How to Soothe a Burn and Its Pain In 15 Natural Ways

how to soothe a burn

There are fewer things in life that have more sting and discomfort connected to them than getting burned. Whether you grabbed your hot curling iron, a pan on the stove or the engine block on your hot car, finding soothing relief that also has the power to heal is essential. We’re going to share 15 natural ways in how to soothe a burn in the article below.

15 Recipes to Learn How to Soothe a Burn and Its Pain 

1. Aloe Vera

The most common and fastest acting treatment that can help you learn how to soothe a burn comes from the gel from the aloe vera plant.

What to do:

  • You can purchase a burn gel or cream with aloe vera. But the gel straight from the plant is more powerful.
  • Break off a shoot from the plant.
  • Split the shoot lengthwise and rub the gel from it on the affected area.

How it works:

Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties, which are highly effective and well-known for cooling burns.

aloe vera juice
Tip: Discover the other uses of aloe vera! Besides learning how to soothe a burn, you might also find a plant with multiple therapeutic uses!

2. Raw Potato

Believe it or not, a great method to soothe a burn is a raw potato.

What to do:

  • Take a raw potato, cut off one end of it and rub the moist side over the affected area.
  • Allow it to moisten the burned area and allow it to sit.
  • A grated potato applied to the affected area and held in place for 15 to 20 minutes also works.

How it works:

Potatoes have analgesic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties to promote healing and soothe the pain.

3. Onion Juice

One of the best and most readily available treatments is the juice of an onion, which you can prepare very easily.

What to do:

  • Slice a fresh onion in two.
  • Gently apply the moist side of the onion to the burn.
  • Use only freshly sliced onions. This is because they rapidly lose their medicinal value due to oxidization.

How it works:

The sulfur compounds and quercetin present in onions bring pain relief and also reduce blistering and infection.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is another effective treatment in many issues, including burns.

What to do:

  • Apply apple cider vinegar to the affected area using a cotton ball.
  • Repeat this process a few times daily until your achieve the relief you desire.

How it works:

The astringent and antibacterial properties of apple cider vinegar will help soothe the pain and prevent infection.

5. Banana Peel

Every time you eat a banana, think that you can soothe a burn just by using its peel.

What to do:

  • Gently rub the moist side of a banana peel over the affected area.
  • Once the peel becomes black, it’s pretty well used up.
  • The vitamins and minerals you get from eating bananas also help promote healing. So go ahead and chow down while the peel does its magic.

How it works:

Lutein, a potent antioxidant present in bananas, works as a soothing, anti-inflammatory treatment for burns.

6. Black Tea

Black tea bags are essential – just keep them once you drank the tea.

What to do:

  • In a cup of cold water, add 3 black tea bags.
  • Allow the bags to soak through for 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Apply the wet tea bags directly on the affected area. Then, cover with a towel or gauze and leave them in place for 30 to 45 minutes.

How it works:

The tannin in black tea draws the heat and potential infections away from the burn while also providing pain relief.

7. Vitamin E

Vitamin E gel from inside a vitamin E capsule has awesome topical healing properties. It is also a great addition to our list ingredients that teach you how to soothe a burn at home.

What to do:

  • Clip the tip off of a vitamin E capsule.
  • Squeeze the gel from the capsule over the affected area and gently rub it in.

How it works:

Vitamin E is a renowned tissue and skin healer and its gel can also bring sweet, cooling relief to a burn.

oatmeal
Tip: Keep a jar of oatmeal in the house and see how you can mix it with other cereal!

8. Oatmeal

If you’re itching to know how to soothe a burn, you can try out an oatmeal bath.

What to do:

  • Dump 1 cup of uncooked oatmeal into a tub of lukewarm water.
  • Soak for 15 to 20 minutes, and then allow your skin to air dry.
  • Be careful, because the tub surface will become slippery due to the oatmeal.

How it works:

Oatmeal, which has anti-inflammatory properties in its avenanthramides and phenols is another trusted ingredient in a lot of skin and tissue formulas, and acts as an anti-histamine too.

