What To Do If You Get Sunburnt
Your wedding’s just a few days away and you decide to grab half an hour in the sunshine to relax amidst the chaos of the final hours of preparation. Little do you realise that the sun’s rays are stronger than you thought and you end up sunburnt…
It can happen so easily but can be just as easily avoided (sorry to sound like your mum!), but what’s done is done and now it’s all about salvaging your skin ahead of the big day. If this occurs a couple of days before then the focus should be on soothing the skin, reducing the swelling and redness, here’s how…
Aloe Vera
One of the best methods to relieve sun burn is aloe vera. It’s a great natural remedy for cooling and soothing sunburned skin and it will also help to gently re-hydrate skin. Once aloe has been applied to the face, a soothing, moisturising face cream must be used afterwards to ensure you skin does not lose any hydration. Here’s one that’s widely available and a favourite of mine >>>
Avocado
Avocado is amazing for sunburnt skin, it can penetrate deep into the skin quickly moisturising and softening it. A mask is a really great way of using avocado to treat your damaged skin. It will help heal flaky and dry sunburnt peeling skin plus rehydrate it. Here’s a quick recipe you could easily whip up at home…
- 2 tbsp. mashed avocado
- 1tbsp. Aloe Vera juice
- ½ tsp. brewer’s yeast
- Clean bowl
- Spoon
- Clean and dry towel
Instructions:
Step 1: Mash the avocado in a bowl and add the Aloe Vera juice . Mix together until there's a smooth paste.
Step 2: Apply to face, making sure to avoid the eye area and leave it on for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Rinse off the mask with lukewarm water. Use a clean towel to dab your face dry.
Scrub (with caution!)
If you’ve managed to calm your skin down ahead of the big day and you’re through the sore part, then it’s likely you could be experiencing the peeling stage. This next tip is ONLY if your skin is no longer red, sore or swollen – if you do this too soon then you could aggravate already very sensitive skin and make it even redder. Skin peeling is definitely not something you want to be dealing with on your wedding day. But, you can safely speed up this process with a little natural oil and coarse, natural sugar. You can try this method the night before your wedding or the day before but try not to do it three times in a row or you’ll risk over exfoliating your skin.
- 1 tbsp. castor oil
- 2 tbsp. Olive Oil (You can also use almond, avocado or coconut oil if your prefer).
- 1 tbsp. of natural cane sugar or a natural exfoliant like oats
- Clean bowl
- Clean and dry towel
Instructions:
Step 1: Mix the castor oil and olive oil together.
Step 2: Spread iover you face as you would a cleanser making sure to avoid your eyes.
Step 3: With the sugar (or oats) in your hand, scrub your face over the oil mixture. Try not to be too rough, the sugar will do that for you.
Step 4: Soak a clean towel in warm to hot water (as warm as you can stand it), then wipe the oil mixture off. You may need to rinse the towel and wipe your face again to get all of the sugar and oil off.
I hope this helps if you have managed to overdo it in the sunshine this summer and I hope it stands as a warning to brides to be to slather on the sunscreen whenever you’re out in the sun, prevention is so much better than dealing with the very sore and annoying consequences.
