For whatever reason, no matter how much sunscreen I apply, my first trip to the beach every year leaves me with a nasty burn—especially when it’s one of those short winter trips from the snowy east coast down to somewhere hot…ouch! Of course it’s always been this way for me (you’ve probably recognized by now how much I love to be outside!); but it wasn’t until recently that I began worrying about long-term skin damage from these burns. In a few weeks I’ll discuss my favorite treatments to begin reversing that damage, but for now, I’d like to let you in on my secrets for immediately nursing those nasty burns: after sun treatments!
Here it is, plain and simple. When I get a reeeeally bad burn, I do the following: take an aspirin; drink tons of water; take a warm shower with mild soap, like Dr. Bronner’s Castille soap; apply aloe (the gel from inside an actual aloe leaf); and, once the aloe has soaked in a bit, apply jojoba oil (I like Jason's) to seal in the aloe. For really bad spots, I might also apply some pure Angustifolia lavender oil—my “cure-all” for any sting or burn. Another part of my post-burn “ritual” is to consume lots of antioxidants (pomegranate, acai, blueberries, etc.), in order to prevent free radical damage, and just because they’re very tasty vehicles for even more water consumption!
I’ve tried many of the after sun treatments in stores—numbing sprays, aloe gels, etc.—but this is my favorite treatment, so for now, I’m sticking with it. I’ve heard great things about yogurt-based after sun treatments, too, but everyone has their own favorite recipe for healing a bad sunburn…please tell us—what’s yours?
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