While on vacation, my daughter forgot to put sunscreen on the top of her feet, and they ended up looking like a red lobster.
Needless to say, the rest of the weekend I was on sunscreen patrol, and I tried to help soothe the burn.
I am sure you can relate to my 20yr old daughter. Despite our best efforts of applying and reapplying sunscreen all day long, most of us have experienced a painful sunburn. Maybe we either miss a spot, realize our sunscreen is expired, or worse, the sunscreen product itself doesn’t have the right ingredients to protect you from UVA and UVB rays. (Go to my website for the facial sunscreen product that I suggest)
Just in case you are experiencing a sunburn now, I’d like to offer some tips to help alleviate some pain.
1. Apply something cold.
Apply a damp cloth and hold it over the burn. This will absorb some heat from your skin, constrict blood vessels, and reduce swelling. Cool tea bags are also great for sunburns. The tannin acid in green and black tea will not only pull heat from sunburn, the antioxidant repairs skin damage.
2. Load up on water.
When your skin becomes burned, it loses water, causing intense dehydration. Staying hydrated can significantly lessen your symptoms and promote healing. You should drink plenty of water and eat hydrating fruits and vegetables, like watermelon, cucumber, strawberries, grapefruit, and cantaloupe—all of which are more than 90% water.
3. Moisturize strategically.
Choose your moisturizer wisely. Don’t apply occlusive ingredients like petroleum or coconut oil because they will trap heat. Look for a product that does not contain alcohol, colors, and fragrance that could further irritate the skin. (Check out Zen Therapy Gel for your sunburn.) For added relief, chill your moisturizer/gel in the fridge before applying.
*Give yourself grace- sunburn happens, but please resist the urge to peel.
Be good to yourself and your skin,
Michele
micheleburns77@gmail.com
919-649-4644
P.S. If you need the soothing relief of Zen Therapy Gel, let me know. It is good to have this gel on hand. Not just for sunburn emergencies, but also for calming irritated skin.
