It’s nice to soak up a little sun and it’s beneficial, providing Vitamin D and even improving your mood.
Too much sun, though, is not much fun. Long days at the beach, walking in the park, participating in outdoor sports, and barbecuing in the backyard can lead to sunburn. Even when you’re consistently using sunblock, there’s still a chance of ending the day with a painful sunburn, which can lead to skin damage and premature wrinkles.
Using essential oils is a soothing solution for over exposure to the sun. They have anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and antioxidant properties that work together to heal the skin and help prevent damage from free radicals.
Before applying topically, mix a few drops of essential oils with carrier oil.
You can use any carrier oil, but coconut is a good choice for sunburn. It’s hydrating, prevents peeling, and heals skin damage.
Argan oil is a soothing choice for sunburn. It moisturizes and revitalizes your skin, plus it’s a free radical neutralizer and helps decrease the appearance of wrinkles. Vitality Extracts also carries almond and jojoba oils to blend with your essential oils.
Here are some essential oils that work well on sunburn:
Peppermint Oil: relieves pain naturally and draws out the heat you may experience with over exposure to the sun, giving a cooling and numbing effect, and providing immediate relief. It has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic properties.
Another bonus with peppermint is that if you experience headaches from too much sun, it helps with that, too.
Lavender: is antiseptic, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, which help you heal quicker from the burn and prevent infection. It also reduces redness, soreness, swelling, and itchiness. Like peppermint, it helps cool and soothe the burned skin.
Frankincense: is a dynamite healer, healing at a cellular level. It’s regenerative and reduces inflammation and scarring.
Eucalyptus: cools your sunburn, draws out the heat, relieves pains, helps you heal quickly, and prevents infection. It contains anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
Ways to treat your sunburn with essential oils:
- Mix essential oil(s) with carrier oil and apply to burned areas
- Make a spray by mixing ¼ cup of fractionated coconut oil, 1 cup of aloe vera juice and 8 drops of your choice of essential oils. Shake and spritz on affected area. Aloe vera is an awesome remedy for sunburned skin. It cools, soothes, and reduces healing time.
- Mix 2-5 drops of essential oils with aloe vera gel and apply.
- Add 8 to 10 drops of essential oils to a cool bath and soak.
Of course, it’s best to avoid staying in the sun too long and the lighter your skin tone, the more likely you are to burn. Those days when you’re outdoors and end up with a bit of a burn, using essential oils is a natural, non-toxic way to ease the pain and keep your skin healthy.