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Sun is our friend, the sun is good. It is the easiest, most natural way to get Vitamin D and lots of it. However, you know what they say, ‘Too much of a good thing, can be a bad thing’ and lead to adverse effects I’d say. So while sunbathing on the beach in summer sounds marvelous, here are some facts and reasons on why you should take precaution:
- A sunburn occurs when the sun or another ultraviolet light source hits your unexposed body and exceeds what your skin can handle.
- A fair-skinned person can get a sunburn in less than 15 during intense midday sun, while for a dark-skinned person it could take hours to get burned in that same type of sun exposure.
- The sunburn process starts setting in before it’s even visible to the naked eye; the first effects may not show up for several hours.
- Blisters related to sunburn could take hours to days to develop.
- It could take a full 24 hours for a sunburn’s full effects to surface.
‘But I’m all covered in sunblock,’ you might say. Well, unless you have some preparation before and a base of naturals to help your skin cope with it better, the sun rays will always find their way to sneak in on you and SURPRISE you now have a painful, itchy red burn out of the clear blue sky (and literally).
Heal Faster
Before I go on and tell you about the fantastic oils I discovered that protect your skin while still letting those gentle rays of sun come through and provide you with Vitamin D, I would like to tell you a little bit about the nutrients you need to prevent sunburns and heal faster:
- Vitamin C & E (nuts, seeds, oranges)
- Beta-carotene (carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes)
- Lycopene (tomatoes and red bell peppers)
- Flavonoids (berries)
- Omega-3 foods (chia seeds, flax seeds)
Make sure to include these in your diet from various sources. Additionally, the oils below contain some of the above-mentioned vitamins and minerals that will help you in the prevention of getting your skin damaged.
Essential Oils for Sunburn
Peppermint oil
Peppermint oil has a fantastic mixture of abilities to save your skin from external factors. It is a natural analgesic, a painkiller, which is why it also helps soothe burnt areas by providing a cooling sensation. Additionally, it is an anti-itch therapy which soothes the area quickly and relieves the need to itch and further damage your skin.
If you tend to get a fever after a sunburn, peppermint oil can help you with it too. It is an effective, natural fever-reducer. Cool, ha? Cool indeed!
Bonus: because peppermint oil is also effective at alleviating headaches, it can help with an after-sun headache some people suffer from.
Lavender Oil
The gentle, soothing lavender oil should be your next best thing at relieving sunburns. What I love about it is that it alleviates the sting of burns within minutes and reduces redness within a day of application. If you want something to speed up the healing process, not only soothe your pain, lavender again is your hero, allowing your body to recover faster.
Widely known for its antimicrobial properties, for centuries lavender oil has been used to prevent various infections and fight off bacterial and fungal disorders. This means that it will heal the burns like no other oil on the planet. Plus, with its pleasant smell it is known as a stress reliever, so you’ll be able to withstand the pain better.
Bonus: In combo with the peppermint oil, the lavender oil will help you cool and soothe any itch and improve skin health overall.
Sandalwood Essential Oil
Sandalwood Oil, as you can see here, contains cooling properties and can be used to calm sunburn inflammation, soothe and cool burns. If you are concerned with infections, you shouldn’t worry about it because it can remove germs and bacteria and leave the area clean to heal properly. Now, what I like the most about it is that sandalwood can even out your tan.
Once you get burnt, those big patches of red and dark tan might appear after healing, and there’s no way you can even those out with additional sunbathing. This is why you use sandalwood oil. It’s excellent for creating an evenly darker tan.
Bonus: Mix 1- 2 drops of sandalwood essential oil, 1 drop of turmeric essential oil, and approximately 30 grams of coconut oil together. Apply the mixture gently to the affected skin area for immediate relief. Aloe Vera juice is an excellent addition (but not mandatory) to this mixture of homemade sunburn spray.
Last but not least, I wouldn’t be me if I don’t make things a lot easier for you and save you tons of money and time searching for the best essential oils. Namely, there are a lot of stores and brands I’ve tried out there before stumbling onto the Rocky Mountain Oils and their beautiful assortment of natural and authentic essential oils and organic products.
In order not to repeat myself, just click here and find out why the products of RMO are the perfect match for your skin.
To Your Sun-kissed Skin,
Monika
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