With summer in full swing, so is our time in the sun. Many of us soak up this precious sun at cookouts, beach outings, and other events that can leave us feeling burned… sunburned, that is. Despite our best efforts with sunscreens and sun blockers, damaging UV rays can penetrate and leave this painful affect behind. Let’s look at some ways to prevent this from happening to you and some treatments in the event it does.

Sunburn is essentially inflammation of your skin from sun exposure. It is not always obvious at first and can progress into the next day. Prevention, then, begins here. More obvious things such as staying in the shade during the hottest hours and covering with a hat and clothing can be helpful. Frequent application of natural sunscreens every hour can help. Drink water and other non-alcoholic beverages for hydration. Eat foods such as citrus fruits and broccoli for Vitamin C, and almonds and sunflower seeds for Vitamin E. Watermelon is high in lycopene that can help, as can the beta-carotene in sweet potatoes and carrots. Finally, higher doses of fish oils may dampen the response to the sun. What happens if this defense system fails?

After being in the sun, you may experience reddening skin that feels warm, may itch, and eventually may be swollen, blistered, painful and tender. If severe enough, you may get a headache, nausea, and fatigue. Add in a fever and chills, and you may have sun poisoning. Contact a health professional if this happens. Again, this whole process can progress over night and will usually resolve in 3-5 days.

The good news is you can find remedies right at home, in many cases. Try soaking a washcloth in cold milk and applying it or gently spreading plain yogurt on the area for 10 minutes before taking a warm (but not hot) shower. Making a dark batch of black tea, cooling and applying with a washcloth can help. Taking a warm bath with a cup of oatmeal can be soothing, too. Aloe vera is wonderful and one of the best helpers for this, as is coconut oil for moisturizing. Try mixing this and put onto s glass spray bottle:

DIY Sunburn Spray

• 10 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops peppermint essential oil
• 10 drops melaleuca essential oil
• 1/8 cup fractionated coconut oil
• 1/2 cup liquid aloe vera juice

Combine these in a small spray bottle. You may need to warm the aloe and/or the coconut oil to mix them. Add water to stretch this out, if needed.

Enjoy the sun and keep these tools close at hand. Make the SHIFT today!