I previously went over skin care for dry skin, combination skin and oily skin but a discussion on caring for sunburn skin deserves a special look.
Sunburn Symptoms
Nobody likes sunburns. It stings, your skin feels hot and it peels. Worst of all, it leaves lasting damage.
Sunburn is also similar to sun poisoning. In medical terms it’s known as photodermatitis which is a allergic reaction by your skin to overexposure to the sun. In the case of sun poisoning, however, the reaction is a bit more severe and the symptoms may become seriously uncomfortable.
With a typical sunburn, it usually involves itching, redness, and peeling. If your skin is badly burnt, you may even experience blisters that can lead to infections.
Treatment of Sunburn Skin
If the symptoms you encounter are mild, then treat your skin like any other sunburn. i.e. drink plenty of water to keep hydrated and your skin moisturized and hydrated. Also use an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables to ease the swelling and itching.
Aloe is also an awesome ingredient to treat sun damaged skin. It relieves pain and inflammation. Avoid oils or anything that contains potential irritants. This includes exfoliants.
Aloe Treatment of Sun Damaged Skin
If you go to most Asian or Korean grocery stores, you can buy whole aloe leaves. Always better than buying aloe powder or extract.
- Purchase some leaves
- Refrigerate to chill
- Peel off the top layer with a knife to expose the Aloe flesh which looks like jelly or lychee
- Take long strip of aloe, much like how you would take a filet off a fish, and then apply it directly to your burn.
- When the aloe strip dries out, repeat.
If you prefer to use aloe vera juice, keep the sun damaged area moist with the aloe juice and repeat frequently.These methods should reduce the pain and the amount of peeling.
The most important thing to remember is to keep the sunburn area moist at all times whether the sun damage is mild or severe.
Sunburn Remedies
Aloe Vera Gel
As mentioned above, there is nothing better than aloe vera gel. It is antibacterial and deeply healing for burns in part because of aloectin B, which stimulates the immune system.
Vitamin E Cream
Vitamin E is a source of antioxidant which you can find in vitamin E creams, ointments and oils.
Increase Your Vitamin C
Another great source of antioxidants. Increase your vitamin C to help heal sunburned quicker.
Black Tea
Tannins contained black tea helps to sooth sunburn. Soak a black tea teabag and you can either use the tea bag itself or moisten a cloth and place it on the sunburnt area.
Baking Soda
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to a warm bath or bucket of water and soak. Don’t dry the affected area with a towel. Let it air dry instead.
Why backing soda? It cools and helps the skin retain moisture.
Calendula Cream
Calendula is wonderful healing plant. The flowers are emollient, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antiviral. These plants are rich in carotenoids and immune system stimulants. You should be able to find Calendula creams at a health food or supplement store.
At any point, if you suffer from extreme pain or vomiting or if your fever grows too hot (over 104 degrees Fahrenheit), head to an emergency room.
Prevention with Sunscreen Wipes
Prevention from sunburn is always the best remedy. You don’t have to go through the pain, the hassle and the discomfort.
You also have to be aware of the effects of excessive exposure to the sun which leads to skin cancer, deep wrinkled skin, discoloration and pigmentation. Not a pretty sight is it?
One of the best preventive measure is to use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 that offers protection against both UVA and UVB rays. The use of sunscreen wipes will achieve all this.
If you do really desire a tan , try out tanning towels which match the tone of your skin. It doesn’t create a disgusting orange glow that screams self tanner. These sunless tanning towels are the most efficient, cleanest and safest way to a perfect tan.
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