Sometimes we learn about a surprising home remedy and then we hear from scores or even hundreds of people that they have used it successfully. More than a decade ago, a listener to our radio show called to tell us that soy sauce helps ease the pain and redness of a burn. We have been getting responses from other listeners and from readers ever since then.
Soy Sauce as a Burn Remedy:
Q. I learned a great remedy from my daughter-in-law, and your readers may be interested. If you immediately pour soy sauce on a burn, it will prevent the skin from blistering. It is amazing.
A. Thank you for the reminder about a remedy we really appreciate. We first heard about it 17 years ago from a public radio listener.
A reader responded:
“I listened to your public radio show and heard a man call in recommending soy sauce for burns. ‘How weird is that?’ I thought. But then, as I took a loaf of bread out of the oven, the inner edge of my thumb and the fleshy pad underneath hit the metal rim of the pan. I expected a painful burn. Since I had nothing else at hand, I decided to try the soy sauce remedy.
“The pain eased up in less than a minute, the soreness did not materialize and even the redness went away! It may be weird, but it certainly did work!”
Other listeners and readers have also tried this remedy and had success. Keep in mind that a serious burn requires prompt medical attention.
Soy Sauce Helps with Grilling Burns:
Q. I am a firm believer in home remedies and have tried many of the ones listed on your website with good results. The most remarkable is soy sauce for burns. I have used it many times with great success.
I cook a lot and have even had a red-hot ember from a grill fall on the top of my foot. Part even went down between my toes as I was hopping around. Cold water went on first to wash the area of ash. Then I poured on the soy sauce. Half an hour later there was no pain and very little redness.
A. Thank you for sharing your story. Many other readers agree that cold water followed by soy sauce is their go-to treatment for minor burns. Grilling poses special risks when coals are involved. You could have experienced a very serious burn. Those require prompt medical attention.
Soy Sauce Helps Ease the Pain of Kitchen Burns:
Years ago, we heard from another reader who found soy sauce helpful for a kitchen burn:
“When we were at the beach a friend of ours burned her hand on a very hot pan handle. (I had just pulled the pan out of the broiler.) I grabbed the soy sauce and had her soak her hand in it after she ran the burn under cold water. She reported relief and the next day she was fine. I was really worried it would blister. She smelled like marinade but that’s a small price. We credited you for the save.”
Laura wrote about a similar soy sauce experience:
“I burned my hand yesterday. After pulling a pan out of the oven (German Pancakes) I forgot for an instant and grabbed the handle on the stove. I’m sure I had severe 2nd degree burns on my palm and fingers. After 2+ hours of cold water/ice bag I remembered reading about the soy sauce. I put my hand in soy sauce for 45 minutes and then on and off for about 2 hours as needed for the pain. When I went to bed last night, you could see the burn and it was tender but did not burn. This morning it’s still red but no pain–no blisters and only a little tender. WOW!! I’m amazed!”
People who value simple solutions to common health problems may find our book, The People’s Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies, of value.
You might also be interested in these reports that speculate about the science behind soy sauce–or sugar–for burns.
