I hope you're all doing well! I know this post is a few days late, but I've been so busy since my Graduation on Thursday. Please forgive me!
As I shared in my last post, I went to the beach last week, I walked away with a bit of sunburn... and it wasn't pretty. I quickly went to the internet to find some extra tips on how to heal the sunburn as quickly, and as painlessly as possible, while also turning it into a nice tan, and what I discovered was pretty whacky! Even though it was whacky, it worked! So, for this post, I wanted to take what I know about treating a sunburn, and the whacky tip that I learned about healing sunburn, and share it with all of you!
It's very important to state that I in NO WAY support getting a sunburn to turn it into a tan. The UV rays of the sun are INCREDIBLY harmful, and the damage just 15 minutes in the sun can do to your skin is intense. Rapid aging, wrinkles, sun spots, sun poisoning, skin cancer, etc.
It is incredibly, incredibly important to wear SPF when you're going to be out in the sun, and cover up appropriately Even if it is cloudy, and you don't believe the sun is strong, it is, and you can still walk away with damage if you are not taking the proper precautions.
I spent about 5 hours at the beach last Tuesday. It was my first beach day of the season. I wore SPF 50 on my face, and my body, but the sun was just too strong for my fair/porcelain skin that day, and I got sunburn pretty much all over my body. Things happen, and I will try to be much more careful during my next beach trip.
So, how did I treat this sunburn? Here's what I do when I come back from the beach looking like a roasted tomato:
- Once you get home from the beach, take a shower. It's important to take the right type of shower. When your skin is sunburned, there is heat trapped under your skin. That's why your skin feels so hot to the touch. Therefore, we don't want to shock the skin with any more heat. It's best to take a lukewarm shower when you have sunburn. A warm/hot shower will burn your already burnt skin some more, and a cold shower will close your pores and trap the heat inside. A lukewarm shower is the perfect balance.
- Aloe Vera. Apply the soothing gel to your burned area for instant cooling relief. For the first day and night, keep this on hand to help ease your pain
- Ibuprofen. When you have sunburn, your skin is inflamed. For the first 48 hours, take an Ibuprofen as directed. This will help to decrease inflammation, as well as relieving pain associated with the burn. It's a major lifesaver for me! Do NOT take more than directed on the bottle of the Ibuprofen you own.
- Sleep with a fan. As mentioned above, your skin has heat trapped inside. If you sleep without a fan, especially in the summer, your body heat rises. We don't need any more extra heat going on! Sleeping with a fan blowing on you will help to keep your body cooler.
- Moisturize and hydrate! Sunburn dries you out from the inside out. Keep applying fragrance free lotion to your skin, (like Eucerin), and drink lots and lots of water!
- Loose clothing! You want your skin to be able to breathe. It's irritated enough due to the burn, don't irritate it anymore by having tight clothing rubbing and chaffing against it. Wear loose clothing as often as you can to give your skin some space!
Now let's move on to the whacky tip...
Apple Cider Vinegar.
Why yes, reader... you are reading that right. I am indeed telling you to rub Apple Cider Vinegar all over your body.
I read several articles advising the usage of Apple Cider Vinegar on sunburned skin. I had so many questions, "Won't it burn? Will I smell terribly? Will this actually WORK?"- but what do I have to lose? I had Apple Cider Vinegar sitting in a kitchen cabinet, so I grabbed it!
I advise you to start on the morning of the day after you get your sunburn. Your skin has had a day to take in the Aloe, and now you bring in the vinegar.
I also advise you to apply it in the shower, for it can get a bit messy. Undress, and pour out handfuls into your hand and rub it into your skin. I actually found a spare spray bottle in my linen closet, so I filled it with the Apple Cider Vinegar, sprayed it onto my sunburn and then rubbed it in.
There's no burning, no itchiness, no irritation. It's actually quite soothing. As far as the smell goes... yes, you will smell. However, the Apple Cider Vinegar absorbs into the skin rather quickly, and the scent evaporates.
I reapplied every hour. I don't know how little or how often you should apply, but I found this best for me. Especially since it is soothing to the skin. I advise to at least apply in the morning and at night.
I did this, along with wearing loose clothing, hydrating, Ibuprofen, lukewarm showers, and sleeping with a fan, and in just 2 days, my sunburn was completely gone and turned into a tan. No pain, no blisters, no itchiness, no peeling. It was amazing!
I read that you can use any type of vinegar, but that Apple Cider Vinegar works best! That is the only one that I used, so that is all I can vouch for. It worked wonders for me! I really suggest it! And it's just really fun to watch people's reactions when you tell them how you've been treating your sunburn, haha.
What are your tips for treating a sunburn? What's the whackiest thing you've done? Share with me!
Remember, WEAR SPF IN THE SUN!!! Protect yourself. It's important. And if, for whatever reason, you get a burn, use these tips to your advantage!
I'll have a new post later this week! Stay safe, put on that SPF.
Much love, stay beautiful,
Christina Bracco
xoxoxoxo
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