Sunburn Recovery – Aloe Vera

Getting sunburnt is probably my least favorite part about summer, but what are you supposed to do about it?

Sunburn

First off, what does it mean to get “sunburnt?” I’m sure what everyone commonly thinks of is the annoying pink or red tone that our skin turns or the occasional blisters. And this is true, but it’s not just an annoying painful reaction; sunburn is really the result of your immune system being hard at work. When your skin is overexposed to ultraviolet (UV) rays, it starts to kill skin cells. You may remember from biology that “your skin is already dead,” but that is referring to the outermost layer of skin. Just beneath that you have live skin cells working to produce fresh layer of skin to protect your body. The UV rays get down to that live skin cell layer, killing skin cells faster than your body is prepared for. Your body’s first imposes an inflammatory response of dilating blood vessels, which results in redness. As you stay in the sun longer your “skin cells will start to thicken and melanin pigment will be produced (tanning) in an attempt to stop the UV rays from penetrating through to the deeper layers and damaging the DNA of the cells” (Dermalogica). Your skin also begins to “dry out” as you skin cells continue to die and expose more vulnerable skin.

How to Treat Sunburns

HYDRATE. You may be dehydrated from losing all that moisture. Water is really critical for keeping your skin bright and healthy on a daily basis and become specifically critical when the UV rays have dried out your skin.

ALOE VERA can be a great way to treat your sunburnt skin. Like hydrating, aloe helps to directly hydrate and cool your skin. It comes in the form of gel, spray, liquid, or capsules. I often store a bottle or gel or spray in the refrigerator ready for someone to come home sunburnt; it makes the aloe that much more refreshing to apply. You just lather or spray on a generous amount of the aloe as necessary. The liquid and capsules are both great ways to help you skin and immune system. As you are drinking large amounts of water, add an eighth of a teaspoon to your glass of water. It would also not be a bad idea to make this or the capsule part of your daily routine.

RESIST. Resist going out in the sun without sunblock in the first place. This is much healthier for your skin. Also, is you do get sunburnt, be sure to stay away from heavy creams. They tend to trap in the heat and not allow your skin to breathe and heal.

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