9. Olive Oil, Melaleuca Oil and Honey

Another tested remedy for burns combines olive oil, melaleuca oil and honey to create a salve.

What to do:

  • Mix together 2 oz. of honey, 2 tbsp of olive oil and 20 drops of melaleuca (tea tree) oil.
  • Apply salve to the affected area liberally.
  • Cover with a clean dressing and leave in place for several hours or overnight.

How it works:

The mixture of these ingredients combine antibacterial, tissue restoration and soothing relief to a burn.

10. Calendula

This old fashioned ingredient, once used in the making of butter, still works for learning how to soothe a burn.

What to do:

  • Pour 1 cup of near boiling water over 1 tbsp of calendula (pot marigold) flowers.
  • Let the flowers soak until the water cools.
  • Using a clean cloth or gauze apply the infused water to the burned area.

How it works:

Calendula’s anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties were the reason that housewives were told to put butter on a burn.

11. Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender essential oil is another treatment for how to soothe a burn.

What to do:

  • Mix several drops of lavender essential oil into 1 tbsp of olive or coconut oil.
  • Gently rub the oil into the affected area.
  • You can add honey like in the remedy above or in place of the base oil.

How it works:

The sting and itch of a burn can be relieved by lavender oil and it also helps to keep the area from becoming infected.

12. Turmeric and Mustard Oil

You may use turmeric and mustard oil for cooking. But today it’s time to discover how to soothe a burn in less than an hour, by using ingredients from your home.

What to do:

  • Mix 1 tsp of turmeric (curry) powder into 1 tbsp of mustard oil.
  • Gently apply the mixture to the affected area.
  • After 30 minutes rinse off the area with cool water.

How it works:

The anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties of curcumin, present in turmeric, when combined with mustard oil bring complete pain relief to a burn as well as help it to heal.

13. Honey

Honey is the sweetest treatment for burns you’re ever going to find.

What to do:

  • Taking a clean gauze bandage, smear honey onto it and place it over the affected area.
  • Leave it in place for several hours or overnight.

How it works:

The natural anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory compounds found in honey have the added benefit of reducing the risk of developing hypertrophic scarring.

14. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is an essential ingredient in discovering how to soothe a burn as a base oil in other remedies or on its own.

What to do:

  • Dip a cotton ball into coconut oil and gently apply it over the affected area.
  • Add a few drops of either peppermint, lavender, tea tree or frankincense essential oil for an added boost for healing and relief.
  • Repeat as often as necessary until your get the relief you desire.

How it works:

Coconut oil contains vitamin E, lauric and capric acid, which have antiseptic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties as well as helping in tissue restoration.

mint in a jar
Tip: You can also keep mint in a water jar and see how you can mix it with food.

15. Mint Toothpaste

The mint oil in mint toothpaste helps cool and soothe a burn.

What to do:

  • Gently apply mint toothpaste over the affected area.
  • Leave it in place for 15 – 20 minutes before rinsing off.

How it works:

The additional minerals in the paste also assist in healing the affected tissue.

What Kind of Burns Can I Heal at Home?

Treating burns that are superficial in nature and only affect outer layer of skin, or the epidermal layer are usually not serious enough to cause permanent damage. The affected area is usually red, stings, and might become dry. But only has surface blisters.

  • Flash burns, touch burns, sunburns and snow burns are common examples of the type of burns we talked about in this article.
  • Razor burn is also among the most common ones. With these types of burns there isn’t usually any long-term tissue damage. But if not treated properly they can become infected.

These 15 natural ways for how to soothe a burn will bring relief. But they are not all inclusive. More severe burns need the attention of a health care professional or even emergency assistance.

Wrapping Up

Knowing how to soothe a burn with items you have in your kitchen pantry or bathroom can make the difference between getting quick effective relief or having to go out and find something at the pharmacy, grocery or convenience store. Next time you burn yourself, make use of one or more of the 15 natural methods on our list of how to soothe a burn.

Be sure to tell us about it and suggest other natural home remedies that also work in the comments section below.

The images are from depositphotos.com and pixabay.com.