After Sun Care

[gruveechik]

i'm sure you've heard of it before.. but if you've got an Aloe plant handy, slice a leaf off (preferably a thick one) and cut in half... best to trim the green edges off too... and keep reapplying the pure aloe to your skin.

If you don't have an aloe plant handy, then get (as pure as possible) Aloe Vera Gel (preferably not green - as that has added colour). Use the Aloe if you're still burning. If you're itchy etc.. then move on to (as pure as possible) Calendula Cream. It'll help heal your skin up in a jiffy.

i'm a brown gal myself, never ever prone to burns, until i got some weird reaction on the back of my neck one hot summer.. i got a bit of a burn and a rash afterwards.. aloe and calendula were the only things that worked for me.

hmmm.. just remembering Woodstock 99 hell.... i took sunscreen, aloe and calendula for myself, but there were so many pale-skinned folks who got roasted there (seriously, never saw 3rd degree sun-burns before ) so i went around dabbing people with the sunscreen, aloe and calendula - cuz they needed it more than me. Ha... too bad i wasn't able to magically produce water or food.. or a way out of that place.

btw: anyone out there survived Woodstock 99 hell? i was a Mehndi Vendor. ah.. i should set up a new post.

 

[PradaP]

Aloe will help sooth the burn.
Stay right out of the sun until your skin heals and avoid applying too much product to the affected area as it may iritate it even more

and make sure this NEVER EVER happens again

 

[kealoha]

hate to say it, but you'll probably peel since you're already itching. the one time this happened to me, i applied baby lotion after a shower & allowed it to absorb in the skin. it prevents it from flaking off as quickly.

 

[southerncutie]

Sunburn Help!

So... I'm sunburnt I went to Ship Island with some friends and put on SPF 45 sunscreen every hour, a shirt after two, but am still burnt crispy.. I have water blisters all over my back but my face is fine.. just tan and red on the cheeks.. I only stayed in the sun for two hours but I guess I have more delicate skin than I thought now.. What can help with the burn? I take ibuprofen and put on aloe vera but it hurts.... so bad! What do you do to help when you get burned?

 

[Erin]

All I can say is slather on the aloe vera, so you're doing the right thing. I've heard oatmeal baths help.

But unfortunately, there's only so much you can do... the next thing that'll let your skin heal is time.

I feel for you... most of us have been there (including myself, ugh).

 

[DreamsAreMade]

Aloe vera hurts you? It usually burns at first but if you let it sit, it should stop. You COULD ask a pharmacist if there's something in aloe vera that you're allergic to (and then what he would recommend). There are more natural versions of aloe vera. I'm not sure what you've tried but there's the actual flower plant (juice from it), there's gels, and lotions. Hmm...that never fails for me...
And there's also lavender oil which a lot people say works on all diff. burns, but I've never tried it.

^oh, yea as Erin said oatmeal...lol, that's such a pain though.

Were you out between 12pm and 3pm? That's the worst time to be in the sun no matter how much protection...even for pple who tan easily.

 

[ShOe GaL 19]

How funny...Last weekend, I headed over to the Keys and I got burnt like a Thanksgiving turkey! I (recommended by a friend) put on some Noxema FACIAL cream and believe it or not, it felt GREATTTTTT and allowed me to sleep better on my back at night. The bad thing about it: now, a week later, I'm peeling like crazy! Its so gross!! I got 3 people: the guy im dating, my best friend and mother to pick a spot and to begin peeling off the skin! lol it was pretty gross but it doesnt look as bad as before because i had holes everywhere of the skin that was falling off....

 

[Luna]

This stuff is amazing.. If you can get it anywhere near you!

http://www.californiatan.com/product/product_detail.ehtm?pid=10279

 

[paprika_hiccup]

Ouch --

I know this will sound strange, but you should give it a try as it has really worked on my sunburns in the past.

Apple Cider Vinegar- pref. get an unpastuerized from the health food store- Spectrum or Bragg's brand.

Soak some soft towels in the Apple Cider Vinegar a make compresses for your back and change them often. It WILL stink, but it will be so worth it. I am very fair and I am X-tra careful in the sun and have not had a bad burn in a few years, but when I have used this remedy in the past it has been so effective! I have used it on freshly burned, firey lobster skin and come away with no peeling skin ( I even tanned more than I ususally do-- but we already know that tanning is pretty bad, right? )

I work in skincare now, and I believe that the Apple Cider Vinegar is very good at restoring the nautral pH of the skin, which is slightly acidic at about 5.5. When you skin burns, it raises the pH of your skin and the apple cider vinegar (with a ph of about 5) brings it back into balance.

I do not know the reasoning behind why it works 100 percent- but I know it does work and this is why I believe it works. I will try to see if I can find some more info around .

I would keep apply the aloe as well and it will help to rehydrate your skin, and help the skin to heal more quickly--

Let us know how it goes it you try it!!

