Don't Retract Pack

Homeopathic Treatment for Sunburn

By Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na)



Ouch! Don't touch! Sunburns, like chicken wings, can be mild, medium or hot! You can, however, keep the following remedies handy as the summer progresses to keep the heat down. First and foremost, never leave for a long weekend or vacation without your homeopathy kit. If you don't own one, you are welcome to contact our office at (716) 941-1045. We have several selections to choose from.

When confronted with sunburn, the first remedy I turn to is Cantharis 30. It's useful for all sorts of burns including scalds and chemical burns. Use a potency that matches the severity of the burn. This means the more severe the burn, the higher the potency.

For mild sunburn a 6c, 12c or 30c is likely to do the trick. For a more serious case with severe pain, chills, and blistering, a 200c may be needed. But first seek advice from a seasoned homeopath. When treating an acute condition such as sunburn, use this general rule: the more severe the pathology, the more frequently the remedy needs to be repeated. So if the sunburn is moderate -- very red but without blistering -- and you're using a 30c potency, you might offer it every 30-60 minutes. Use pain as your guide to determine how often to dose.

If after giving Cantharis there is no improvement, consider two other remedies. Urtica urens is the remedy of choice if the pain has a prickly, stingy or itchy sensation. In fact, if the sensation is of this nature from the beginning, then start with this remedy and don't bother with Cantharis.

For a deep, severe burn, use Causticum. The more severe the burn, the more likely that Causticum is the correct remedy. Causticum is also handy for old burns that have taken a long time to heal. You should see a reduction in intensity of symptoms within 30-40 minutes of taking the correct remedy.

I also like to use cell salts in alteration with higher potency remedies. For instance, if you have determined that Cantharis 30 is the correct remedy, then alternate Kali mur 6x with Cantharsis 30 every 30 minutes or so to bring down the discomfort and pain. As always, stop when there's improvement. 

Topical ointments or tinctures can also be soothing. Try coconut oil, aloe vera gel or Calendula tincture. But to be honest, you'll likely find the homeopathic remedy is all that you need. Sunburn isn't a day at the beach. But don't worry: homeopathy, as always, has the solution!

One more tip... Sunscreen? Toss it out! If you wouldn't or couldn't eat what you put on your skin, it shouldn't be used. Read the ingredients. If they don't read like a list of ingredients in a good recipe book, then get rid of them. Your liver, the filtering organ, will thank you! What's the solution? Cover up with a sunhat, a t-shirt in the pool and seek shade during times of scorching sun. My husband is blonde, blonde, blonde, an avid sailor and hasn't worn sunscreen in 30 years. (Not since we met!) My rule is: act sensibly, not chemically.


Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom, is certified classical homeopath who teaches and consults with moms the world over via phone and SKYPE.

For a free download of 10 Toxins and How to Antidote Them With Homeopathy go to www.homeopathyworks.net and find it on the “Free Downloads and Articles” section of the homepage. Then, consider scheduling a free 15 minute conversation with Joette to see if homeopathy is a fit for your, or your child’s, health strategy.





The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and may not be construed as medical advice.
The reader is encouraged to make independent inquires and to seek the advice of a licensed healthcare provider.

7 comments:

  1. So I put my baby in a Sun hat and a t shirt and her neck, back of her neck, cheeks and forearms still burned the one time I forgot sunscreen. And can't your skin pick up dangerous amounts of the suns rays even before you show burn? So, I buy a sunscreen with the ingredients that are rated safest in a chemical listing site. Sooooo what's the east option? I know she burns in about 30 min if in direct sunlight. So am I supposed to just not let her play outside? Have her wear a long sleeve shirt in 100degree weather? I'm really really trying to find the best solution and I want to avoid any cancer causing dangers but it seems I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. Sunscreen or sunburn. The only solution is covering up? There's got to be options for those of us who live in places where you'd get sunstroke if you cover too much! Please elaborate the safe options more please!

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  2. I think the author is way too dismissive of sunscreens. There are sunscreens that are just fine to use on your skin. http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/browse/sunscreen:+SPF+15-30/ -- a great place to start your shopping.
    I don't care how blond her husband is, there are places (e.g. high altitudes, on the beach) and people (e.g. burn easy, babies) who should use preventive measures. I find it telling that this article talks solely about remediate measures and not about preventative ones (beyond the basic common sense ones).

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  3. I'm sporting a pretty red sunburn right now. And I - a very blonde, pale person, who burns in under 30min - was wearing a hat, and shirt at the time. I had sunscreen on my face, and it's the only place that's not painful at the moment. I understand the hesitation/refusal to use lots of chemicals, but I don't think it's realistic to say sunscreen is totally off-limits.

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  4. I'm curious, why do you not recommend Apis Mellifica for sunburn?

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  5. I have really liked a lot of what I read on this blog in general. I was very disappointed to read this endorsement of homeopathy. Homeopathy has never been shown to be effective at treating anything (at least not any more than any other placebo). I worry that people will disregard arguments in favor of good things like home-birth and extending breastfeeding (for which we have plenty of supportive evidence) because some of the same people making those arguments are also arguing in favor of things like homeopathy.
    And before you ask, yes, the placebo effect can happen to babies. The expectations of the person administering medication can have a significant effect on the outcome of the patient, that's why we do double-blind studies of drugs.
    http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/jref-news/1208-feb5video.html

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    1. not true for me...for example rhus tox in 3 doses relieved back muscle tension I had had for 2 weeks. Explain that? Once it works for you, you will not call it useless or a placebo effect....it's about vibrational effect on cell tissue.

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