I too did a Google search on First Aid for sunburn and found the same info as threehearts, Myrna,Traveis,Barbara and Buckeyemom gave. No one recommended Vaseline and many state to avoid products that contain benzocaine, and avoid the use of Vaseline. SuzieQ, you said that "as a little girl...etc", that might of been the concept at the time, but medicine practices change.

The doctor may be in the bottom half, but that is relative. I think even the last man out knows more than most of the home remedy specialists who comment here.

As one guy I know said, even the poorest coach knows more than 99% of the smartest, most dedicated fans.

Besides, just what ranking system to medical schools use to rate their graduates?

It is like trying to rate graduates from an MBA program. No way can there be an authoritative rank ordering that is absolutely perfect. Such judgments are opinion based, imperfect, and less than totally comprehensive. Besides the smartest ones may have dropped out to become rich ala a man named Gates who now has a few dollars to his credit.

There is a local MD where I live who is reputed to be "tops in his class".
OK. So he is an idiot savant who, when I saw him, put the xray in the viewer upside down and told me I had cancer.
Top guns like that I don't need.
When I pointed out to him that the bones looked funny, he turned it around and decided I had something else.
He is the same joker who gave another patient huge steroid doses for a torn left lateral minuscus that an orthopedic intern later diagnosed by looking at it.

Maybe Cd. But I also did a search and saw many sites that did recommend it after the first few days of a burn. All I know is, it always worked for me and I still swear by it (but I haven't been sunburned in years) and so do my friends. Many of them who tan easily also claim it helps hold a tan a little longer than without it.

What about vinegar and plain yogurt? I dont know if they work, but those are two I'd always heard of.

I tried yogart once and it seemed to work but I couldn't stand the smell!

Hi

In Florida we keep an aloe plant in most of our gardens because when you open up a leaf a natural Aloe is exposed and when you put this on a burn it takes the pain right out of it.

It works much, much better than the aloe in a bottle and dermatologists have agreed that it has healing effects.

I also had a good friend who was a doctor and every night he coated his face with Vaseline before going to bed. Never did see any improvement!

Buckeyemom,
I wasn't trying to give out outdated, harmful advice and I don't think I did. Sorry to have upset you. I wasn't trying to start anything. As far as being obsessive, I didn't think I was. Sorry again you took it the wrong way.

As the mother of a redhead who doesn't realize he is fried until he is white vinegar and Motrin do the trick. The white vinegar, used in a compress, takes the heat out, and yes it stinks but no one really cares when the pain is better. There are also some sunburn remedies on the market that contain Lidocaine, a topical pain killer. Our favorite is Sun Lovers which also contains mosturizers and vitamins to help restore the damaged skin.

Uses for Vaseline:
1-greasing up the pigs before they run loose.(of course, you have to be down on the farm for this one)
2-Preventing windburn...although friends have tried this and say their faces break out from the grease.
3-If you can't afford to buy the kids skates, put a little Vaseline on their feet and let them slide around the house.

any more?

I always like to keep a bottle of aloe in the fridge, I rarely burn, but the cooling of aloe always makes the burn feel less harsh---even if it is temporary relief--at least it is some relief!

As the mom of one redhead, I have tried all of the above remedies plus others, and the one we find best is real, fresh aloe -- the bottled stuff just doesn't compare, even the products that are 99 percent aloe. Must be something in the fresh leaves that does the trick.

My daughter came home with burnt shoulders earlier this week after leaving the house in a tank top and sweater on a day that suddenly got very warm. She was red with white shoulder straps! Since Prom was Friday night, this was a true test. Well, we put on the aloe and next morning there wasn't a trace of the burn. As LN described, we just break off a leaf, cut off the tip, slice it lengthwise, and rub the leaf on the burn. Let it dry and apply another layer!

Keep in mind that painkillers and lotions are dealing with symptoms and making you more comfortable, but don't really do anything to promote healing.