Brewing up a cup of hot, black tea might not sound the most appealing during the hottest months of the year, but the tannins in tea are great for soothing sunburned skin, and don't worry: you let it cool before you apply it.

I am terrible about using sunscreen. Sometimes I remember to apply some when we first get to the beach or the pool, but it's hard to remember to reapply once you get caught up in all the summer fun, isn't it?

Sunburns are painful but they're also very unhealthy. If you get too many serious burns in your lifetime, you up your chances of skin cancer. The good news is if you treat burned skin within eight hours of exposure you can mitigate the damage, at least a little bit. That's why this year I am whipping up a spritzy sunburn remedy that I can toss right in my beach bag in case of emergency!

Homemade Sunburn Relief Spray

Materials

• Reclaimed spray bottle
• 1 black tea bag
• 4 ounces of water (1/2 cup)
• 4 drops of lavender essential oil (optional)

Directions

1. Bring your water to a boil, then add your tea bag.

2. Steep the tea for 20 minutes. You want it to get super strong. Once you're all steeped, let your tea cool completely, then transfer to your spray bottle along with the lavender oil.

3. Spray liberally on sunburned skin.