Unlike third degree burns that require immediate medical attention, small everyday household burns are easy to handle. No matter how you burned yourself, the key to quick relief is quick relief. What you do in the first few minutes after being burned makes a whole lot of difference in how well your skin heals.

Milk is an excellent compress of minor burns. Simply soak the burned area in the milk for 15 minutes or so or apply a cloth soaked in milk to the affected area. The fat content in the milk soothes the burns and promotes healing.

After 24 hours or so, wash the burned area gently with soap and water daily. Keep the burn dry and clean and covered with bandage between washings.

Using too much of ice or extreme ice cold water can make the burn worse. Cool, not cold, water will stop the burning from spreading through your tissues and will act as a temporary painkiller.

Aloe Vera shortens the healing process. Two or three days after the burn, simply open a leaf and smear its liquid directly on the burn, the coolness of its “juice” brings welcome relief from the pain. Reapply four to six times daily, with or without a bandage covering.

Eat plenty of citrus fruits, potatoes and broccoli that are rich in vitamin C as it helps in healing process for burns and other wounds.

Like Vitamin C, vitamins A & E too speed up the healing process for burns. Green fruits and veggies, cereals and nuts are high in vitamins A & E respectively.

Apply vitamin E from capsule directly to the burn to experience faster healing and prevent scarring.

For quick recovery time and healthier skin after burns, consume foods rich in zinc.

Apply white Colgate toothpaste liberally over the wound. Keep it overnight. Next morning, there will hardly be any pain or burning sensation.

Cut potato slices and put it on the burns. The starch in the potato neutralizes the burn, pain and prevents scarring.

Honey applied over burns cools, removes pain and aids fast healing. A salve and antibiotic, bacteria’s cannot exist in honey. Cover the area with some gauze.

Lavender oil takes the sting out of the pain, speeds up the healing process and prevents scarring. First clean the burn with mild soap and water, combine lavender oil with almond or olive oil in the ratio of 1:3. Apply this mixture liberally over the burn at least 3 times a day leaving the wound uncovered.

Calendula, an antiseptic & anti-inflammatory, which is applied topically to speed healing and prevent infection.

Coat the burned skin with egg white as it helps keep the wound from drying out.

For minor burns, rub some mustard on the burned area. Despite stinging, it takes the pain away and reduces blisters and scarring.

The reader of this article should exercise all precautions while following instructions on the recipes from this article. Avoid using if you are allergic to something. The responsibility lies with the reader, not the site, and the writer.

A burn is a very traumatic injury, cause by fire, chemicals, steam, electricity or any other form of heat transfer to the skin (our biggest organ). Burns on less then 10% of the body surface is considered minor. An entire hand is 1% of the body surface.

The symptoms of burns could be summed up in two parts. Minor and severe burns. Minor burns are painful and cause reddening and blistering of the skin while severe burns are painless causes white or charred area.

Home Remedies for Burns

Gently pour ice cold water immediately on the affected area or you might even try compresses of ice cubes. Do this for more than 5-7 minutes or until the pain stops. If any blister has formed, do not prick it.

The best first aid for burns is diluted vinegar. Vinegar is luckily available nearly in all households. Cover the injured area with a cloth, soaked in diluted vinegar of any kind. Vinegar acts painkilling and relaxing. If pains become stronger again, change the compress for a fresh one. Refresh the vinegar compress as often as needed.

To heal the wound that has developed due to burning, take honey and apply it all over the wound. But do it only after you’ve properly washed your wound.

Sprinkle the burned surface thickly with baking-soda, or make a saturated solution of the soda; wring cloths from it and apply, changing as they become dry. When the pain is relieved remove, and use an absorbent dressing if the burn is a very deep one.

Make a poultice of raw sauerkraut and apply it to the burned area. If you don’t have sauerkraut, use crushed comfrey root with a little honey. In fact, just plain honey on the burn may ease the pain and help the healing process.

Colgate toothpaste is a great ointment for burns. For skin burns apply ice cold vinegar right away for fast ease. Apply baking soda side of cool damp paper towel straight over burn area or wrap it with paper towel baking soda towards burn if burn is on finger.

Plantain leaves is a popular remedy for treating burns. These green weedy plants grow practically anywhere in the world with sufficient water. Just don’t confuse this plantain with the banana-like vegetable of the same name. Hit the leaf with a small hammer, enough to smash just a little bit the plant than wrap the affected area with the leaf.

It is a good idea to grow an Aloe vera plant in the sunny kitchen window. For a burn first aid, slice off a small piece of the fleshy leaf, open it, and apply the fresh sap directly on the skin burn. Aloe vera has astringent and tissue-healing properties works fabulous for skin burns.