All about salvaging your post-summer vacation glow.
It’s summertime and that means lots of outdoor activities ?; from nature walks to picnics to chilling at the beach. We all want that post-holiday tanned skin to show off in front of everyone. But disaster strikes when you realise that your skin feels a little bit too tight and it resembles the colour of a tomato more than the gorgeous shade of tan you were aiming for.
Holy moly, it’s the dreaded sunburn!
If you came back from your beach vacay looking like Sebastian from The Little Mermaid, read on to find out how to soothe your sunburn and salvage your post-holiday glow.
How Does Sunburn Happen?
You get a suntan when melanin fights against damaging ultraviolet rays. When the melanin gets overwhelmed, a toxic reaction occurs, resulting in the much-hated sunburn.
Melanin is a pigment produced by cells in your skin that are known as melanocytes. It acts as a natural sunscreen for your body, and is essentially your body’s natural defense mechanism against the sun. But, that doesn’t mean you can forego your sunscreen! While everyone has the same number of melanocytes, how much and what colour of melanin is produced differs for each person. Although people with darker skin have more melanin, meaning they have more ‘natural sunscreen’, anyone and everyone can get a sunburn if they are exposed to the sun long enough.
Once your body senses that the melanocytes are dying due to the sun’s rays, it will start flooding the affected areas with blood to help the healing process. This contributes to the reddish and inflamed appearance of sunburnt skin.
How Can I Treat Sunburn?
A sunburn can stick around for a few days. While it is impossible to make the sunburn disappear immediately, we can ease the pain and help our skin along as it heals.
1) Stay cool
Ease the pain by taking cooling showers or applying cold compresses to the affected areas.
2) Moisturise often
Smear on a generous amount of gentle moisturiser over the sunburnt areas. Avoid oil-based moisturisers as those may trap heat and worsen the burn.
Try our ActivCalm Anti-Stress Hydra Cream that soothes hyper-sensitivity and hydrates parched skin.
Made up of ingredients that have superior anti-histamines, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and accelerated wound repair properties, this moisturiser is especially suitable for sun-damaged skin. It’s both hydrating and healing!
3) Stay extra hydrated
Burns dry out the skin, so drink more water to replenish the fluids in your body.
4) Use pain relievers
Anti-inflammatory medications, both topical and oral types, can help to reduce sunburn symptoms like skin redness, inflammation, and pain. We heard alcohol works as well. ?
5) Protect the sunburnt areas
Wear loose and covered clothing that allows your skin room to breathe while shielding it from the sun. Tight materials will rub against sunburnt skin and increase irritation.
Follow these tips and sunburn will be the last thing on your mind when you reminisce about your amazing summer holiday!
How Do I Avoid Getting Sunburnt?
When you’re planning for your next beach vacay, remember these 3 tips to prevent the sun’s UV rays from even touching your skin!
1) Sunscreen
As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Sunscreens prevent the sun’s UV rays from reaching your skin. Not only do they prevent sunburns, they also reduce the risk of skin cancer and stop UV rays from causing premature ageing to your skin.
The perfect sunscreen for a day outdoors, SunShield SPF 50*** uses micro-fine particle technology to scatter light, reflect light, and absorb UV through a photostable organic molecule.
“I’m already wearing sunscreen, but I still got burnt!”
If that sounds like you, then maybe you aren’t using your sunscreen properly. Don’t be stingy! Apply sunscreen liberally all over your body and don’t miss out on spots like your ears and neck. Remember to reapply your sunscreen every 2 hours, regardless of its SPF value and waterproof resistance.
2) Cover up
You’ll probably stick out like a sore thumb at the beach but you’ll have the last laugh when you’re the only one not suffering from sunburn pains!
3) Make use of a cap or umbrella
If covering up isn’t an option, you can instead wear a stylish hat or use a handy-dandy umbrella to shade yourself from the sun while lazing on the beach.
With this, we hope sunburns won’t get in the way of your post-holiday bliss. May your sunburn pains be eased and your future be cleared of any sunburn-related issues. Get out and fully enjoy some Vitamin D to get that glorious tan!
In Good Hands,
Estetica
Sources:
https://www.livescience.com/38039-what-causes-sunburns.html
https://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-travel/sunburn-treatments-to-save-your-beach-vacation.aspx
