Sunburn
Not only your skin, but your entire body can be dried by a sunburn, so be sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. There are some great remedies in your kitchen for dealing with the pain. If your eyelids are burned, soak tea bags in cool water and apply them to decrease pain and swelling. Wrap some dry oatmeal in gauze and run water through it for a few minutes. Remove the oatmeal and soak a cloth in the liquid leftover and apply every few hours.

Heat exhaustion
Unlike the winter months, summer weather predictions are usually pretty accurate. Keep this in mind, and plan ahead for extreme temperatures. Limit consumption of both caffeine and alcohol, as they both speed up the dehydration process. If someone is already suffering from heat exhaustion, either splash them with cool water or apply cool towels rather than submerging them in water. This will allow the water to evaporate and absorb more quickly and have a better cooling effect.

Mosquito bites
Mosquitoes can spread a number of diseases, so the first thing you should do once you’ve been bitten is to clean and disinfect the area where it appears with soap and hot water. To help prevent or reduce the inflammation caused by a bite, wet the affected area and rub an aspirin over the bite as soon as you can after it appears. Dissolve baking soda or Epsom salts in water, dip a cloth into that water and place it on the skin of the affected area for 15-20 minutes to help alleviate the itching.

Bee stings
The most important thing to do in order to avoid pain and swelling from a bee or wasp sting is to act fast, no matter what treatment you choose. Just like mosquitoes and flies, bees often are carriers for some nasty bacteria. Clean the area first, and then scrape the stinger away so that it doesn’t continue to pump venom into your skin. Apply a paste made of powdered activated charcoal to draw the poison out. Mud is an acceptable substitute, as not everyone keeps activated charcoal lying around.

Onion
Many ancient cultures believed in the healing and preventative powers of onions. Even ancient Greek athletes used them prior to competing. Over the years, a number of these age old theories have been put to the test, and more often than not they’re proven true. The sulfur compounds in onions can reduce the symptoms of diabetes, and they’re loaded with quercetin too, which prevents inflammation and helps prevent a number of different cancers.

Cayenne Pepper
Used for anything from pain relief to aphrodisiacs, cayenne peppers have been a staple of the “new world” since Columbus brought them here. These peppers get their heat from capsaicin, and that’s also where the pain relief aspect comes in. Studies have shown that it reduces the chemical reaction that sends pain messages to and from the brain.

Plantain
Not to be confused with the banana-esque tropical fruit of the same name, this plantain dates back to the 12th century as a poultice for everything from insect bites to wounds and burns. The plant has numerous antimicrobial properties that can help heal the skin and sooth burns and bites. The seeds are also used as the fiber source in laxatives.

Parsley
Dating back to 1629 when it was recommended and prepared for the Queen of England, parsley root has been used for health of the urinary tract. This benefit can be accredited to its ability to increase urine output. For the best result, drink tea made with parsley three times a day, or eat parsley leaves regularly for long term benefits. The chlorophyll in parsley also makes it a good breath freshener.