How to Treat a Child's Sunburn
New Zealand summer is in full swing, and it’s been hot! While we’ve loved having a hot summer this year (seeing that we missed out on one last year), we’ve hated seeing many sunburns, especially on kids.
Parents do their best to protect their children from getting sunburnt. However, it can still happen, especially with New Zealand’s harsh sun.
If your child has sunburn, we put together some valuable tips to make them more comfortable and recover quickly.
Get them out of the sun and keep them away from it (and possibly indoors) for the next few days. Cancel beach trips until they fully recover.
Get your child to have a cold shower to clean their skin from the seawater and sand and cool down at the same time.
Put a generous amount of aloe vera on them and use it for 2-3 days (top them up 2-3 times daily). Ensure you use a product containing the most percentage of the actual aloe vera and not all other stuff. Some mums use the actual plant - cut it in half, expose the gelly layer and rub it over the skin.
Some people swear by putting cold (out of the fridge) plain think Greek yoghurt on their skin for at least 15 minutes and then washing it off (repeat as needed), as lactic acid does wonders to heal the burnt skin. You can try that between applying the aloe vera and seeing if it can make the skin feel better.
Make sure your child is hydrated throughout their recovery.
Give them panadol/pamol if they are feeling pain.
Ask them not to pick or touch the blisters, as they need to go away on their own.
Protect their skin by covering the affected areas with loose-fitting clothing if you need to go out.
Give them Childlife Essentials Liquid Vitamin C to support their immune system and heal their skin.
If your child is experiencing symptoms like vomiting, nausea, cramping or dizziness, we suggest seeing your GP to seek immediate help.
Remember that the first cure for sunburn is prevention, so use SPF50 sunscreen on your kids and top it up every hour to ensure they are protected.