 

[southerncutie]

thanks for all the tips... I'm going tomorrow to get some apple cider vinegar and the rest of the stuff that was recommended... all of the blister have been popping and gushing on my shirt today so I haven't been able to go anywhere... no more sun for a long time!!

 

[__neversummer]

Drink alot of water. I'm a snowboard instructor and no matter how carefullI am with sunscreen I always get burnt atleast once or twice. Sunburns really dehydrate you and the best way to feel better is to drink *alot* of water.

 

[MissDIOR]

oh my i sunburnt one week ago how to get faster ride of that terrible skin that is coming of????

 

[evexa]

Well being in FL I can give you a tip or two...
The only thing that REALLY numbs your skin is lidocaine (and it is at such a low % unfortunately that it wears off).
Look for after sun lotions with the highest %of it.

Warning: Do not run out and get prescription strength lidocaine, using it all over your body cangive you a heart attack.

 

[Alexx]

wow you must have REALLY delicate skin to have burned through Factor 45 in 2 hours!

I can genrally go about 3 hours on factor 10 somewhere really hot, (like the egypt) before I start to burn. I think I must inheret that off my dad, he can just tan all day, and even if he does burn it just goes a little pink then goes brown and back to normal the next day!

http://wy.essortment.com/howtreatsunbur_rfdh.htm
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/self/197

You may find those links usefull. Apparently if your worried about peeling skin, hot showers are good at getting rid of it faster.

 

[southerncutie]

my skin is so weird... it's olive-ish but burns so easily but usually tans instead of peeling.. it's super sensitive as well! My chest burnt once while I was standing aorund in front of the state capitol building for an hour- bright red and peeling...

 

[coralmilk]

After Sun thread

I searched for a thread like this and couldn't find it so if there is indeed one, just ignore and delete this post.

What products do you recommend using after sun? Good specific moisturizers, hair care, etc..?

x

 

[elschic111]

I like to use a Lancaster after sun lotion. I tan very easily but I never let myself get dark...this makes it so i can spend less time in the sun and keep my warmer toned skin longer.

For hair...any really really really rich conditioning mask thing should do. I bring a cheap one like Neutrogena on vacation just to be able to comb my hair in the shower after the beach every day.

 

[SHEXYchiquita]

Aloe vera, cocoa butter, shea butter, etc. are all good for after sun care.

Clarins makes an after sun lotion for the face.

 

[miu_miu]

I found this thread in my spring-cleaning of the forum and I thought I'd bump it to see if you guys want to share your advice on what to do after you've been in the sun this summer

A sunburn is an actual radiation burn of your skin. The ultraviolet light from the sun damaged the DNA of your skin cells, triggering these cells to die (which is a good thing since you don’t want mutated cells hanging around, causing trouble).

The dead cells trigger release of pro-inflammatory signals called cytokines that lead to redness, swelling, and pain. The dead cells will slough off in a few days leading to peeling and often uncomfortable itching.

Here are seven ways to treat a sunburn if you get home and see a bright red you in the mirror:

• Take anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprophen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve) or aspirin. These stop inflammation and reduce the amount of redness and pain. It is important to take them early as they can help block the release of interleukins, the skin’s main sunburn cytokine.
• Apply cool compresses and cool moisturizers. Try Eucerin Calming Cream. Put it in the refrigerator for a few hours before applying to your burn.
  
• Avoid hot showers. Instead, take a luke warm bath with Aveeno Collodial Oatmeal. The oatmeal is both a soothing anti-inflammatory and a moisturizer, which are the two things your skin needs most.
• Avoid any additional sun exposure. The best way is to cover up with clothing; applying a sunscreen to a sunburn can worsen the inflammation and itching.
• If you have blisters, resist the urge to pop them. They form a protectant seal on your skin; if they tear, the sensitive underlayers of skin will be exposed. You won’t like it. Don’t peel off the dead skin either; rather let it slough off on its own in the shower.
• If you have extensive burns or blistering, see your physician. He or she can prescribe topical steroids to help minimize the inflammation.
• Avoid numbing sprays such as benzocaine. Although they can feel great when applied, they are notorious for causing allergic contact dermatitis. If you think a sunburn is bad, try adding an incredibly itchy, allergic contact dermatitis on top of a sunburn. As one of my patients put it: “Its like being tied down on a hill of fire ants.”

Post written by Jeffrey Benabio, MD.

thedermblog.com

 

[The_Ida]

For sunburn, I find the best thing is natural aloe right from the plant. It feels really soothing on the burn even though it smells kinda bad. Also, the plants are easy to take care of so you can always keep one.

I bought some at the supermarket, and they smell yummy...how funny

I never ever get sunburns even though I'm very very pale. I got one when I was 3...that's 18 years ago, so I don't remember if it hurt My step sister gets burned all the time, and she loves aloe vera straight from the plant.