Sunburn... Cures?

If you live in a hot country (like me) or you just have a good summer in England then you need to be careful. You may think that the sun is not too strong that day because its not boiling hot or the sky is overcast. In actual fact, the sun can be even more dangerous when the sky is overcast or when its rather cool. Its more dangerous because you can't tell you are being burnt until its already happened.
I recently got very bad sunburn after I spent a day at the beach with nothing to act as shade. I didn't apply sun cream regularly enough and there was only a limited amount of liquid that had to be shared between 5 people. I didn't realise until I got home just how bad the sunburn was.
When I woke up the next morning, I was in absolute agony. I couldn't walk, I could barely sleep because I had burnt my back. It was awful and hopefully it will never happen again.

Tips for going out in the sun...
My first tip to those going out in the sun is put sun cream on! This sounds like a really stupid thing to say but you would be surprised how often people forget to do this one little thing. When you are in the sun, make sure you can to some shade if you feel you've had enough. Wear a hat, sunglasses and bring light clothes that will cover you up but not make you hotter than you already are. The other thing is keep hydrated in the sun. The more dehydrated you are, the easier it is for your skin to burn! The last one is for the girls. Girls, if you're wearing makeup when you go to the beach - or just out in the sun in general - make sure you are wearing a foundation / moisturiser / primer with SPF in. Most foundations and BB creams have an SPF of 15. Its also a good idea to use a lip balm with SPF because the sun can burn your lips too!

Tips for if you've already been caught by the sun...
If you went out in the sun and are now bright pink and in a LOT of pain; here are my tips for you.

Number 1:
get straight into a bath of lukewarm water for 20 minutes. I know a lot of people say take a shower but I find that is too harsh on the skin. Some people also find it hard to stand if they've burnt their legs. Taking a bath means that you can sit and immerse your body fully in the water. The cold water cools the skin down and helps with the inflammation. This is especially useful just after you have been burnt. I doing the same thing in the shower after about a few days. This way, your skin has had some time to heal and it won't hurt. Another method is simply to use a wet cloth if you are in too much pain to use either of the first two techniques. This technique is also helpful throughout the day if the pain increases. Do Not use ice packs from the freezer to cool your skin as this just increases pain.

Number 2:
Number 2 is when you get out of the shower, either air dry your skin or pat it dry with a towel. If you rub yourself, you will cause irritation with the skin which just increases pain and inflammation. This also means that it will take longer for the skin to heal.

Number 3:
Number 3 is to keep moisturised. This is something that people neglect doing when they get sunburn. Moisturiser locks moisture into the skin - which you need as your skin has been dehydrated - and helps to heal it faster.



(Please Note: I have not been paid to feature these products, nor am I recommending them to you.)

Another product that helps heal the skin is after sun. After sun helps reduce inflammation and soothe burnt skin. If you cannot find after sun, Aloe Vera gel works just as well to soothe the skin and reduce inflammation.
Number 4:
Number 4 is a technique that not many people know about. OTC [over the counter] pain killers. This is a technique I didn't hear about until recently and when I had sun burn, helped tremendously. OTC pain killers include ibuprofen, and paracetamol. This technique helps reduce inflammation but also helps with immediate pain relief.   Although this is probably the most useful technique for pain relief, it should not be abused. Taking 2 tablets every 5-6 hours should be sufficient.

Number 5:
My last tip is probably the one that will help the most and be the most effective. Do you see that glass of fresh, cool water pictured below? Well that is my last tip. Drink lots of water. On average you should drink up to 6 glasses of water a day to keep hydrated. However, if you have sunburn, you are already extremely dehydrated so it is more important than usual to drink water. If you have sun burn it is recommended that you drink 8 - 10 glasses every day until you have healed. So make a conscious effort to stay hydrated! Water is the best thing to drink when you have sunburn. Juices, milk, milkshakes, fizzy drinks etc. do not keep you hydrated!

I hope this post helps you and is helpful for next time you are out in the sun. I use all these tips so I am recommending them based on personal experience.
Thanks and I'll see you next week.
Lara x

(Please Note: All pictures featured are my own, not from the internet. Copying these pictures to use for your own blog etc. is a breach of copy write.)