Prevent and relieve sunburn pain naturally

Ah, summer—we all love it, yet we know that sunburns are painful and can cause long-term skin damage. But sun block isn’t the answer, since your body needs Vitamin D…and you can only get that from sunlight.

Natural prevention and remedies are the keys.

There’s a reason linen was popular in the old South, prior to the invention of air conditioning. It was the original breathable fabric, and linen clothes were styled in a loose-fitting way.

Our modern equivalent is high-tech Cool-Max, Dry-Fit, and other athletic gear fabrics that wick sweat away from your skin. For street clothing, check out lightweight cotton, linen, or quick-drying nylon…or high-UPF clothing.

Many clothing manufacturers, including Coolibar and others, offer clothes with Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) ratings. UPF ratings are similar to sunscreen ratings—UPF 50 blocks 98% of the harmful UV rays.

But you don’t have to swaddle yourself in high UPF clothing—if you’re at the beach or pool, sunscreen will do the job. Just make sure the expiration date is still good: most sunscreens lose their protective properties after a year.

However, it’s vital to use sunscreen made by a natural products company, because a study reported in The Sunday Times of London found that a chemical found in 90% of all sunscreens--Octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC)—killed mice cells even in low doses.

To make matters worse, a study in the April 2004 Journal of Chromatography found that all sunscreens penetrate significantly into your skin. Thus, any chemicals in your sunscreen are absorbed into your skin.

The best strategy to prevent sunburn is to:

1. Use high-SPF clothing and/or natural sunscreen
2. Limit exposure to sun during midday
3. Especially limit exposure until you get a base tan
4. Reapply sunscreen every hour, more often if swimming

What should you do if you get sunburned anyway?
Gerry Morton, CEO of EnergyFirst, has these tips:

1. Get out of the sun.
2. Flush the affected area with cold water
3. Cut some fresh aloe vera from a plant, expose the inner, sticky part, and rub it onto your burned skin. Store-bought aloe vera will do, but fresh is best.
4. If no aloe vera is available, pour unsweetened tea over your sunburn.
5. Drink lots of water to hydrate sufficiently
6. Stay out of the sun until your sunburn heals—this may take several days

More tips on how you can deal with sun exposure and sunburn can be found at: Prevent premature aging with proper skincare

Gerry Morton, CEO of EnergyFirst, is an experienced athlete who has competed in 30+ marathons and 4 Ironman triathlons. Gerry is an excellent source of information on nutrition, supplementation and exercise. Since 1997, he has been educating and motivating others on how to attain peak performance.