and slowing healing time. Adding herbs that speed healing and dilate blood vessels (increase blood flow) can help with this problem, plus they provide a cooling effect.

Aloe Vera Gel

The main ingredient in these herbal ice cubes is aloe vera gel, which is a staple in many sunburn remedies and can be found at any drug store or big box store—but we’re not talking about the bright green stuff that’s loaded with harsh preservatives.

My favorite way to harvest aloe vera is directly from the plant. You can learn more about harvesting your own aloe vera here. If you don’t have an aloe plant, you can also buy one. Aloe Vera Gel Uses natural preservatives.

Aloe vera contains pain-relieving salicylic acid and magnesium, as well as aloin, which has mild UV-protecting properties. Aloe has a cooling effect on the skin, soothes inflammation, leaves a smooth, silky feeling and moisturizes damaged skin.

Comfrey

This wonder plant has been nicknamed bone knit for its amazing ability to quickly heal broken bones. It also helps with sore joints and damaged skin. Comfrey stimulates tissue repair and aids in the formation of healthy skin cells. This herb also reduces inflammation and helps soothe and heal damaged skin. Like marshmallow root, it is a demulcent that provides a protective barrier for tissues.

Calendula

I use calendula in everything from baby care products to stretch mark salves to teas. Calendula is a gentle herb that can be used on any skin concern. It soothes inflammation and is great for cuts, burns, rashes, sunburns, and cuts. Calendula also cleanses and moves lymphatic fluid, improving blood circulation.

lavender

Like calendula, lavender is a gentle herb that’s great for soothing the skin and is great for all occasions. You’ll find lavender in this oatmeal exfoliating skin scrub and in this refreshing lavender peach iced tea. I use a lot of essential oils, but lavender herb is also a staple in my medicine cabinet.

Lavender disinfects wounds and cuts, acts as a painkiller to relieve pain, is often used to speed up the healing of burns and relieve itching, and increases blood flow to the skin, speeding up healing and improving blood flow.

marshmallow

Slippery marshmallow is another skin-soothing herb in this recipe, providing a moisturizing covering and cooling to irritated skin. The root, leaves, and flowers of marshmallow are all used to soothe inflammation. If you have marshmallow growing in your garden, you can use the leaves and flowers in this recipe; if not, the root is also a great option.

peppermint

The final ingredient in sunburn-relieving ice cubes is peppermint, which is also a key ingredient in my homemade cooling spray. Peppermint is rich in menthol, which gives it a unique effect of making you feel both warm and cold at the same time. Mint has vasodilatory properties, which stimulates blood circulation and gives you the feeling of warmth. However, when you use mint with cold or cooling ingredients, it can also feel cool on your skin.

I love using mint to soothe the heat of a painful sunburn!

You don’t need to use all the herbs in this recipe, but we recommend using at least aloe vera, mint, or other soothing herbs, but make sure you add up to ¼ cup of herbs total, as they all work together to help soothe and calm sun damage.

What are your go-to treatments for sunburn? Leave a comment and let me know!