Sunburn is a term we often use to determine redness, pain, and sometimes swelling of the skin. It isn’t a kind of disease, but a condition caused due to overexposure of the skin to the suns (Ultraviolet) rays. The effect of sunburn may differ from person to person due to the skin type and the time span of skin exposed under the sun. It can be mild or severe. While mild sunburn can be healed easily, but severe sunburn is a risky factor as it may lead to excessive damage to the skin and can even cause skin cancer. Due to the fluctuation in the intensity of the UV rays, the skin damage varies from person to person. At higher latitudes the effect is noticeably less than that at lower latitudes. People living at higher latitudes face less effect of UV rays while the people living at lower latitudes suffer the damage mostly. The UV radiation is dependent on the angle of the sun. It is determined by the height of the object compared to its shadow under the sun. Regardless of the latitudes, equal shadow to the UV rays means maximum passage of radiation. During noon time, UV radiation is at its peak as the sun is directly on top of you.
Causes of sunburn
There are also two types of UV rays, UV-A rays and UV-B rays and both of them are equally harmful. Sunburn is the outcome of direct contact of UV-B rays to the skin resulting in the damage of your DNA. This damage is easily recognized by the body, on which the body reacts to heal these damages by producing ample amounts of melanin which fights and prevents skin damage or sunburn. The UV photons are transformed into effect less, radical free heat by the melanin produced in the body. It is an excellent photo-protector as it protects the skin and the DNA from direct and indirect damage caused due to UV rays. When we are out in the sun for a long time, our skin tends to experience some redness or any kind of irritation. This redness is caused by the UV rays passing through the skin, leading to the damage of DNA cells.
Remedies to cure sunburn easily
Baking soda
Baking soda is an ingredient which every kitchen possesses. The alkaline nature and the antiseptic properties help reduce the irritation and heal sunburn effectively.
- Take a cup full of baking soda and pour it in your bathtub.
- Fill the tub with cold water and stir well so that it dissolves completely.
- Soak your body in the solution for 15 to 20 minutes.
- After you are done, pat yourself dry.
- Practice this method for a week or two.
- Else, comprise a mixture of 4 tablespoons of baking soda along with required amount of water to form a paste.
- Use a cotton ball to apply the paste to the sunburn area.
- Rinse with lukewarm water after 8 to 10 minutes.
- Apply this procedure for a required amount of time until you experience any improvement with your skin.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a natural moisturizer which helps retain skin smoothness and heals sunburn.
- Fill your bathtub with cold water.
- Add a cup full of oatmeal to it and mix it properly.
- Soak your body for 20 to 30 minutes in the mixture.
- Avoid rubbing your skin with a towel, you can let the skin dry before moving out.
- Carry on with this process until the symptoms of sunburn are gone completely.
Alternatively,
- Boil oatmeal with enough water until it has a gooey consistency.
- Let the solution cool down completely and apply it generously to the damaged portion of the skin.
- Wash it off with cool water after 25 to 30 minutes.
- Apply this measure to cure sunburn within 2 weeks.
Aloe vera
The anti-inflammatory properties in aloe vera help soothe the skin and gives relief from the symptoms of sunburn.
- Extort the gel from an aloe vera leaf.
- Freeze the gel for around 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Bring out the gel from the refrigerator after 30 minutes and apply it directly on the sunburn skin.
- Put a light coating of the chilled gel and let it dry for a few minutes so that the skin can absorb the medicinal properties of the aloe vera gel.
- Apply this process for 4 to 5 times a day.
Milk
Milk contains pH, fat and protein, which helps get relief from sunburn due to the presence of anti-inflammatory, soothing and antiseptic agents in it.
- Compose a solution of 4 cups of water with 1 cup of skim milk.
- Put some ice cubes in it to get a chilled solution.
- Dip a cotton ball or clean cloth to apply the solution to the sunburn area.
- Pat dry with a soft towel to avoid rubbing.
- Continue this process for every 4 hours a day for a week or two to heal sunburn.
Reason why the ice cubes are added after adding water is because the chilled nature of the solution will relax the skin and increase the flow of blood through the blood vessels while the milk will add up a protein coating to your skin.
Honey
Honey being a natural antibiotic helps cure sunburn. The enzymes present in honey help in healing skin damage, reduces the swelling and irritation of the skin.
- Put a thin layer of honey on the damaged area of the skin as it will help repair the damages and give a soothing effect.
- Keep it as it is for a few minutes before you rinse it.
- Practice this method daily.
- Else, you can consume 1 tablespoon of honey stirred in a glass of lukewarm water.
- Drink this mixture daily for reducing sunburn effects and enjoy a healthy and smooth skin.
