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Homemade Burn Cooling Gel

Burns to the skin are red and tender, making activity in that area uncomfortable and often painful. There are many homemade remedies you can use to cool a burned area of your skin, such as milk, aloe, honey and tea bags. If the burn progresses and becomes more painful over time -- and does not appear to be healing -- these remedies are not a substitute for treatment from a medical professional.

  1. Milk

    • Whole milk soaked into a soft cloth and applied to the burned area not only cools the area, but helps facilitate the healing process. Your skin needs extra protein to begin repairing the damage done to the cells. The fat in the milk soothes the skin and provides an ideal environment for the skin to begin healing. Soak the affected area for about 15 minutes and completely wash the milk away when done. If you do not, the milk will set on your skin and begin to smell.

    Aloe Vera

    • Aloe vera is the most popular burn remedy on the market. The gel can be bought over-the-counter, but those products tend to contain more ingredients than just aloe, such as alcohol. Alcohol can dehydrate your skin at a time when it needs hydration the most. Use aloe from an aloe vera plant. Simply cut the arm off the plant and squeeze the jelly-like substance onto your skin. It will be cooling and promote healing of the skin.

    Honey

    • Applying honey to the surface of your skin can cool the area quickly and promote quick healing. Honey applied to a well-washed area prevents infection in burns that are second or third degree. Blowing cool air over the honey as it sits on your skin cools the surface even more. Do not let the honey sit on your skin for longer than 30 minutes. Wash the honey thoroughly off the surface of your skin.

    Tea Bags

    • Tea contains tannins that take heat away from the burnt area. There are many methods of using tea, but the simplest is to steep the tea bags in hot water, let them cool and place them onto the burned skin. Use sterile gauze to hold the tea bags in place for 15 to 20 minutes. You can also add mint to the tea mixture to provide a deeper cooling effect.

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