You’re burned, what now?
I am guessing everyone had a great holiday weekend, but like most people, you probably stayed out in the sun too long & now because of that, you’re burned….to a crisp. So what do you do from here? Well of course, I will guide you through healing your burn, but next time heed my advice from last week & wear Dr. T’s Super Goop & get a spray tan from our very own True Glow Mobile Spray Tanning!
But here are some key guidelines for getting your skin back to looking normal:
*Do NOT exfoliate with scrub, glycolic acid, retinoids, or salicylic acid. It will irritate the already damaged skin. Don’t exfoliate until your skin is completely healed & there is no sign of redness.
*Don’t use anything super cold to soothe a burn. Always use a slightly cool soak or compress. And shockingly enough, you can use a cool compress soaked in milk to soothe the affected areas. Milk proteins create a protective coat on the skin that helps maintain the moisture necessary for the healing enzymes to both soothe the skin and take away the sting.
*Following on that, use damp, chilled Chamomile teabags to soothe sunburned eyelids. The tea is super gentle & has healing properties for that delicate skin.
*Don’t pop any blisters especially on your face. Don’t apply any lotion or gel to blisters; let them heal naturally.
*Don’t use an oil based spray even if it says it’s for use on sun burned skin. The coating these sprays form locks the heat of the burn onto your skin & increases your pain.
*Don’t pull off peeling skin. This can prolong & worsen peeling, and be very painful. Let flaking skin fall off naturally.
*Do take a cool 10 to 15 minute shower to lower your increased body temperature. This will also help pull the heat from the burn and reduce your pain.
*Do take ibuprofen (400 mg every four hours) until the redness goes away. This anti-inflammatory can minimize the inflammation of burned skin.
*Do drink green tea or pomegranate extract or juice. Both have soothing anti-inflammatory benefits and are strong anti-oxidants, which can help repair the unseen damage of UV exposure.
*Do eat lots of fruits (especially berries) and vegetables. Their anti-oxidants will also help lessen UV damage.
*Do make sure to moisturize your skin often. Use natural moisturizers with aloe and anti-oxidants, especially on your face. Continue to moisturize even while you’re peeling.
Now I know it’s hard for some of you to go completely barefaced even when you’re completely sun burned, but please try! If you just can’t, use subtle eye make-up to enhance your eyes (probably the least burnt part of your face) & some lip gloss over a lip protectant (my favorite is Dr. Bronners). Make sure your brows are nice & shaped thus detracting from the burn. And if you really, really need some foundation coverage, try some concealer under your eyes & anywhere your skin is not peeling too much. Shoot for the dewy effect & do an all over dewy look that appears natural. If you have time, come in & see me for a quick lesson on this & we can minimize the effects. And remember stay away from tanning beds & wear lots & lots of SPF when going outside! Also cover up when you start feeling that burn coming on.
