Wednesday 23 July 2014

How to Soothe A Sun Burn

Summer has been flying by and I finally had the time (and a day off with perfect weather) to go to the beach. I threw on my SPF but made a total rookie mistake - I tossed on my typical moisturizer - Josie Maran Light Argan Oil. Sooo yupp, I pretty much prepped my face to fry an egg in the sun.

I spent all of today in agony and was drowning my skin in aloe and ice cubes. But guess what? That didn't help.

So if you're sun burnt like me, or burn easily, here are some at home remedies and skincare products that can soothe that burn! But first...

THINGS TO AVOID IF YOU'RE SUN BURNT
1. Hot showers - opt for luke warm, or if you can bare it, cold showers.
2. Exfoliating - whether it's a scrub, a loofa or those exfoliating gloves - just don't do it. Be gentle to your skin (especially your face - take a break from exfoliating cleansers).
3. Products containing alcohol - whether it's in your toner, your cleanser, or any other product. Alcohol will dry out your skin even more and irritate the burn. It's absolutely terrible for your skin anyway so I highly suggest eliminating it from your skin care regiment completely.
4. Sun - this might sound extremely obvious but don't expose yourself to the sun until your skin has healed.
5. Make up - let your skin  breathe and heal. Packing on your make up products that contain ingredients like dimethicone, silicone, and mineral oil will only prevent that.

At Home Remedies
Let's be honest, when you're lobster city the last thing you want to do is go out in public, so hunting down some typical household items that can soothe your burn would be a total bonus.

1. Milk (or greek yogurt) 
Milk has the proteins that can help soothe, cool, and repair your skin. I suggest getting 2% because it won't be watered down like skim. Pour the milk into a bowl, and soak some cotton squares. Place the squares on the burnt areas and let it soak in for about 20 minutes. Your skin will feel hydrated, soothed, and this will reduce the itch.

2. Honey
Honey is an anti-inflammatory and extremely soothing. If you can get over the fact that you will have a sticky mess on your face that will potentially drip into your eyes, then I highly suggest this technique. Make sure the honey isn't crystallized (if it is then microwave the honey for 20 seconds), you don't want to turn this into a scrub that will irritate the burn. It's pretty simple, smear the honey on dry skin and let it soak in for about 15 minutes. Take lukewarm water to rinse off the honey and you're good to go.

Skincare Products
The following products I'm going to mention are great to use on a daily basis and will also help soothe a burn.

1. Tarte Amazonian Clay Mask
I know what you're thinking - Hillary, wouldn't the clay dry out the burn more? But amazonian clay is amazing. It is detoxifying, and the mask also includes sweet almond oil and avocado oil which hydrates, replenishes, and softens the skin. The mask also feels cooling which will help reduce the heat on the burn. The mask is also amazing for regular cleansing, I use it 2-3 times a week and have seen a huge difference in my skin.

2. Lush vanishing cream moisturizer
This cream was a lifesaver. It has witch hazel in it which is an anti-inflammatory. It will also help prevent peeling and flaking. The cream also has grape seed oil which will keep the skin hydrated. I still find it doesn't give me the hydration I need on it's own so I use my argan oil as a serum and then layer this on top to help with the burn.

So there you have it, four options to help with that burn. And for the future, be sure to not be a banana head like me and reapply your SPF every 2 hours and be sure to get out of the sun after 6 hours.

I hope you all have a fabulous day and don't forget to put a bow on!

Hillary

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