In case you missed it, Part 1 covered prevention and after-sun care (for normal sun exposure). In Part 2 we have some suggestions on what to do if prevention wasn’t quite as successful and you are experiencing a burn.
The Burn Has Happened…What to Do?
You thought you had adequate protection, but something didn’t work right and now it’s too late. Unfortunately, because the sun reaches so deep, it often takes hours before the visible and physical evidence makes itself known. Even the fairest skin may not turn pink until it is too late. (This is where spending shorter periods of time in the sun and then returning to the shade can really help – it gives you time to see how your skin is doing.)
If you get home from your fun and find you have a burn, here are some important ways to care for your skin.
- Take a cool shower to remove salt, chlorine, and sweat that irritate the burn. This will help skin cool down and hydrate.
- Avoid scrubs, rough washcloths, brushes, and other exfoliating products until your skin has completely healed – and give it a few extra days after the visible signs of the burn are gone before exfoliating.
- Drink water…and more water. Rehydrate from the inside out. While this may not relieve the pain of the burn, it is vital to the healing your body is working on.
- Take some electrolytes. And no, we do not mean from sports drinks. Sugar impedes healing in the body and slows the absorption of the minerals needed. Take some calcium / magnesium or purchase an electrolyte supplement from your local health food store to help your body rehydrate more quickly.
- Hydrate your skin from the outside as well as the inside. For your face, our Serum Infusion Masks penetrates deeply to rehydrate and restore.
- Place a cool compress on the burned area.
- Choose an aloe vera gel that is pure aloe, not mixed with chemicals that can clog pores and leave a film on the skin that irritates the burn further.
- Select an after-sun cream or serum and test it before you go out in the sun. Do a patch test and make sure you don’t have any irritations before sun; your skin will be even more sensitive after sun exposure. Be cautious with pain relieving sprays and creams that can clog the skin instead of allowing it to breathe.
- Keep your aloe vera or anti-inflammatory after-sun cream in the fridge to offer some instant pain relief and cooling.
- Do not pop blisters or hasten the process of peeling skin! Allow the body to control the healing process. It knows best what needs to happen and when.
For an intense sunburn, please seek medical attention. Sunstroke, sun poisoning, and other sun-related illnesses are not something to mess around with. Stop at a Long’s Drugs and ask the pharmacist if you have questions about your burn.
There are many home remedies on the Internet to soothe and calm a burn, beyond aloe vera. Some work and others aren’t as successful and it all depends on your individual body chemistry. The key when selecting a home remedy is to do a small test and see how your skin responds. For example, many sites recommend using yogurt (particularly plain Greek yogurt) or dabbing on milk as an after-sun lotion. However, if you have a dairy allergy, your skin will be sensitive to it as well as your digestive system.
We have not personally tried the following home remedies, but have heard from others who have had success with them.
- Plain Greek Yoghurt as a lotion. Make sure it does not have any added sugar.
- Milk dabbed on and allowed to dry. Use cool, not cold, milk for this.
- Lavender essential oil mixed with a gentle non-comedogenic (one that doesn’t clog pores) carrier oil. Argan, avocado, jojoba or rosehip oil.
- Calendula Cream from a health food store.
- Cold compresses made from freshly brewed black tea. The tannic acid in the tea is said to draw the heat from the skin while restoring the pH balance.
- Black teabags that have been brewed and cooled can be applied to smaller areas like eyelids that have burned.
- Cool baths can soothe the discomfort. Be sure to avoid soaps and perfumes. Some remedies to add to the bath would be (but only use one at a time, don’t mix them!) one cup of apple cider vinegar, oatmeal, lavender or chamomile essential oils, or two cups of baking soda.
If you have a relationship with a local naturopath, acupuncturist, or other wellness practitioner, check with them about either home remedies that you should try or avoid, as well as if they carry any natural products. Some Chinese medicine practitioners have burn creams that work on sunburns as well.
While we hope you never get another sunburn, we do hope you heal quickly and enjoy our beautiful Hawaii sun for many years to come!
