July and August are “Sunburn Season” when everybody needs a few natural remedies for their sunburn. These are the vacation months in the US and the time for fun in the sun before returning to school or buckling down on the job. Some people get more sun in these months than the rest of the year.
Are You More Susceptible to Burning?
Going from no sun to lots of sun can give you a sunburn fast. On top of that, did you know that many medications increase your chances of getting sunburned?
Antibiotics, antidepressants, accutane and retin A, allergy meds, blood pressure pills, diabetic drugs, birth control or menopausal hormones, statins, diuretics and even anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs are all on the photosensitivity list.
Many people find themselves in a Catch 22 – they don’t want to get sunburned, but they know they are more susceptible to sunburn. Should they completely avoid the sun? Not really a good idea. Avoiding the sun altogether can be dangerous. But it is important to be careful.
Why You Need the Sun
Getting sunlight is critical to our health. We get our Vitamin D through sunlight, not food. Vitamin D is very important to the healthy functioning of out body from healthy bones, heart, mental health, colds and flu and much more. Avoiding the sun and/or using too much sunblock prevents Vitamin D from forming and contributes to deficiencies.
Vitamin D is created on the skin when it exposed to sunlight. This doesn’t happen through glass, only with direct exposure. Dr. Mercola recently wrote about how surprized he was to discover that it takes a full 48 hours for the Vitamin D to be fully absorbed from the skin. He recommended only using soap under the arms and in the groin area. That may not be practical for most people, but it’s nice to know that skipping a shower now and then can actually contribute to your health!
Natural Sunburn Remedies:
Everybody’s skin reacts differently to sunburn and sunburn remedies. Here are a few to try – one of them is bound to do the trick for you:
LavaDerm Cooling Mist:
Specially formulated with lavender essential oil and aloe vera – two of nature’s most soothing, rejuvenating and healing substances. It soothes, protects and brings powerful relief to stressed and burned skin with its blend of gentle, skin-soothing ingredients.
Lavender Essential Oil:
Put a few drops of lavender essential oil on your sunburned skin for quick relief.
Aloe Vera:
If you have an aloe plant in the garden, break off a spear and gently rub the juice over your burn. Some varieties work better than others.
MMS (Miracle Mineral Solution):
It’s surprising that this solution works so well on burns, but I get the most relief and the fastest healing from burns when I use MMS. It’s inexpensive and easy to use:
MMS is a liquid. Spread a few drops of MMS (straight from the bottle) over the burned skin, wait 5 minutes and wash off (it’s very important to wash it off after 5 minutes). It will burn or sting a bit at first, but then subside. If the burning doesn’t completely stop, repeat a few hours later or the next day.
If the burn is a bad one, apply the MMS again a third time, but this time, leave it on. It will make your skin smell a little odd, but it won’t be offensive.
With any luck, you won’t suffer a sunburn this season, but if you do, to cool your skin down and help it recover faster, try these sunburn natural remedies.