Home Remedies for Burns

Its not secret in my house that kitchen knives and I just can't get along. Its even resulted in stitches. Its not that I'm reckless or klutzy, I think its more about becoming distracted. If that wasn't bad enough, now pots and pans seem to hate me too. This week I gave myself some second degree burns on my hand. I picked up a pan that I didn't realize was hot and it stuck to my hand. I had intense pain on the inside of my right hand. I immediately grabbed an ice block from the freezer and didn't let go for half an hour. The moment I let go of the ice, the sting came back. So I told my husband that this is a sure sign that I should no longer be cooking...and then I set out to find any remedy that would help this pain, and now blisters, subside.

Vinegar - The first thing I tried was to soak my hand in white vinegar for 20-30 minutes. The blisters weren't open so it didn't burn more. The vinegar would also disinfect any bacteria that might be present. It was very refreshing while my hand was submerged, but once I removed it, the sting returned. Some claim that with minor burns, this remedy could eliminate the pain altogether.
Aloe Vera - Of course this is probably the most commonly known remedy for burns. I remember as a child, when my grandfather had his radiator cap blow off in his face. He had steam burns and blisters across his face. My mother immediately grabbed a stem off her aloe plant and used the gel on his burns. She reapplied it 3-4 times per day and luckily, he healed quickly and without scarring. We always had aloe plants in our home and for some reason, I do not have one. I need to get one for sure!
Raw Honey - I LOVE raw honey! I was going to try this, but to be honest, I couldn't deal with the stickiness. I still had to get the kids ready for bed and had some clean up to do. Raw honey has antibacterial properties and is also excellent for healing minor cuts and scrapes. It promotes healing and can prevent infection. A good friend of mine sells raw honey at the local farmers market. She is always telling me new reasons why is it so good for you!
Baking Soda - My second step was making a paste with baking soda and a little water. Once it became paste-like, I applied it to my burns and kept it on until it completely dried and began cracking and coming off. I then reapplied and repeated this a third time. By the time I rinsed off my third application, I no longer had any pain! I don't know if it was just this remedy or the combination of both, but I will use this again for sure!

Egg Whites - If the baking soda didn't work this was next on my list. Apply egg whites to the burn. You can wrap or cover the burn to keep it moist. It will not work as well if the egg dries. Reapply frequently until the pain subsides.
Milk Of Magnesia - As a teenager, I used to oil myself up at the pool and beach(DUMB!). One year I got a very bad sun burn that made me ill. I didn't know about the other remedies and this was one time we did not have an aloe plant. A friend of my mom was visiting that day. They suggested using Milk of Magnesia to reduce the sting from the burn. You do not ingest it, you apply it directly to the burn. It will leave a white film on your skin, but I really didn't care. It worked! Afterwards, I kept the bottle in the fridge and reapplied several times over the next 24 hours. By the next day, though I was still red and had some small blisters, the pain was mostly gone.