Beat The Heat – How To Prevent and Treat A Sunburn

Posted on Aug 2, 2014 | 1 comment

With summer in full swing, so too is the potential for a sunburn. While we know spending time outside is vital for our well-being, getting a sunburn doing it is not! It is important to take the necessary precautions for being outside, whether on holiday someplace tropical or out in your backyard in the summer months.

Why Time in the Sun is Important

At the center of our solar system sits the sun. The sun brings life and energy to Earth and all of her creatures. So it is a no-brainer that it can have a great effect on us. Beyond the superficial charm of a healthy looking tan, exposure to the sunshine has shown to fight depression and insomnia, balance your hormones, break down toxins inside of your body, increase your circulation, gives you your vitamin D and can help clear your skin. All this from just stepping outside for a bit!

Ok, So How Much Sun Should I Be Getting?

Because I believe in bio individuality, every body is different, you may need slightly more or slightly less than recommended. Currently, it is suggested that you get between 15-30 minutes of natural sunlight at least 4 times a week NOT during peak sunshine hours (between 10am and 3pm).

Is it Safe to Spend a Full Day in the Sunshine?

Yes! And all that fresh air is good for you too! There are many ways to protect yourself from too much sun. A natural sunscreen is one great way.

Can Sunscreen Prevent a Sunburn?

Natural sunscreens can help. However, most sunscreens you can buy at your pharmacy are not natural. Here is what I did not know about them:

The short-wave ultraviolet light responsible for the sunburn is absorbed by the sunscreen. The long-wave ultraviolet radiation that is responsible for the most common skin cancer called malignant melanoma is NOT BLOCKED AT ALL BY SUNSCREEN.
Swimming and Sweating greatly reduce the effectiveness of the sunscreen. Unless you re-apply constantly, the sunscreen will be ineffective.
Most sunscreens have an undisclosed list of toxic ingredients, yet are labeled with promises of ‘all day protection’ and ‘blocks all harmful rays’. A few of these toxic ingredients absorb though the skin to generate what are known as “free radicals” – they accelerate skin damage and aging as well as increase the risk of skin cancer. The toxic ingredients include:

Benzophenone – a “hormone disrupter” which mimics natural hormones produced by the endocrine system. It is also an allergen, causing allergic reactions, and a “penetration enhancer,” which penetrates the skin, and is absorbed into the bloodstream and invades body wide organs.
Octyl-methoxycinnamate – also a hormone disrupter and penetration enhancer.
Oxybenzone – a hormone disrupter.
Parabens – more forms of hormone disrupters.

Thankfully there are some natural sunscreens out there and they are becoming more mainstream. Read the labels before you buy and look around, there are very affordable ones out there. And RE-APPLY, often!

Ways to Prevent a Sunburn

The sun is at its strongest between 10am and 3pm. I’m not saying run inside and hide during these hours of the day, but I am suggesting you take care and follow some of these tips, use a natural sunscreen and re-apply – a lot – during these hours.
Stay hydrated. Drink lots and lots of water, it truly does help.
Bring your own shade! The Sport-Brella X-Large Umbrella, Steel Blue
is one of my favorite purchases and comes with us everywhere. Pops up super easy to offer plenty of shade at any location – the beach, the park, your backyard! It even has vents to allow for wind flow!
Invest in some sunscreen protected hats, shirts and pants. At the very least purchase some long sleeve uv protected swim shirts, not only will you save on sunscreen, but your upper body skin will be completely protected for the whole day!
Re-apply, RE-APPLY, re-apply. I can’t say it enough, you swim, you re-apply. You play a fun beach game, you re-apply. I think you get the point!

Oops, I got a Sunburn!

If you forgot to re-apply and you got the sunburn, it is not the end of the world. Let this be a lesson so you will be more conscious next time you are in the sunshine! However, there are a few things that work for my occasional sunburn.

Tips to Relieve that Sunburn

Drink more water, it always helps.
Calendula Gel. I have no idea why and I stumbled on this by accident. Not only did I have a sunburned shoulder, I got a small cut on it. I usually put calendula gel on my cuts, so this day I put a little on. I had rubbed aloe on the rest of the burn. The next morning the burn had disappeared from around my cut but remained everywhere else. So that night I spread the calendula around the rest of the burn and presto, the next morning, burn gone. I have since used it on the occasional burn on my children and husband, same effect. Try it!
Aloe. Be careful if you buy it in lotion form, read the label and try to find one that has no other ingredients. I grow it. So when someone has a burn, I cut a bit off and ooze it onto the burn and gently rub it in. It definitely cools the burn down.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Herb Spray. I got this idea from a recipe posted by Wellness Mama, I then tweaked it a bit and the effects are great. Here is what I do: Boil 1 cup of water and poor over 2 tablespoons of dried mint leaf, and 2 tbls of lavender flowers. Once cool, strain out the herbs. Add an equal amount of apple cider vinegar to the cooled tea mixture. Then add a few drops of the essential oils of lavender and helichrysum and pour into a spray bottle. Spray as much as you want. Not only should this take away the sting of a sunburn but it will also speed up the recovery.
Oatmeal. Cook the oats as per package instructions, let cool down. Then gently rub it onto the sunburn and let soak it. I have heard this to be helpful to many people.
Black Tea Bags. I have never tried this but it makes sense and I have read that it has helped many people with a bad sunburn. Wet the tea bag in warm water and then place the bag directly onto the sunburn. Or soak a cloth in a pot of black tea and then rest the cloth on the sunburn. It will relieve the pain and the redness.

What are your great tips to beat the heat and either prevent or treat that nasty sunburn?

Cheers and Happy Sunning!
Malibu Mama Loves Xx

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1 Comment

gowaxhead (@gowaxhead)
May 31, 2016

Hey Lindsey! We just put together a huge resource post on choosing Safe Sunscreen: https://www.gowaxhead.com/safe-sunscreen

Hope it helps your audience read and understand sunscreen labels. 🙂
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