Two glorious weekends of sun, fun, and music-fueled madness have now taken place at Coachella, catering to a crowd of 200,000 people!  Though the glorious days of romping through the polo fields may be over until next year, the signs of Coachella likely still remain.

For your skin in case you burned it:

Three words for you: aloe vera plant.  Yes, I know that you can easily pop over to the drug store and pick up some aloe vera spray, but we both know that stuff doesn’t work.  To make a sunburn fade quickly, go straight to the source: squeeze the gel directly out of an aloe vera plant leaf.  I’m telling you, it’s astounding how much better this stuff works fresh-squeezed.   If you live in the Southwest, chances are this plant is growing somewhere in your neighborhood, and it looks like this:

May or may not be flowering. Look for the tell-tale thick, spiky leaves.

Cut off a leaf at the base, trim off the spiky sides, and cut the leaf down the middle.  Rub the gel directly onto your skin and let it dry.  Repeat.  For a soothing sensation, stick the aloe leaf in the freezer for a few minutes first.

Tip: Don’t have aloe vera plants growing nearby?  Pick up one for cheap at hardware or gardening shop.  They’re resilient plants and their gel is great for cuts, scrapes, and facial masks as well.  Aloe truly is the gift that keeps on giving. 

For your brain in case you fried it:    

Sip some green tea, meditate, take a nice long snooze, and get some B vitamins in your system. Other supplements often associated with brain health include fish oil, wormwood, ginseng, and chamomile.

Get some antioxidants going!

For your body in case you danced your face off:

Get yourself a massage. After walking for ages and dancing the night away for 3 days, not to mention most likely sleeping in less than luxurious accommodations, the body aches are practically unavoidable.

Second: drink some green juice or a green smoothie.  These usually involve kale and/or spinach and are lower in sugar.  Get lots of the nutrients you’ve been missing in one go by blending up lots of vegetables at once. Fresh squeezed is always much, much more rich in vitamins than bottled juice, which has to be pasteurized (heated) before it can be sold to you.

"ahhhhh"

Tip: For a cheap massage, check out secondary deal websites or local discount websites (like goldstar).  Groupon Now may also have massages on sale.  Alternatively, see if you can get a massage from a student who needs to fill apprentice hours, or find a friend who is willing to lend a helping hand. 

For your psyche in case you’re depressed you have to wait another year to do it all again

It is undoubtedly difficult to return to life as usual after a weekend of few responsibilities and constant positive stimulation.  When your body is ready, get back into exercise for an endorphin rush.  Take a yoga class and zone out for an hour.  Take a walk somewhere pleasant.  In short, find something about the here and now that’s enjoyable.

The polo fields

Tip: make a play list of your favorite songs from the weekend, upload pictures, and share stories with your friends from the best musical weekend ever.  

Above all, hydration is your best friend.  Get as much water in your system as you can!

Have some tips of your own? Add them in the comments section!

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