Your Summer Tan and Sunburn - Homeopathic Toolkit

Homeopathy can help you manage your skin and tan through                                           
                                                        the summer sun and heat!


What is a sunburn?
It is an actual burn to the outer layers of the skin as a result of too much exposure to the sun or a tanning bed or sun lamp and is most common during the late spring and summer when the sun’s rays are at their strongest. 
   
   

Sunburn Symptoms
Mildsunburn may include redness of skin, pain, skin peeling and itchiness or rash 
Severesunburn or sun poisoning may include burning hot skin and blistering, loss of fluid (dehydration), swelling, electrolyte imbalance, infection, general fatigue and mild dizziness. Extreme sunburns and cases of sun poisoning can require hospitalization. If your skin is peeling following a bad sunburn, avoid picking at it or peeling it further. If you have blisters, this is a sign of a severe sunburn. It is best to cover them to prevent tearing and leave them alone until they heal.
Most sunburns are considered mild injuries and are appropriate for home care.     
Homeopathy Can Remediate Sunburn
Homeopathic medicines can have benefits both externally and internally. The main EXTERNAL(topical) remedies are Calendula, Hypericum and Urtica Urens. Apply the remedy as soon as possible after the burn occurs, and reapply as needed over the next few days. For many burns appropriate for home care, this may be all the treatment that is needed.As long as the burn continues to heal, the external remedies can be used for pain relief, to speed healing of the tissues, and to prevent or minimize scarring.

                             

The main INTERNALremedies for burns are:          Urtica Urens 30C (first degree burns) 
         Cantharis 30C (second degree burns)
         Causticum30C(third degree burns)
Beginning as soon as possible after the injury, give one dose every 15 minutes until the pain subsides or for three to six doses. After the initial round, the remedy may be given for continued pain relief and healing – three to four times per day for a few days. As always, stop giving the remedy when symptoms have improved.

For sun allergies, hives or other variations of reactions to the sun, see your homeopath for a remedy which more exactly suits your specific situation.
What else can you do if you get a sunburn?
1.     Stay out of the sun until the burn fades.
2.     Drink lots of water, coconut water or fresh juices to stay hydrated
3.     Keep your house cool using fans or air conditioning.
4.     Use cold compresses (using cool water or also a couple of drops of lavender essential oil) to soothe the hot skin. 
5.     Take a cool shower or bath to cool the sunburned skin.
6.     Bath water soothing options include:
                  -adding 1 cup apple cider vinegar to help balance the burned skin’s pH level, promoting healing
                  -soaking in an oatmeal bath to relieve itchy sunburned skin
                  -adding a few drops of lavender, chamomile or helichrysum essential oil to relieve some of the stinging pain
                  -adding 2 cups baking soda to help ease irritation and redness from the sunburn
                  -avoiding soap and perfumes in bath water which can further fry your already dry, burned skin
7.     Use aloe vera to soothe and moisturize the skin. 
8.     Apply teabags that have been soaked in cold water to sunburned eyelids to soothe the burn and reduce
       inflammation.
9.     Apply Witch Hazel to the sunburned area to help reduce inflammation.
10.   Apply freshly brewed tea after it has cooled to sunburned skin using a clean cloth. 
         The tannic acid in black tea helps draw heat from sunburned skin, and aids in restoring the pH balance. 
         You can add mint to the tea for a more cooling effect.

Food and vitamin options to relieve sunburn
·      Hydrate-drink a lot of water, juice or coconut water because your skin is dry and dehydrated. Replacing lost body fluids will help your skin heal from sunburn more quickly.
·      Apply cool, not cold, milk or yogurtwith a clean cloth to your sunburned skin. The milk will create a protein film that helps ease sunburn discomfort.
·      Use Vitamin E oil on the skin (even on peeling skin). It is an antioxidant, and can help decrease inflammation caused by sunburn.
·      Cucumbers have natural antioxidant and analgesic (pain relieving) properties. Chill cucumbers, then mash in a blender to create a paste, and apply to affected sunburned areas including the face. Cucumber also can be soothing for peeling skin following a sunburn.


Preventing sunburn
You can wear protective clothing that has sunscreen built into the fabric, or cover yourself with white thin cotton or linen clothes, wear sunglasses, a sunhat and avoid direct sun exposure between 11 am and 4 pm for longer than 20 minutes at a time until you build up your layers of tanned skin. 

Eating Vitamin D-rich foods or taking a vitamin D 3 supplement, increases your tolerance to sun exposure. Also, eating healthy fats and oils helps create more resilient skin. Correct deficiencies in certain minerals such as zinc and magnesium by eating bone broths and organ meats to diminish photosensitivity and sun rashes.

Rubbing cold-pressed coconut oil onto your skin will block 20% of the sun’s rays, and it will also release powerful antioxidants into your skin, which support your own natural defenses to prevent damage from long term sun exposure.
Astaxanthin from krill oil also has protective effects on skin and enhances the ability to tan.

                                                                      

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is Lymphatic Drainage ????

Image
What is bio - electric lymphatic drainage? Bio - Electric Lymphatic Drainage (BELD) is a type of  therapy that uses a light beam generator, which emits a  stream  of photons (negative ions).  BELD is the most  recent advancement of this technology - a vibration  energy technology. That means it emits energetic  information to the energy field of the cells via harmonic  sounds, frequencies of light, and Noble Gas Ionization.  These are known for their antibacterial and  antimicrobial properties. This light beam emits a heartbeat pulsation that when combined with a manual  lymphatic drainage massage, helps improve the flow in  blood and lymph. Simultaneously, this process loosens  waste from  cells which assists in the removal of toxins, poisons and trapped proteins, literal ly cleaning the  spaces between cells and allowing waste products and toxins to slowly and safely flow o ut through normal  channels....
Read more

PHOTOBIOMODULATION - A Light therapy ?

Image
What is photobiomodulation ? Photobiomodulation is the name for light therapy. Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation, which means it has electric fields and magnetic fields vibrating back and forth very quickly as a wave. The speed of the vibration is called frequency. Frequency is the rate at which a vibration occurs that constitutes a wave, either in a material (as in sound waves), or in an electromagnetic field (as in radio waves and light), usually measured per second. Light therapy is also known as photobiostimulation which means “the stimulation of life with light.” Wavelengths are measured in nanometers (nm), equal to one-billionth of a metre. Light wavelengths measure approximately as follows: Ultraviolet (UV): 10 to 380 nm Violet — 380 to 450 nm Indigo — 440 to 460 nm Blue — 450 to 495 nm Cyan — 485 to 510 Green — 495 to 570 nm Yellow — 570 to 590 nm Amber — 580 to 600 nm Orange — 590 to 610 nm Red Light-Emitting Diode (LED) — 610 to 700 nm Near-Infrared (NIR) — 700 to...
Read more

What is Blastocystis?

Image
  What is Blastocystis? Blastocystis is one of many microscopic parasites that can live in your digestive tract. Some people experiencing diarrhea, abdominal pain or other gastrointestinal problems have blastocystis organisms in their stool. Researchers don't fully understand the role blastocystis plays, if any, in causing disease. Most commonly, blastocystis organisms simply live in a person's digestive tract without causing harm.   Blastocystis may be transmitted through food or water or by contact with human or animal feces. Generally speaking, Blastocystis infection is more common among people who live in or travel to developing countries and among people who work with animals and clean up after animals.   Blastocystis in humans was once identified as a single species called Blastocystis hominis, but to date, 17 subtypes have been found. The scientific name used now is Blastocystis spp, an abbreviation that means "multiple species." A blastocystis infection is cal...
Read more