Topics
What is Sunburn?
Sunburn Causes and Symptoms
Remove Sunburn from Face Quickly with DIY Home Cure
Tips to Prevent Sunburn for Beautiful Skin this Summer
What is Sunburn?
Sunburn is also known as Dhup ki kalima (Hindi/Urdu), Surya prakashane honara twache cha kshobh (Marathi), Venirkattikku (Tamil), Shai ban (Chinese), quemadura del sol (Spanish), queimadura de sol (Portuguese), Rode pora theke bamcara (Bengali), zagar (Russian). When it comes to the sun, a little bit goes a long way. Although sunshine helps the body manufacture vitamin D, an important nutrient, but can cause sunburn.
Sunburn Causes and Symptoms
Sunburn is occurs on overexposure to bright sunlight, ultraviolet radiation from the sun (or a solar lamp). The inflammation may be mild or serious, depending on the degree of exposure. Melanin, the pigment in our skin, protects us from sunburn, but it can only do so much. Many people use large amounts of chemical products on their skin, as well as internally chemical deodorants, chemical soaps, chemical perfumes, cough medicines, and numerous other medications. These substances all weaken the skin. When a person who uses a large number of these products lies in the sun, he or she is more prone to burn. Also who are generally more fair-skinned, pale complexions or those who are unused to being in the sun are more susceptible to sunburn. Sunburn symptoms may include redness and extreme soreness in affected areas, dizziness, nausea, a sensation of heat in burned areas blisters, undue sensitivity to light, peeling of the skin, and blistering in severe cases. Repeated sunburn may create premature aging and wrinkling of the skin, and the person looks old, like a roasted potato! Sunburn can also damage the DNA of skin cells, which sometimes leads to skin cancer. Here are some tips to prevent sunburn and remedies to treat it effectively if it happens.
Remove Sunburn from Face Quickly with DIY Home Cure
- Sandalwood Face Mask: Make a paste of sandalwood and turmeric by mixing equal amounts of these herbs with a little cool water. Apply gently to the sunburned area. It will have a cooling effect. Note: This paste will stain your skin yellow for at least a couple of days and will also stain any clothing it touches.
- Another home remedy suggests applying stiffly whipped egg whites to the burned skin. Leave to dry then wash off gently with lukewarm chamomile tea.
- Coconut oil is also effective for soothing sunburned skin.
- Urtica urens ointment eases the pain and helps to prevent skin damage.
- Use wet teabags to apply to sunburned areas.
- Aloe applied to the affected areas is always a good recommendation.
- Calendula speeds the healing of burns.
- Pulverize some lettuce and apply the pulp directly to the sunburn.
- An old but effective home remedy for sunburn is to apply yoghurt or sour cream to the affected area. OR Apply a little fresh cream (from milk) directly on the sunburned skin.
- Tea compresses are a time honored treatment for sunburns. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water into a cup. Dunk green or black tea bag of your choice. Steep and let cool to room temperature. Dip the clean cloth into the tea and apply to the burn. OR apply the cooled tea bag directly to the irritated skin. Green tea extracts applied to the skin provide some protection against the detrimental effects of ultraviolet light. Consuming green tea does, too. Although it protects against skin damage from solar radiation, topical green tea extract appears to be more effective when applied before, rather than after, sunburn.
- For minor burns or sunburn, first run the affected area under cold tap water for at least 10 minutes, then bathe in Aloe Vera gel. OR Apply Aloe Vera cream to the site of the burn. You can also use some pure Aloe Vera gel (with no preservatives added), or if you have access to an aloe plant, lightly rub a piece of the plant on the sunburned area.
- A tea made from comfrey root makes a soothing remedy for sunburn. Add 2 teaspoons of chopped comfrey root to 1 cup of water. Cover and bring to the boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat and leave to steep for 15 minutes. Soak a cloth in the cooled liquid and place on affected area.
- Lavender essential oil: Possibly the only essential oil that is safe to apply neat to large areas of the skin, lavender oil is a key first aid remedy for home use and when traveling. Apply the oil to minor burns and sunburn to promote healing and ease discomfort. OR Add a few drops of lavender and chamomile oils to a tub of live yogurt, and apply to affected areas to soothe, encourage healing, and reduce inflammation.
- Sliced tomatoes placed onto the burned area will soothe and heal the damaged skin.
- Apply fresh cucumber or cucumber juice to sunburned skin to cool it down.
- Witch Hazel Compress: Take 1oz. (25g.) cut bark and 2 cups (500ml.) water. Simmer together for 10 minutes. Strain and allow to cool. Dip a cloth into the decoction, wring, and apply for a half-hour, wetting it again as needed.
- Take a gauze pad, dip it into cool milk (either cow’s milk or goat’s milk), and apply it directly to the sunburn. If you have no milk available, use a cloth dipped in cool water, but milk is better.
- The flesh of a ripe avocado soothes sunburned skin.
- Place an ice bag or a bag of frozen food (like corn, peas, or beans) on the affected area to cool the skin. But don’t leave ice touching your skin for more than a minute or two without a break.
- Choose a waterproof sunscreen with a minimum of 30 SPF (preferably, 50 SPF), with both UVA and UVB block, and apply it generously 30 minutes before sun exposure. Pay special attention to your face, nose, ears, and shoulders. Reapply every hour or after you go in the water. Use a sunscreen on a regular basis, including on cloudy days, since 80 percent of the sun’s UV rays pass through the clouds.
Tips to Prevent Sunburn for Beautiful Skin this Summer
- Avoid or minimize exposure to sunlight from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. Those are the peak hours of the sun’s strength.
- If there is damage externally, there is damage internally, it’s also really important to eat high-antioxidant foods like blueberries to help the body heal. Drink plenty of water, too, to rehydrate yourself.
- Rub a little vitamin E oil into the affected area, soon after the burning, to help the healing process and prevent peels and scarring.
- Limit your time in the direct sun to no more than half an hour. At high altitudes, even this may be too long.
- For sunburns, try a cream or gel with menthol or camphor. Either will help take the sting away.
- Some sunscreens now contain green tea. Farmers in Asia don’t have the skin cancer rate we have in the United States, and the thinking is it’s because they drink a lot of green tea. Studies show that the nutrients in green tea actually protect against skin cancer, so it’s a good idea to add some to your diet, too.
- When you have a wound of significant size, your body needs extra protein for healing. Chicken—white and dark meat— provides ample protein. When you’ve plucked the bones clean, use them to make delicious bone soup.
- Before going into the sun, apply neem oil to the exposed parts of the body. Neem is a good sun blocker that will help protect your skin.
- Drink coconut water or coconut milk.
- Before and after showering, apply neem oil to your skin. Coconut oil is also helpful.
- Sunburn can trigger psoriasis so take care and avoid sunburn. So keep yourself cool this summer.