Don't be fooled by the cool Spring air, sunburns happen, trust me I know. I make this sunburn oil and have on hand throughout the summer months, it's a VERY soothing and nourishes moisture depleted skin.
All about the burn
To keep things simple, when our skin experiences a burn it's essentially a sapping of the moisture in our skin. We may experience more than just sore red skin, it may blister, welt, peel and swell. Furthermore you may experience nausea, headaches, dizziness and fatigue and fainting, these are signs of a more serious condition called sunstroke.
The solution(s)
First thing is to start replenishing that lost moisture. Start with water, and lots of it. The old adage of "drink eight glasses of water a day" is technically right. However the average water intake for a male to a female is different, the Mayo Clinic recommends about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men and 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women.
So all this to say, you need to drink more than the recommended water consumption, as you have drastically depleted the moisture in your body.
"A sunburn is loss of moisture"
Apply an after sun lotion or gel directly on the skin as soon as possible, will begin to moisturize the sunburn. And not all moisturizing is created equal let me tell you. I have gone through a lot of them. Aloe Vera is great but sticky and body lotion just gets clumpy and separates, others come with a myriad of ingredients that do the opposite of what you want. So I just make my own.
The Oil(s)
I know oil sounds greasy but it's important to know which one to use and what to add to it. I like to use Avocado oil, it's HIGHLY moisturizing, it doesn't irritate sensitive burned skin when applying and is a great carrier oil to essential oils. Other great carrier oils that are low odor are Argon, Jojoba, Almond and Rosehip. If you don't like oil you can also use Shea butter, Cocoa Butter, Mango butter or Kokum butter. For this article we are going to focus on Avocado oil.
All essential oils are drying, so they need a carrier oil to help spread the properties we want to use. I like to use 100% organic Frankincense essential oil and Lavender essential oil, be sure not to use a blend. Frankincense is known to regenerate skin tissue, combat dryness, reduce inflammation and heal wounds. Lavender in it's own right reduces inflammation, and heals wounds, it also helps to relieve stress among other things.
The Recipe
This is a simple blend of carrier and essential oils to help reduce, heal and regenerate skin due to sunburn.
Ingredients:
50ml Organic Avocado Oil
25 drops Organic Frankincense Serrata Essential Oil
5-10 drops Organic Lavender Essential Oil
In a sterile jar with a glass dropper funnel 50 milliliters of avocado oil. Drop in both the frankincense and Lavender essential oil stir with a wooden stirring stick or shake to combine.
Dispense one to two teaspoons or 5-10 drops of the oil blend onto the sunburned area, gently rub distribute the oil with the back end of a spoon, or the tips of your fingers. Reapply oil once it has been absorbed until the skin no longer feels taught and sore. Usage of this product should be for no more than two weeks.
NOTES: Frankincense and Lavender essential oils are not known to cause adverse reactions, however each individual is different. Test a smaller area of your skin and wait 2-3 hours after applying to be sure you will not have a reaction. Studies are out on using Frankincense on pregnant and breastfeeding women. Consult a naturopath, herbalist or other health care specialist before proceeding to use this or any herbal or natural remedy from anyone or this website.
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