During the warmer months, many of us increase the amount of time we spend outdoors with activities, lounging and entertaining in the sun. Consequently, the more time we spend outdoors, the more likely we are to suffer from sunburn – the nasty reaction from overexposure to UV radiation.
The danger with UV rays is that you can’t see or feel the damage they cause initially and it can take 4 – 6 hours for sunburn symptoms to sneak up on you. So, what might look like slightly pink cheeks now, could be full blown blisters by the time you hop into bed – OUCH!
Not only is sunburn painful, it also causes long term problems such as premature skin ageing, eye damage, and skin cancer. Before you have a major freak out and hibernate for the rest of summer, see what you can do to prevent and treat sunburn instead.
HOW TO PREVENT SUNBURN
Apply a sunscreen that has a minimum of SPF 30 – the higher the SPF the better! We recommend Aspect Envirostat SPF 50 sunscreen which is specially formulated for the face, but can be used over the entire body! Don’t forget to reapply as recommended and remember ears, feet and hands are the most commonly forgotten areas. You may also need a friend to apply an even coverage to your back – any excuse for a back massage!
There are five golden rules to full sun protection- SLIP, SLOP, SLAP, SEEK and SLIDE! To elaborate a little more;
- slip on a shirt,
- slop on sunscreen,
- slap on a hat,
- seek shade
- and slide on sunnies!
It is recommended that you limit or avoid any sun exposure between the hours of 10am and 4pm. This is when UV rays are at their strongest and their most damaging.
HOW TO TREAT SUNBURN
There have always been different ideas of how best to treat sunburn in the past. These remedies have included everything from butter, tea bags and egg whites.
These will do little or nothing to help and can make things worse for your sunburnt skin.
Moisturising is key, as you need to keep the skin as hydrated as possible! By using topical products with added vitamin C and vitamin E, you are replenishing any lost moisture and also repairing your damaged skin.
One of our favourites is BB Delicates lotion with orange blossom that will be sure to nourish that sensitive skin.
WATER WATER WATER!
You can never drink too much water when you’re sunburnt.
The fact is that your skin is a living organ. If you are dehydrated, you are preventing your skin’s natural ability to heal.
Your skin will lose water and more of it depending on how badly you have been sunburnt and in severe cases, sunburn can cause intense dehydration.
Why?
Sunburn will draw moisture towards the skin’s surface to aid in the healing process.
That’s why it is important that you stay hydrated and keep a bottle of water with you at all times to replace lost fluids.
Avoid using soaps or strongly perfumed products that can dry the skin until affected areas are completely healed.
BB Repair (or as we like to call it, our wonder gel!) is specifically formulated to rehydrate and cool the skin after laser, waxing, sunburn and minor burns.
REMEMBER
Never scrub or peel sunburnt areas.
Never break a sunburn blister.
There is no such thing as a healthy tan – unless it’s fake of course! Protect the skin you’re in thanks to the experts here at Brazilian Butterfly, we have you covered!
