Summer Skincare Alert: Over Exposed!
Ok. So you’ve stayed out in the sun too long, and now your skin is inflamed and sun burned. Don’t despair relief is closer than you think. With a few simple steps, your skin will be cool and calm in no time.
Hydrate. Firstly, quench your skin, and skin cells, with hydration. Drink iced green tea, or water with lemon. Green tea is a potent anti-oxidant, and will help skin recover from the burn. After a too-long day at the beach, skin is dry, dehydrated and thirsty. Opt for a cool or lukewarm bath or shower, avoiding hot water. Cool water will refresh the skin and rinse away any impurities, as well as lower the temperature of the burn without further aggravating already sensitive areas. Choose a soothing cleanser with herbal extracts like lavender or chamomile, and wash all exposed areas carefully. If opting for a bath, sprinkle in some oatmeal, which will both soften the water, and speed healing. To jump start the healing process, supplement your diet with Murad’s Wet Suit Cell Hydrating Supplement, which will bolster skin hydration and strengthen cell membranes with phosphatidylcholine. Consuming flaxseed oil and fish oil will also aid in moisture recovery.
Soothe. After the bath or shower, dry the skin carefully either by blotting with a towel, or simply air-drying and for the first 48 hours, reach for the gold standard in burn care aloe vera gel. Aloe vera speeds tissue recovery, relieves dryness and helps alleviate the heat of the burn. For particularly sensitive areas, such as feet, nose, ears or forehead, cold compresses may be applied. Add a few drops of lavender or tea tree essential oil to warm water, refrigerate for 10 minutes, and then apply to the skin with a cool cloth or cotton gauze. Cellular Replenishing Serum, rich in hyaluronic acid and glycolipids will fight dryness and sun damage by bolstering the skin’s own moisture reserves.
Moisturize. Next, apply a lightweight body lotion. Bliss Moisture Milk will continue to cool the temperature of the skin with mint, as well as replenish with Shea butter, Vitamin E and wheat proteins. As the redness begins to fade, burned skin may peel or flake off. Resist picking and pulling at this skin! Instead, gently buff the dry flakes away with a manual peel, such as the Peter Thomas Roth Silica Face and Body Polish, a gentle exfoliator which uses rounded silica beads to loosen and remove dead skin, while sparing moisture loss. Avoid products with glycolic acid or harsh scrubbing agents until the burn has completely subsided, and the skin has returned to a normal color and texture.
Protect. Once the sunburn has faded, be extra careful with this newly exposed, very fragile skin. Daily, apply sun block to any and all exposed areas, and pay particular attention to areas that are easily overlooked, such as ears, backs of hands, lips and the back of the neck. La Roche Posay Anthelios SX Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15 provides excellent protection against sun damage in a non-greasy, light formula, perfect for skin recently over-exposed to the sun. For men who are bald or have short hair, be judicious in applying protection to exposed skin on the top of the head and forehead. Studies suggest that just one or two serious sun burns can significantly increase your chances of getting skin cancer, so don’t waste another minute of your skin’s life recovering from a burn.
Spend time in the sun wisely and learn how not to burn before it’s too late. Avoid excess sun exposure during the middle of the day, invest in a broad-spectrum sun block SPF 15 or higher, buy a hat, and rent an umbrella the next time you are at the beach or pool.