It’s officially summer here in southern California. And with the nice weather comes more time spent outside in the sun and heat. Unfortunately, this also means increased risk of sunburn.
Sunburns effect over 33% of adults and 70% of children every year. While many individuals are familiar with skin damage caused by harmful UV rays, the prevalence of sunburns has not seemed to decrease.
Thankfully, there has been lots of research and information over the past 10 years regarding the benefits of wearing sunblock. Sunblock works by creating a chemical barrier between your skin and the sun’s rays.
While wearing sunblock greatly reduces your risk of sunburn, it is still possible to get sunburned even while wearing sunblock.
Sweat, water, and time all wear down on sunblock and reduce your coverage and protection. Your best defense in protecting your skin is to follow your sunblock’s directions, reapply often, and utilize physical coverage like clothing or shade.
Sunblock should be reapplied every 90 minutes to be effective. If you’re sweating or in and out of the water, reapply sooner at the 1 hour mark. Make sure your sunblock has a high SPF and blocks both UVA and UVB rays for the most comprehensive coverage.
If you do find yourself red and burned after a day in the sun, your skin may need some help in healing itself quickly and efficiently. Bad sunburns left untreated can blister, peel, and leave behind permanent scarring.
Below are some tried and proven tips to reduce the time you’re sunburned and get your skin back to its normal healthy state.
Aloe Vera – aloe Vera is an all natural skin calming remedy. The healing liquid is found within the leaves of an aloe plant. If you don’t have an aloe plant, don’t worry. You can find aloe vera gel at any store. This plant works extremely well at calming the skin and promoting healing. It’s a tried and true method to reducing and healing sunburns.
Vitamins and antioxidants – vitamins such as A and E and antioxidants are great for the skin. Taken internally and externally, they promote healing and recovery through cell regeneration. They even help protect your skin from future sunburns.
Moisturize – this might seems obvious or simplistic but when we’re sunburned our skin is lacking moisture. You need hydration internally as well as externally. Be sure to drink tons of water and lather yourself often with a thick, absorbent moisturizer. This two-prong approach will help your skin stay moisturized and heal quickly.
Please keep in mind exposure to the sun is linked to skin cancer. Please keep your health in mind when spending time in the sun. Always use sunblock!