Usually, when you get sunburn, it is common to go and apply some aloe vera. However, if you find yourself without any aloe vera, then you could use black tea instead.
It is known that cooled or cold black tea bags can provide you with instant pain relief from sunburn.
In addition to this, if you happen to get burned in sensitive areas on your body such as eyelids, black tea bags are a great solution.
As a result, if you ever find yourself without any aloe vera, then you should consider brewing a pot of black tea and allowing the tea bags to cool down.
In this article, we will discuss the different methods you can follow when using black tea to treat sunburn.
Why Should You Use Tea To Help Treat Sunburn?
Black tea infusions are useful for treating sunburns because they release tannins that counteract the effects of the sun. Tea encourages recovery and comfort.
When skin burns, the sun’s dangerous UV rays produce swelling and agony, which can occasionally result in blistering and skin peeling.
All types of tea contain tannin, it is the tannin what makes tea so useful for treating sunburn.
It is known that the tannins in black tea will reduce any pain or heat the individual is suffering from. Catechins are also found in black tea, which are known to help your skin to heal quicker.
If that wasn’t enough, tea’s polyphenols aid in proper healing too and provide relief from unpleasant sunburn. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that help lessen swelling, blistering, and skin peeling.
Following application of this sunburn cure, you’ll find that your skin is smoother and less irritated. Hence, tea is a great remedy when you find yourself with sunburn.
Does The Type Of Tea You Use Matter?
It is believed that black tea bags are much better suited for treating sunburn, compared to white teas. With that being said, you don’t need to use your most expensive or premium black tea (see also: All You Need To Know About Ceylon Black Tea)bags to soothe your sunburn.
In fact, cheap brands just work as well. This is because no matter if your black tea is of premium quality or inexpensive, they all contain the same tannins. Thus, as we have spoken about above, it is the tannins that soothes your skin and treats the sunburn.
If you can’t get your hands on black tea, then another excellent choice with strong anti-inflammatory qualities is chamomile tea. In fact, because it can soothe irritated skin, chamomile is frequently used as a folk cure for rosacea.
As a mild abrasive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and therapeutic remedy, chamomile tea has also been used for centuries to treat various conditions. This includes mastitis, rheumatoid arthritis, hemorrhoids, and canker sores.
How Can You Use Black Treat To Treat Sunburn?
Depending on the severity of the sunburn, there are a variety of methods you can use black tea (see also: Famous Types Of Black Tea And Blends)for. It is important to note that if you are ever worried about a burn, you should always go and seek medical advice.
While black tea can help with your burns. To help the healing process even more, it is worth using these methods alongside other treatments such as aloe vera and staying hydrated.
Localized Sunburn Relief Using Tea Compresses
If only a particular area happens to get burnt, then you could use black tea bags like a cold compress. It is essential to use old towels for this method, because the tea will stain your towels.
Step 1
Infuse 8–10 black tea bags in a large bowl of lukewarm water for 10 minutes. In the tea mixture, soak some towels or washcloths.
Step 2
Once the towels are damp, ring them out to get rid of any excess moisture.
Step 3
Place the towels in the refrigerator. The compress needs 15 minutes in the refrigerator to cool down.
Step 4
After this time is up, get the cooled compress out of the refrigerator and apply to the sunburned regions. Leave the towels on for around 15 minutes.
Step 5
Once the towels become warm, soak them in the tea and put them back in the refrigerator. Then reapply to your burned areas.
Sunburn On Your Eyelids
If you happen to get sunburn on your eyelids, tea bags that have been chilled are wonderful for soothing these delicate areas.
Step 1
To release the tannins, soak multiple black tea bags in lukewarm water for 10 minutes.
Step 2
Before using, let the tea bags cool for around 15 minutes in the fridge.
Step 3
Then apply the tea bags to your eyelids for 10 to 15 minutes after they have cooled.
Step 4
Reapply if necessary.
Have A Tea Bath For A Larger Or Whole Body Sunburn
If you unfortunately get burned in more than one area, or your whole body is burned, then it is best to take a bath with black tea. It may sound odd, yet it can help soothe your body.
Step 1
Draw yourself a tepid bath and add 8–10 black tea bags to the water. Allow the tannins to disperse, giving the water a reddish-brown to dark amber tint.
Step 2
Spend at least 15 minutes relaxing in the tub.
Step 3
Over several days, repeat this sunburn remedy as often as necessary.
How Often Should You Use These Tea Remedies?
For several days after getting a sunburn, keep applying tea compresses or using bath remedies to encourage faster recovery. The optimum time to use a tea infusion as a sunburn relief is right away or shortly after being exposed to the sun(see also: How To Make Sun Tea).
Aloe vera can also be used to hydrate skin and ease discomfort. To maintain your skin’s moisturize after burns, drink plenty of water.
Can You Use Black To Treat Any Degree Of Sunburn?
There are three different degrees or stages of being sunburned. Depending on how bad your sunburn is, will determine what you should do and whether black tea can help.
Below we have discussed the three different degrees of sunburn and what you can do if you find yourself in that situation.
First Degree Sunburn
Sunburns of the first degree only affect the top layer of skin. Red skin, discomfort, no blisters, and minor swelling are all symptoms that can occur.
If you happen to have first degree sunburn, then you can take cool showers with low pressure or cool tea baths to treat the areas. Aloe vera and cool tea compresses should be used for comfort as well.
Second Degree Sunburn
Partial-thickness skin burns are second-degree sunburns that penetrate several deeper layers of skin. For this type of sunburn, the symptoms can hurt a bit worse.
You may find yourself with red skin and water blisters. Even though this type of sunburn is considered a bit more severe, you can still take care of it at home.
Avoiding bursting the water blisters is the major priority in order to avoid infections. Infection-prevention and skin healing are both aided by blisters.
If blisters rupture or exhibit signs of infection, apply antibiotic creams. Otherwise, you need to apply aloe vera or tea compresses to areas that hurt the most.
Third Degree Sunburn
The most severe sunburns are those of the third degree. They always need to be treated by a doctor. All the skin’s layers are affected by this full-thickness skin injury.
Significant discomfort, but not always, as well as redness, swelling, and tightness of the skin, are the main symptoms to look out for. You may also notice quite large blisters that could be over 2 inches in diameter.
A high temperature, chills, and nausea can occasionally accompany a severe sunburn. No matter how severe the burn, these symptoms demand urgent medical attention. As soon as it is safe to do so, visit an urgent care center or emergency room.
Watch Out For Sunburn
Everyone forgets to put sunscreen on now and then, but you need to be careful about how often you are exposing your skin to harmful UV rays. Sunburn has a wide range of negative effects.
The danger persists even after the sunburn has subsided, so it extends well beyond any momentary discomfort, redness, or suffering.
Sunburn accelerates skin aging and is largely to blame for various other diseases. The more frequently you get sunburn raises your chances of developing squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and melanoma.
However, it is really easy to prevent this from happening. Getting sunburned once or twice isn’t a huge issue, but if it becomes a regular occurrence, then you should take action.
If you are going to be out in the sun, then you need to make sure you are wearing sunscreen. Also, you need to reapply it at regular intervals.
Final Thoughts
When you get sunburn it is time to take action, black tea bags are a great remedy when you may have run out of aloe vera.
Due to the tannins and other inflammatory nutrients found in black tea, it contains a lot of healing properties. It is important to make sure the tea is cooled before applying it to any part of your body.
Black tea is an unexpected and yet reliable remedy for sunburn. We hope this article has been insightful and shown you how you can use black tea to treat sunburn.
