Just in case

Last year I did one of the stupidest things I've ever done, I played an entire day of rugby without any sunblock at all. Let me tell you, that was one of the worst mistakes of my life. I got a 2nd degree sunburn on my face. My skin blistered everywhere and I couldn't wear makeup for two whole weeks. OW. Just in case you didn't pay attention to my last post on how to AVOID getting to much sun here are some tried and true tips for alleviating pain from overexposure and getting your skin back on color as quickly as possible. So without further ado...

A ginger's tips for maximum relief from a sunburn! 

1. Aloe Vera. The most common cure for a sunburn, and one of the most effective forms of relieving pain from a bad sunburn. Personally, I prefer the type of aloe that has lidocane in it, typically it means that the aloe is blue, instead of the usual green. There is a draw back though, unfortunately the blue kind of aloe can give your skin a blueish tint when used repeatedly over a long period of time. Additionally, an aloe plant is a great thing to grow in a garden if you're pale. Fresh aloe is always a great feeling on burnt skin. The best part to me, the perfect temperature of goo every time.

2. Water. It sounds stupid, in fact it's my dad's cure for everything. (Have a headache? Drink some water. Hungry? Drink some water.) He reminds me of the dad from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, windex any one? Any way, drinking water is a great thing for anyone with a sunburn. The burnt skin must be replaced with new skin later and it takes water to create the new cells. The more water you have, the faster you'll be able to regrow cells and get rid of your nasty sunburn/peeling.

3. Milk. It sounds sort of stupid, but a rag soaked in whole milk (the fattier the better) and placed on your sun burn will alleviate most pain and take down some of the inflammation. Not to mention milk just out of the refrigerator, nice and cold, feels INCREDIBLE on skin that just can't seem to cool down. 

4. A shower. Kids, not going to lie, this hurts like nothing else. I absolutely hate this, but it works wonderfully, takes a sunburn away at least two days sooner. Turn on the shower, HOT. And I mean hot. Get in and put the burnt part of your body under the water and stand there as long as you can, turn the water on hotter if you can. It draws the heat out from your burn and dries it out too. Peeling will begin within a day or two and then VOILA! Your burn is gone. 

5. Anti-Inflammatory. A good anti-inflammatory is the key to a bad sunburn. Taking one (with water) will assist your cells in regenerating and taking the inflammation out of the burnt skin.

I do hope this helps, sunburns stink and no one deserves them. Happy summer! And remember, overexposure can lead to skin cancer. WEAR SUNBLOCK! 

Keep it classy, 

~E