File this one under “Practical Tips I learned from Magical People.” It’s a bright sunny day in San Francisco, as it almost always is for the Folsom Street Fair. (Pride also generally has amazing weather–and yet some people actually believe that the Gods hate Gays? Go Figure!) That means lots of exposed skin, including some tender bits that don’t often see the sun. While I generally advocate the use of natural products, when it comes to sunscreen I say “slather on that SPF!” Still, it’s likely that some of you are gonna come home with sun burns. To care for those burns, I have three words: Apple Cider Vinegar.
Take a shower or bath and get the burn clean first, then dab it with a cloth sopped in Apple Cider Vinegar. It will cool the burn, lessen the pain, and in my experience will help the burn transmute into a tan (unless the burn is really bad). Reapply whenever the burn starts feeling hot and painful–or any time you think of it–and use whatever skin moisturizing agent you enjoy on the burn as well. You will smell vinegary, but I like to think of that as the scent of a dragon. Smelling like a dragon is hot!
