Growing up on the sunny shores of the Black Sea meant that sunburn was part of our childhood. I remember coming home one day after a ‘fun in the sun’ day with bright red burning skin and a sun blister on my eye which made it hard to close. My Grandma suggested I smear pickle juice on my skin and hold a pickle on the blister. Desperate, I did it, and almost immediately, my skin stopped stinging and the blister went down. I stank but it was a small price to pay - I was no longer hurting!
I later found out that vinegar is an old remedy for sunburn. People soak paper bags in vinegar and water, applying them onto burned skin to soothe it. My Grandma used apple cider vinegar, and another favorite of her remedies for sunburn was cold yogurt - it is silky on tender skin and takes away the sting (nutritious too!). Cold fizzy mineral water helps relieve the pain. Applying grated raw cucumbers or potatoes to the skin feels good too.
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